Why Was the Baojun 360 Discontinued?
4 Answers
Baojun 360 has not been discontinued. Here are the details: 1. Current Status: The Baojun 360 is still available for sale at major dealerships and has not been discontinued, although its sales performance has been less than ideal in recent times. 2. Pros and Cons: As an MPV, the Baojun 360 offers advantages such as affordability, comfortable seating, easy access, and a refined interior design. Designed as a 6-seater, it provides better comfort and aesthetics compared to cramming in a 7-seat configuration, making it more practical. However, its drawbacks include somewhat disproportionate exterior proportions, underpowered performance, and limited functionality in the digital instrument cluster.
I've done some research on this, and it's really no surprise that the Baojun 360 was discontinued. Just look at how fast the 7-seater market is changing these days. A few years ago, people bought these low-end MPVs for their affordability, but now everyone's eyeing SUVs. Baojun itself is busy with the new Baojun RM-5, which offers more space and comes with an intelligent connectivity system, making the 360 seem outdated. Once when I visited a dealership, the salesperson mentioned that this model was only selling two to three thousand units per month last year, and keeping the production line idle was just a waste for the manufacturer. Plus, with the stricter China 6 emission standards now, retrofitting the old platform isn't cost-effective. The manufacturer simply decided to phase out the old models and push new ones. In the end, it's all about market choices.
As someone who frequents auto parts markets, I've heard rumors that the discontinuation is mainly due to three reasons: First, its positioning is awkward—the cheaper Wuling Hongguang outsells it by far, while the more upscale Song MAX has taken away many customers. Secondly, cost issues are prominent; the model launched in 2016 hasn't seen a major facelift till now, and the production line efficiency can't keep up with newer models. Most crucially, after the independence of the New Baojun brand last year, all resources were shifted to new models like the RM-5, and even the annual facelift for the 360 was canceled. Some owners have complained about the car's loud wind noise at high speeds and weak power, so the manufacturer probably thinks a redesign is better than a facelift.
From a product line perspective, this is completely normal. I've followed Baojun for several years - they routinely replace older models with new ones, just like how the 630 and 730 were phased out in the past. The 360's sales plummeted by 90% last year from its peak of over 10,000 monthly units in 2018, with production lines chronically underutilized. Moreover, the 70,000-80,000 yuan price range is now dominated by new energy vehicles, making fuel-powered MPVs less appealing. SAIC-GM-Wuling has recently been focusing on promoting the Capgemini and Xingchen hybrid models, so discontinuing the aging 360 platform was inevitable. That said, you can still find good-condition 360 models in the used car market at surprisingly high value-for-money ratios.
