BAIC X55-II: Only 70 Units Sold in 2024, Fierce Competition

KatadataOTO – Chinese manufacturer, BAIC has two models for the Indonesian market, namely the BJ40 Plus and the X55-II. Between the two, the BJ40 Plus is claimed to be more popular with consumers.

Meanwhile, throughout 2024, the BAIC X55-II has faced difficulties due to various factors. One of them is the very tight competition.

Currently, there are many choices of SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) crossover models in the automotive market. One of the quite popular ones is the Chery Omoda 5.

Facing this competition, BAIC does not deny that the X55-II has not yet contributed significantly to the market share of conventional cars in the country.

Photo : KatadataOTO

“70 units (sold) in 2024. Below one percent, only one variant and the price is over IDR 400 million, approaching IDR 500 million,” said Dhani Yahya, Chief Operating Officer of BAIC Indonesia in Tangerang some time ago.

According to Dhani, the lack of variants is an important factor playing a role in the low consumer interest in the X55-II. Moreover, the color options offered are limited.

There are no black and white color options, even though they are favorites of many people in the country. This is because the X55-II initially targeted a limited consumer segment.

“There was no black color before. That's not possible, in Indonesia we need (the black color option). They (the principal) listen to feedback from the market, so this is what we are doing,” said Dhani.

For that reason, BAIC Indonesia decided to present a refreshed version of the X55-II with a number of changes, especially to the emblem.

Previously, the BAIC X55-II used a logo with the word Beijing, identical to the capital of China.
 
After research and surveys with consumers, the logo was changed to BAIC. Besides making it easier for the public to accept, the hope is that this will make the BAIC brand more well-known.

However, so far, according to Dhani, the 70 consumers who use the BAIC X55-II claim to be satisfied with the vehicle's performance.

In the future, he hopes the X55-II can reach more consumers and be more competitive compared to its rivals like the Chery Omoda 5 and Honda CR-V.

Photo : KatadataOTO

“From a pricing standpoint, we are confident our product is competitive,” Dhani affirmed.

For your information, the facelifted BAIC X55-II is now available for order and will be delivered to consumers in the near future. The price of the highest trim level has dropped from the initial IDR 480 million-range to the IDR 429 million-range.

Then there is a new trim, the Lite, priced in the IDR 380 million-range. Some features have been reduced, such as the panoramic sunroof and electric side mirrors.