The BYD Ti7 has gone on sale in the UK as the Chinese brand's biggest model, priced from $47,995. Sized between the 110 and 130 variants of the rival Land Rover Defender, it undercuts the British 4x4 and the petrol-engined Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3. The Ti7 will be the first UK-bound car to use the Chinese brand’s new, performance-focused ‘DM-p’ plug-in-hybrid powertrain.
This comprises a turbocharged 1.5-liter petrol engine, two electric motors (one per axle) and a 35.6kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack. The set-up produces a combined 402 horsepower, giving a 0-60mph time of 4.8 seconds and an electric-only range of 74 miles.
View Price on AmazonThe Ti7's chunky styling evokes classical 4x4s such as the Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser, with bluff edges to the design and a spare wheel carrier mounted on the boot. It will be sold in the UK under the BYD brand, but it is in effect a larger sibling of the Denza Bao 5 that's also due to arrive here later this year.
In their native China, both the Bao 5 and Ti7 are sold by BYD’s upmarket, youth-focused Fangchengbao brand. Asked why the Ti7 isn't being sold as a Denza, a spokesperson for BYD UK previously told Autocar that the differentiation is because the body-on-frame Bao 5 was conceived as an off-roader, while the monocoque Ti7 is meant for buyers who would like rugged styling but may not need off-road capabilities.
Source: autocar.co.uk
