BAIC BJ40 History

The BJ40 concept made its public debut at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show, channeling the heritage of the BJ212 military jeep into a modern body-on-frame SUV. The production version was revealed at the 2013 Guangzhou Auto Show and reached Chinese showrooms in 2014, offered initially as a 2-door and 4-door with a 2.4-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 107 kW (143 hp).

A significant mid-cycle refresh in 2019 introduced the BJ40 Plus variant, replacing the original engine with a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit producing 160 kW (215 hp). The same year BAIC added the F40 pickup derivative. Assembly spread internationally to Algeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Russia, giving the model a footprint unusual for a Chinese domestic off-roader.

A second-generation BJ40 debuted in August 2023 with a more powerful 2.0T engine rated at 180 kW (241 hp). By April 2025 BAIC launched an extended-range electric (EREV) variant — pairing a 1.5T range-extender generator with dual electric motors producing 403 kW (540 hp) — representing a radical departure from the original's spartan utility brief.