Chinese automaker BAIC has confirmed the premiere date for the army SUV BJ81 - the model will be officially presented on August 1, 2026, at a price of 3.27 million rubles. The project was announced exactly one year earlier, on August 1, 2025, and since then it has been developed in an open development format.
BAIC BJ81 is aimed at the military, fans of tough off-road driving, and expedition enthusiasts. In terms of design and ideology, the SUV resembles the army Mercedes-Benz G-Class, but with a Chinese interpretation. The model is a deep modernization of the BJ80 and is created according to the BIP (Build in Public) concept - with public discussion and collection of suggestions from users.
Externally, the BJ81 is made in a deliberately military style: metal bumpers, an electric winch, spotlights on the roof, and even a platform for drones. The declared depth of the ford to be overcome is up to 1.3 meters, which puts the model into the class of heavy army SUVs.
Technically, the BJ81 will retain the BJ80 power units. The base will be a 2.3-liter turbo engine with a capacity of 231 hp, paired with a 6-speed automatic. A more powerful version will receive a 3.0-liter V6 with 280 hp with an 8-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive will be standard.
For comparison, the BAIC BJ80 2023 in China costs from 298 to 398 thousand yuan, which is equivalent to 3.3-4.3 million rubles.