BYD F5 Suri: More than just remote control technology

INSIDE, a multimedia info display, navi system and multifunction steering wheel

A Chinese car became a crowd drawer at the 2014 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) last April. Solar Transport and Automotive Resources Corp., the Philippine distributor of BYD motor vehicles, chose the annual motor show to display the BYD (Build Your Dreams) F5 Suri compact sedan’s remote control feature that can start the car, drive it forward at a restricted speed of 2 kilometers per hour for up to 10 meters, reverse it and/or switch on the air-conditioner.

The BYD F5 Suri’s remote control technology won the 2013-2014 Bosch Technical Innovation Award of the Car Award Group, Inc., the founding organizer of the Car of the Year Philippines. A year earlier, it won the Best Leading Science and Technology Award at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show.

But remote control technology is not the only feature that sets the BYD F5 Suri apart from other Chinese cars. The five-seater compact family sedan mass-produced in China won a five-star safety rating, the highest score possible, in the nationwide China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) conducted in 2013 by China’s Automotive Technology and Research Center (Catarc). In the C-NCAP crash tests, the F5 Suri not only outperformed other Chinese car brands, but also the Ford Kuga and Volkswagen Santana.

THE 1.5-LITER direct injection turbo power engine produces 152 HP and 240 Nm max torque.

LARGEST SELLING. BYD Auto Co. Ltd., the company that produces the F5 Suri, sold a total of 506,189 passenger cars in China in 2013, making BYD the tenth largest selling brand and the largest selling Chinese brand.  A wholly owned subsidiary of BYD Co. (in which Warren Buffett invested $230 million in 2008 for a 10-percent stake), BYD Auto was founded in 2003 after BYD Co. acquired  Tsimchuan Auto Co. in 2002.  BYD Auto designs, develops, manufactures and sells passenger cars and buses including hybrid electric vehicles and all-electric models.

BYD Auto sells its products in China and in developing countries such as Bahrain, the Dominican Republic, Ukraine and Moldova.  It has established an office in Los Angeles, California, but so far the only BYD vehicle sold in the United States is its Electric Bus—as a fleet vehicle. Meanwhile, BYD Auto has a 50-50 joint venture with Daimler AG to develop and produce electric cars that will be sold under the Denza brand and a memorandum of understanding with Green Tomato Cars to create London’s first fleet of all-electric minicabs.

In the Philippines, Solar Transport and Auto Resources Corp. sells the BYD S6 crossover and the L3 compact car aside from the F5 Suri.  Going back to the F5 Suri’s five-star C-NCAP rating, this is due to its suite of active and passive safety features including six airbags, antilock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), Bosch ESP system that controls the wheels and stabilizes the car when it starts to skid, Hill Start Assist control system, reverse imaging system, front and rear parking radar, tire pressure monitoring system, compass and altitude indicator and three-point seatbelts on the front and rear seats.

THE BYD F5 Suri’s remote control driving technology won the 2013-’14 Technical Innovation Award of the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi).

ENHANCE. High-tech conveniences in the BYD F5 Suri that also enhance safety are the engine start/stop button, smart key system, multifunction steering wheel with cruise control, Bosch boneless wiper blades, trunk lid electric switch, dual mode power sunroof and electronic parking brake that releases automatically after you change gears to Drive or Reverse.  The large LCD screen on the central control panel has multimedia functions, including a navigation system, DVD and intelligent auxiliary driving.

The 1.5-liter TID engine developed by BYD Auto is direct multipoint sequential fuel injected and turbocharged, delivering 152 horsepower at 5,200 revolutions per minute and 240 Newton-meters max torque at 3,500 rpm.  It is mated to a six-speed automatic dual clutch transmission and is touted to have a top speed of 170 kilometers per hour with zero to 100 kph reportedly doable in 8.9 seconds. But my experience with the F5 Suri’s turbo lag makes me think that these are optimistic figures.

There is no doubt, however, that the BYD F5 Suri offers a compliant, comfortable ride—engine noise notwithstanding.  The suspension system has MacPherson struts in front and torsion bar at the rear with disc brakes on all four 16-inch alloy wheels. The driver’s seat is supportive and six-way power adjustable while the creamy white leather interior contrasted with piano black exudes an elegant ambiance together with music from the 10-speaker audio system.

PLEASING. The exterior styling of the F5 Suri won’t turn heads, yet it is pleasing to the eye in a conservative, unpretentious kind of way. Projector type headlamps and the rear brake

AN ELEGANT white leather back seat for three passengers

lamp with six pieces of LED lighting follow current automotive design cues. The side view mirrors are power-folding and the projector-type headlamps have a leveling device.  What catches attention is the LED BYD emblem at the rear that lights up all red when the headlamps are turned on at night.

As for the remote control feature of the F5 Suri, wouldn’t it be nice during these hot and humid days to stay in the shade, switch on your car’s air-conditioner by remote control and wait until it cools down in the parking lot before you board it?  In a traffic-free environment, you may even command your car to come forward and pick you up at the lobby.

Summing up, the BYD F5 Suri (P1.108 million) is rolling evidence that China is catching up with the cutting-edge technology of the world’s leading carmakers.  The next challenge facing BYD Auto and other Chinese manufacturers is to prove that their cars can stand the test of time and will continue working well beyond the warranty period.

Photos by Aida Sevilla-Mendoza