Baojun () is a Chinese

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

owned by a joint venture of

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

(GM) and

SAIC Motor SAIC Motor Corp., Ltd. (formerly Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) is a Chinese State-owned enterprises of China, state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Anting, Shanghai. Founded in 1955, it is currently the largest of the ...

SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd. ( zh, 上汽通用五菱汽车股份有限公司, abbreviated as SGMW) is a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Guangxi Auto (previously Wuling Group). Based in Liuzhou, Guangxi in southw ...

. The brand was created as a more affordable alternative to existing GM brands such as

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

and

Buick Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...

for the Chinese market, while being more upmarket than the

Wuling Wuling may refer to: People * Xu Wuling (许武岭, born 14 September 1971), professional rower * Yu Wuling (于武陵, born 810), poet * Zhang Wuling (张武龄, 1889-1938), educator * King Wuling of Zhao (趙武靈王, 340-295 BCE), ruler of ...

brand.

History

Following the success of

, the SAIC-GM-Wuling announced the creation of a second car brand, Baojun in November 2010 as a cheaper alternative to existing GM brands

and

, which are also on sale in China. The company's products compete with domestic Chinese manufacturers such as

Chery Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., Doing business as, trading as Chery (), is a Chinese automobile manufacturer owned by Chery Holding Group Co., Ltd. Founded in 1997, it is currently the fourth largest automobile manufacturer group in China, with 2,6 ...

Geely Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd. (ZGH), commonly known as Geely Holding ( ; ), is a Chinese multinational automotive conglomerate headquartered in Hangzhou, China. The company was founded by, and is privately owned by Chinese entrepre ...

Changan Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...

Haval HAVAL is a cryptographic hash function. Unlike MD5, but like most modern cryptographic hash functions, HAVAL can produce hashes of different lengths – 128 bits, 160 bits, 192 bits, 224 bits, and 256 bits. HAVAL also allows users to specify the nu ...

and

Trumpchi GAC Trumpchi () is an automotive brand established by Chinese automaker GAC Group in 2010. The Trumpchi name is used within the domestic Chinese market, while vehicles are marketed internationally under the GAC Motor brand. Name The brand's West ...

. The first Baojun model introduced to the market was the four-door compact sedan 630, which debuted at a price point of approximately $7,000 USD in November 2010. The development of the Baojun 630 involved significant input from designers at General Motors. Sales started in late 2011 through a dedicated dealer network. The joint venture also offered a localized version of the

Daewoo Matiz Daewoo ( ; ; ; ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "''dae''" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerate) and aut ...

/ Chevrolet Spark, known as the Baojun Lechi. In 2014, a third model (the Baojun 610) was announced at

Auto China Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (), Beijing Motor Show () or Auto China is an auto show held biennially in Beijing, China since 1990. 2024 The 2024 Auto China show dates are scheduled for 25 April - 4 May 2024 at the New China Interna ...

. At

Auto Shanghai Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a biennial international automobile show that alternates with the Beijing Auto Show (Auto China) as China's yearly international automotive ...

in 2015, the company introduced the

Baojun 560 The Baojun 560 is a compact crossover SUV produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. Overview The Baojun 560 was powered by a 1.8 liter inline-four petrol engine code named LJ479QNE2 mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, a 6-speed ma ...

SUV. In July 2014, SAIC-GM-Wuling launched the

Baojun 730 The Baojun 730 () is a minivan produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. The 730 was launched at the 2014 Auto China and developed at the SAIC-GM-Wuling Chinese joint venture specifically for the Chinese market. Baojun sold 250,000 u ...

, a seven-seater MPV. 2017 Baojun 510

Baojun sold 688,390 vehicles in 2016. In late 2016, Baojun introduced its most successful vehicle, the

Baojun 510 The Baojun 510 () is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. Overview The 510 debuted at the 2016 Guangzhou Auto Show with the official Chinese market launch in 2017. The car is positioned under the 5 ...

small SUV, which went on sale the following year. The model helped increase sales of Baojun to 996,629 in 2017. It was the best-selling crossover in China in 2018, and also the best-selling car sold by Baojun. , nearly 800,000 units of 510 had been sold. It is also notable for being the highest-selling new car nameplate in world's history. It recorded 416,883 sales during its first 12 months in market, the highest of any other car in the world. It took the record from the

which was sold 319,536 units in a 12-month period. However, this growth was not sustained, with annual sales declining by an average of 200,000 units in subsequent years. In April 2016, Baojun began exporting vehicles, with the 630 compact sedan being sold in Egypt and Algeria under the Chevrolet brand as the second generation of the Optra model. In 2018, Baojun further diversified its lineup with the introduction of its first electric vehicle, the

Baojun E100 The Baojun E100 is a battery electric city car that has been manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) since 2017 under the Baojun marque. It is a two-seater car with two doors and a hatch at the rear. It is the first vehicle in Baojun's electric mi ...

microcar, and the

Baojun 530 The Baojun 530 () is a two- or three-row compact crossover SUV produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling, SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) through the Baojun brand. Unveiled at the Auto Guangzhou 2017, Baojun 530 took design cues from the smaller Baojun 510, 510 and is a ...

SUV. The electrically powered Baojun E100, which is only 2.49 meters long, was initially only available in Guangxi from August 2017. Since June 2018, it has been available throughout China with an increased range. The 530 SUV was notably the first Baojun vehicle to be marketed globally under the Chevrolet brand. The model's production was also initiated outside of China, including in India under the MG brand as the MG Hector and in Indonesia as the Wuling Almaz. The Baojun 360 MPV went on sale in May 2018. Since September 2018, the

Baojun E200 The Baojun E200 is a Battery electric vehicle, battery electric city car manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) since 2018 under the Baojun marque. It is a two-seater car with two doors and a hatchback, hatch at the rear. It is the second vehicle i ...

, an electric microcar, has been sold in China. Baojun RS-5 001

In January 2019, Baojun introduced a new model strategy called "New Baojun," which aimed to provide vehicles with more avant-garde styling and expand its lineup with higher-end models featuring enhanced equipment. Alongside this strategy, the company updated its logo, replacing the previous shield with a horse image, with a minimalist diamond-shaped horse profile. Under this new approach, Baojun introduced a new naming convention for its models: passenger cars were given the prefix "RC," SUVs and crossovers "RS," and minivans "RM." The

Baojun RS-5 The Baojun RS-5 is a compact crossover SUV produced by Baojun. Overview The Baojun RS-5 was previously code named the CN210S and is positioned above the compact Baojun 530, 530 crossover within Baojun's lineup. The car uses a new platform whi ...

, the brand's fourth SUV, was presented at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2018. In June 2019, the

Baojun RC-6 The Baojun RC-6 is a crossover sedan produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. It combines the body shape of a liftback A liftback is a variation of a hatchback car body style, with a more gently sloping roofline, roughly between 4 ...

based on the RS-5 was introduced. In September 2019, the

Baojun RM-5 The Baojun RM-5 is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. It was introduced in September 2019. Overview The RM-5 debuted as a concept car named RM-C during the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show at the Shanghai Intern ...

MPV was introduced. Baojun presented the

Baojun RS-3 The Baojun RS-3 is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. Overview The Baojun RS-3 is the successor of Baojun 510, while the 510 continued to be sold alongside the RS-3. As the car sports the new Baojun ...

SUV at the end of October 2019. In 2020, the Baojun E300 microcar, the

Baojun RS-7 The Baojun RS-7 is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by Baojun, a marque of SAIC-GM-Wuling. It was unveiled at 2020 Chongqing Auto Show. Overview Among Baojun models the RS-7 is considered a flagship, seeing as it is the largest and most expensi ...

and the

Baojun RC-5 The Baojun RC-5 is a mid-size car produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. The RC-5 replaces the 630 saloon introduced in 2011. Overview The RC-5 is a part of the 'New Baojun' sub-category and features the Interstellar Geometry des ...

sedan were introduced. Despite these efforts, the "New Baojun" strategy did not result in increased market interest. Instead, the brand experienced a significant decline in demand, leading to the discontinuation of several newly introduced models within just 2-3 years of their debut. This decline was exacerbated by growing concerns over the reliability of earlier models. As a result, the role of an affordable combustion vehicle brand within the SAIC-GM-Wuling portfolio was taken over by the sister brand Wuling. In 2021, Baojun adjusted its naming strategy by adopting proper names, renaming the RC-5W model as Baojun Valli and the E300/E300 Plus electric hatchback as Baojun KiWi EV. In 2023, Baojun shifted its focus entirely to electrification, phasing out all models from the previous decade except for the city car KiWi EV. The brand renewed its lineup with electric models, starting with the introduction of the small

Baojun Yep The Baojun Yep () is a battery electric crossover city car manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) since 2023 under the Baojun brand. "悦也" literally translates as "joy also" or "happy together", is the homophone of "越野" which means " offro ...

SUV, followed by the

Baojun Yunduo The Baojun Yunduo (), also spelled Yun Duo, and known as the Baojun Cloud in English sources, is a battery electric compact hatchback manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) since 2023 under the Baojun brand. It was introduced in China in May 2 ...

compact hatchback later in the year. In 2024, the lineup was further expanded with a larger, five-door alternative to the Yep, named Yep Plus, and a plug-in hybrid and electric SUV, the Baojun Yunhai.

Products

Current products

Baojun KiWi EV The Baojun KiWi EV is a battery electric city car manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) since 2020 under the Baojun brand. It is a four-seater car with two doors and a hatch at the rear. History SAIC-GM-Wuling showed the first pictures of the v ...

(2021–present), city car, BEV *

(2023–present), compact car, BEV, also sold as Wuling Cloud EV and MG Windsor EV *

(2023–present), mini SUV, BEV ** Baojun Yep Plus (2024–present), enlarged variant of Yep, also sold as Chevrolet Spark EUV * Baojun Yunhai (2024–present), compact SUV, PHEV and BEV * Baojun Xiangjing (2025–present), mid-size sedan, PHEV and BEV File:2023 Baojun Yep.jpg,

File:Baojun Yueye (Yep) Plus 01 China 2024-03-22.jpg, Baojun Yep Plus File:Baojun E300 20210208.jpg,

Baojun Kiwi EV The Baojun KiWi EV is a battery electric city car manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) since 2020 under the Baojun brand. It is a four-seater car with two doors and a hatch at the rear. History SAIC-GM-Wuling showed the first pictures of the v ...

File:Baojun Yunduo 010.jpg,

File:Baojun Yunhai 007.jpg, Baojun Yunhai File:Baojun Xiangjing 005.jpg, Baojun Xiangjing

Former products

(2017–2021), city car *

(2018–2021), city car * Baojun Lechi (2008–2021), city car * Baojun 310 (2016–2020), subcompact car ** Baojun 310W (2017–2020), station wagon variant of Baojun 310 ** Baojun 330 (2016–2017), sedan variant of Baojun 310 * Baojun 360 (2018–2021), compact MPV *

(2017–2021), subcompact SUV, also exported as

Chevrolet Groove The Chevrolet Groove is one of three small car concepts introduced on 4 April 2007 at the New York International Auto Show. The Groove showcases a new style of small car from General Motors. The mini car was completely designed by GM Daewoo in ...

(2018–2021), compact SUV, also exported as

Chevrolet Captiva The Chevrolet Captiva is a compact crossover SUV marketed by General Motors. The first generation was developed by GM Korea, based on the GM Theta platform and derived from the S3X concept car revealed in 2004. Released in 2006, it was sold i ...

, MG Hector, and Wuling Almaz *

(2015–2017), compact SUV *

Baojun 630 The Baojun 630 is a compact car and was the first car produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling through the Baojun brand. The 630 is manufactured in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. It was launched at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, and went on sale in August 2011. A ...

(2011–2019), compact sedan ** Baojun 610 (2014–2019), hatchback variant of Baojun 630 *

(2014–2021), compact MPV, also exported as Wuling Cortez *

(2020–2021), compact sedan ** Baojun RC-5W (2020–2021), wagon variant of Baojun RC-5 ** Baojun Valli (2020–2021), wagon variant of Baojun RC-5 *

(2019–2021), mid-size coupe sedan *

(2019–2021), compact MPV *

(2020–2022), subcompact SUV *

(2019–2021), compact SUV *

(2020–2022), mid-size SUV File:2018 Baojun E100.jpg, Baojun E100 File:Baojun E200 IMG001.jpg, Baojun E200 File:Baojun Lechi Sanming 01 2022-11-23.jpg, Baojun Lechi File:Baojun Lechi Cross China 2015-04-21.jpg, Baojun Lechi Cross File:2017 Baojun 310 hatchback, front 8.11.18.jpg, Baojun 310 File:Baojun 310w.jpg, Baojun 310W File:Baojun 360 IMG001.jpg, Baojun 360 File:2021 Baojun 510 (facelift), front 8.3.23.jpg, Baojun 510 File:Baojun 530 facelift 001.jpg, Baojun 530 File:Baojun 560 01 China 2016-04-01.jpg, Baojun 560 File:Baojun 630.jpg, Baojun 630 File:Baojun 610 China 2015-04-10.jpg, Baojun 610 File:Baojun 730 II 001 China 2017-04-05.jpg, Baojun 730 File:Baojun RC-5 009.jpg, Baojun RC-5 File:Baojun RC-5W 006.jpg, Baojun RC-5W File:Baojun RC-6 IMG001.jpg, Baojun RC-6 File:Baojun RS-3.jpg, Baojun RS-3 File:2018 Baojun RS-5 (front).jpg, Baojun RS-5 File:Baojun RS-7 001.jpg, Baojun RS-7 File:Baojun RM-5 004.jpg, Baojun RM-5

Controversy

On December 31, 2024, more than 100 Baojun Yep owners suddenly encountered brake system failures, making it difficult for the vehicle to slow down. Some owners were dissatisfied with the manufacturer's solution and accused Baojun of evading the problem. Baojun Automobile officially responded that some vehicles had a

Software bug A software bug is a design defect ( bug) in computer software. A computer program with many or serious bugs may be described as ''buggy''. The effects of a software bug range from minor (such as a misspelled word in the user interface) to sev ...

that caused the brake assist to be downgraded and the brake pedal to become hard, and it would be properly handled.

References

External links

*
Launched Affordable Baojun E100 Urban Electric Car In China At US$5300
{{Automotive industry in the People's Republic of China SAIC-GM-Wuling Car manufacturers of China Chinese brands General Motors marques SAIC Motor brands Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 2010 Chinese companies established in 2010 Electric car models