The full name of the new model is BYD Fang Cheng Bao 5, where BYD is the parent company, Fang Cheng Bao is a sub-brand, with Bao being translated as “leopard”, and 5 being the model index. In the English-language media, the car is simply called the Leopard 5, and this is the first-born of the brand. It is a full-size SUV with a hybrid setup and a design reminiscent of the Land Rover Defender. A full-fledged public debut of the novelty will take place at the Chengdu Motor Show on August 25, but for now, the automaker has published official photos of the car without camouflage.
The fashion for brutal SUVs is gaining momentum in China, and the Leopard 5 is a prime example of this. A car with a square body, “burdocks” of side mirrors, a high hood line and square arches with plastic lining is similar to the current Defender, while it aims to compete with the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. At least in terms of off-road capabilities, Chinese journalists compare the Leopard 5 with the Gelendvagen.
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CarNews China
The Leopard 5 has a hybrid powertrain, all-wheel drive with three differentials and hydropneumatic suspension. CarNewsChina gives some figures: the power of the gasoline-electric installation will be about 500 kilowatts (368 horsepower), the SUV accelerates from standstill to 100 kilometers per hour in four seconds, and with a full tank and a charged battery it travels 1.2 thousand kilometers.
BYD has other sub-brands that produce brutal cars, these are Denza and Yangwang. In the hierarchy, Fang Cheng Bao occupies a niche between them: if Denza models cost 300-400 thousand yuan (4.2-5.6 million rubles), then for Leopard 5 they will ask for 400-600 thousand yuan (4.2-8.4 million rubles). Well, Yangwang sells cars for 1.89 million yuan (more than 26 million rubles) – they ask so much for the U8 SUV.
What awaits us: Chinese novelties
