What brands does BAIC own?

The BAIC group is a major player in the Chinese car market: let’s review the different brands marketed by the Chinese manufacturer.

The rise of electric vehicles in the world has allowed the arrival in our countries of new Chinese manufacturers, most of which were unknown to European motorists until now. However, the industrial groups behind these brands have a long history, with ambitious projects in the automotive sector. Let’s take a look at the BAIC Group brands.

A powerful Chinese manufacturer

Founded in 1958 as BAW (Beijing Automobile Works) and now based in Beijing, China, the BAIC Group (Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation) is a Chinese state-owned enterprise, which is the sixth largest automobile manufacturer in China, with over 1.7 million sales in 2021.
BAIC’s portfolio now includes many brands, starting with Change which was previously engaged in a joint venture with Suzuki. This brand founded in 1970 offers many models of cars, vans, and utility vehicles, mostly at low cost. Changhe models are mainly sold in China, but some have been exported to Latin America.
Founded in 1996, Photos is another brand of the BAIC group, specializing in trucks, agricultural tractors, buses and SUVs. The company has formed several partnerships with other groups, such as Daimler and Piaggio, for the production of commercial vehicles, and has recently made headlines with the bankruptcy of Borgwarda former German manufacturer whose rights BAIC bought a few years ago.

BAIC Group brands

In a more general segment, BAIC also markets, with BAIC Motorvehicles under the brand Beijing (“Beijing”). There is a fairly contemporary range such as the U5 and U7 sedans, or the Beijing X3, X5, X6 and X7 SUVs whose names are reminiscent of their competitors from BMW… Beijing has also created joint ventures with Hyundai and Daimler, in order to market Hyundai and Mercedes vehicles in China.
BAIC also owns the brand Arcfoxfounded in 2017 and specializing in premium electric vehicles. It now has models in its range such as the Arcfox αT SUV, the Arcfox αS and αS5 sedans, and the Kaola compact MPV. The company has also partnered with Huawei to develop the Arcfox Alpha S, a 100% electric sedan featuring the Chinese tech giant’s innovations, such as the HarmonyOS platform and an infotainment system controlled by a large 21-inch 4K touchscreen.

Another BAIC brand is still little known in our region: Stellato is a joint venture between Huawei and BAIC, which has just unveiled a premium electric sedan, the Stelato S9. It aims to compete with the Mercedes EQS and BMW i7, with a luxurious interior and cutting-edge technologies.