China’s maverick automaker now in PH

Solar Transport and Automotive Resources Corp. chair Willy Tieng

When German auto giant Volkswagen (VW) and Warren Buffet-backed Chinese carmaker BYD Co. Ltd. pulled out all the stops to set Sept. 27 as the date for announcing their entry into the Philippine car market, many thought something truly must be lucky or special about the said date. We may never know why, but the sure thing is that both carmakers promised to give the local auto industry a big boost.

While Filipinos are quite familiar with VW (who could ever forget the Beetle?) as well as the Ayala group that takes care of resurrecting the iconic brand here, few probably are aware of BYD (which stands for “Build Your Dreams”), which started as a little-known Chinese battery, mobile phone and electric car company.

The Shenzhen, China-based automaker made headlines in 2008 when American billionaire-investor Buffett bought a 10-percent share of the company, equivalent to $250 million. In 2010 the company started a joint venture with the esteemed Mercedes-Benz to produce electric vehicles under the Denza brand (at the moment, Denza’s preproduction vehicles are being put through extensive tests at test centers and laboratories within China).

A few months ago, the company was able to establish a presence in the US market when the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a contract with BYD Motors for the manufacture and delivery of up to 25 new all-electric buses as part of a $30-million clean air bus technology pilot project.

“BYD is indeed, a forward-thinking company established in 1995. Apart from being the largest supplier of rechargeable batteries in the world, it has a collection of revolutionary electric vehicles, which is said to produce 25 to 60 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline-powered vehicles. Although relatively young, BYD is at the forefront of the emerging green energy revolution. What is interesting is that it is also building standard gasoline-powered vehicles that are ahead of its class,” announced Mark Andrew Tieng, managing director of Solar Transport and Automotive Resources Corp. (Star), BYD’s partner in the Philippines.

Star will initially bring in three BYD models. “These three represent some of the company’s best, if not the most interesting, models that we hope the Philippine market would also love,” Tieng said.

Leading the pack is BYD’s flagship sedan, the F5 Suri. It made waves in last year’s Beijing Auto Show when it became the world’s first production sedan that could be remotely driven. The remote control function, interestingly, is still limited to starting the car from a distance of around 10 meters as well as moving it around at speeds of not more than 2 kilometers per hour.

This function is especially conceived to help the driver wiggle the car in or out of a tight parking space or move it closer especially during heavy rains or when carrying lots of grocery bags.

Powering the P1.018-million F5 is a BYD-developed 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that churns out 152 horsepower and 240 Newton-meters of torque. This all-aluminum alloy engine is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

More than an interesting sedan, the F5 Suri achieved a 5-star rating in the China-New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP). The F5 Suri has not only attained a new record score for a Chinese homegrown brand with 56.5 points but also performed better than a number of models built by international joint-venture brands.

This high safety mark may be attributed to the F5 Suri’s rigid body structure (that protects the driver and passengers during a crash) as well as several safety features namely: six all-round parking sensors, Parking Assist System, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Bosch Antilock Braking System plus Electric Brakeforce Distribution, Bosch Electronic Stability Program as well as Brake Override System.

Original crossover

Another model that BYD is set to bring in is the S6, the company’s first independently designed and manufactured crossover. Like the F5 Suri, the F6 also received a C-NCAP 5-star crash safety rating and was even declared China’s “SUV of the Year” in 2012.

The S6 will be available in two variants: The P1.158-million premium, which is powered by a Mitsubishi 2.4-liter engine (mated to a four-speed INVECS II automatic transmission) and the P928,000 base that is powered by a BYD-developed 2-liter engine (mated to a five-speed manual transmission).

Both variants are equipped with a dual-mode sunroof; front and rear disc brakes with ABS and EBD; dual front, side and curtain airbags; parking radar, reverse camera; leather seats; comfort access key; and a 7-inch touch-screen monitor with DVD player and nine speakers for entertainment. The premium variant will feature a cruise control function.

Among the three initial offerings, the L3 is BYD’s most affordable. It comes in two variants: the P718,000 GSi that is equipped with a dual clutch transmission as well as dual front airbags, DVD multimedia system and power sunroof; and the P598,000 GLi that is equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox and CD-player.

Both the GSi and the GLi variants are powered by a Euro 4 1.5-liter gasoline engine that generates 107 HP and 144 Nm of torque. Both are also equipped with front and rear disc brakes with ABS and EBD, leather seats as well as smart key system, and engine start/stop button.

“Interested buyers may visit our showroom along Shaw Boulevard (312 BYD Corporate Center) to view our latest models. Expect us to set up more dealerships in the future as we intend to make BYD one of the most popular car brands here,” said Anna Marie Tanhueco, Star general manager.

She added that with these initial models, BYD aims to serve more Filipinos who are looking for good value, reliable and high-tech automobiles. “These gasoline-powered vehicles are in fact the reason why BYD is resurging in a number of markets around the world. In China alone, BYD’s car sales leaped 25 percent to over 250,000 units in the first six months of this year, outperforming China’s entire auto market growth rate of 11 percent,” said Tanhueco.