BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao Sub-Brand Launches Bao 5 4x4 PHEV Super-SUV

The new Bao 5 4x4 super-PHEV SUV from BYD-owned sub-brand Fang Cheng Bao officially debuted in China earlier this week.

Positioned above the Denza brand but below the flagship YangWang marque, the latest sub-brand from Chinese new energy vehicles giant BYD called Fang Cheng Bao made headlines recent in its home market of China by introducing its latest offering.

Called the Bao 5, the model is positioned as a mid-sized 4x4 SUV, but it boasts a rather unique twist as a highly-charged plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Effectively, what BYD have done with the Bao 5 is merging the best of both its electrified and traditional combustion technologies, and the results are pretty stellar.

As far as appearances go, the Bao 5 does look the part indeed, boasting a rugged and sizeable stance matched with touches of luxury and class all around. The latter is further boosted by the wide array of customisable options available for both the exterior and interior.

Underneath, the Bao 5 underpins BYD's DMO platform that was developed especially for Fang Cheng Bao.

Look past the pretty metal and the Bao 5’s mechanical underpinnings are equally as serious. Constructed upon BYD’s DMO platform made especially for the Fang Cheng Bao brand, the Bao 5 was built with proper off-roading in mind, hence its 220 MM minimum ground clearance, and both its 35-degree and 32-degree approach and departure angles.

Powering the Bao 5 is a combination of a 1.5-litre turbocharged combustion engine and a pair of electric motors juiced by a 31.8 kWh 'Blade' LFP battery pack. (Image: Car News China)

Drive is supplied by a PHEV setup comprised of a 1.5-litre turbocharged mill paired with two electric motors – one over each axle – that’s also juiced by its proprietary 31.8 kWh ‘Blade’ LFP battery pack. Altogether, the package outputs 505 kW (734 HP) and 760 NM, thus allowing 0-100 KM/H sprints despatched in just 4.8 seconds.

Partial electrification isn’t just a performance booster, it also grants other abilities such as 6 kW vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging, and a ‘Rescue’ vehicle-to-load (V2L) mode discharging up to 20 kW. Also, combined with its 85-litre fuel tank, the Bao 5 has a maximum claimed travel range of 1,200 KM based on CLTC test cycles.

on board, the Bao 5 adopts a high-tech multi-screen setup in its dash, accompanied by novel aviation-style switchgear and what appears to be plush leather upholstery.

On board, the Bao 5 is an exception from BYD’s typical ethos of avoiding multi-screen. Instead, it boasts three in total in the dash featuring dual 12.3-inch driver and co-driver displays flanking a massive 15.6-inch central infotainment touchscreen.

Present below the latter infotainment in the centre stack are aviation-inspired switchgear that appear to use high-end materials, plus a rather novel-looking gear selector lever design. Apart from which, it’s also plain to see the rich use of leather upholstery in the seats, steering wheel, and door inserts.

Built with proper off-roading in mind, the Bao 5 boasts a substantial 220 MM minimum ground clearance plus 32-degree and 35-degree departure and approach angles respectively. (Image: Car News China)

Available in the Chinese domestic market now, BYD is offering the Bao 5 via its Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand across three variants – base-spec Discovery, mid-specced Pilot, and flagship Yunnian – priced between RMB 289,900 (approx. RM187,124) and RMB 352,800 (approx. RM227,725) excluding extra options.

BYD is poised to see Fang Cheng Bao begin customer deliveries of the Bao 5 later this month in its Chinese home market first. Presently, the sub-brand already has 70 direct-operated outlets up and running, but this number will more than double to 150 by the end of next year.

Initial sales and deliveries of the Bao 5 by Fang Cheng Bao are set to commence in the domestic Chinese market this month via its 70 direct-operated stores.

It remains unclear still if BYD will pursue export markets with the Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand, but this seems certain to happen sooner rather than later. And given what the Bao 5 has to offer, this could shake things up in the mid-sized 4x4 SUVs market globally indeed.

What do you folks reckon then? Is this yet another Chinese 'pretender', or is it a bonafide value-for-money alternative against the well-entrenched European and Japanese offerings in this particular space? As always, hit the comments below - as well as our social media platforms - with your thoughts...

(Image: Car News China)