BYD TI 7 1.5T DM-p AWD Excellence 5dr Auto

Ten Second Review

BYD tries its hand at a big authentic luxury SUV with this Ti7. It's a PHEV with technology that will force rivals to up their game. And yet another car from this growing Chinese brand that might surprise you.

Background

Chinese maker BYD has made a big impact on the British market. And its largest car yet is this one, the Ti7. In almost every way, this chunky big SUV is a more premium kind of BYD than anything we've seen before from the brand. The premium BYD marque we don't get - Fangchengbao - sells this car in China (as the Fangchengbao 5); and the Ti7 was developed alongside a model from the premium BYD nameplate we do get, Denza - the Denza Bao5. All kinds of powertrains will fit into a Ti7, but it arrives here with BYD's currently heavily favoured Plug-in Hybrid tech, which in terms of EV range is a generation on from PHEV versions of potential rivals like the Land Rover Defender and Hyundai's Santa Fe. Should those brands - and others in the segment like them - be worried by what's on offer here? Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Spec

There are no big diesel units here. Like so many new BYD models these days, this one uses a 1.5-litre four cylinder Plug-in Hybrid petrol engine. Which you might not think sounds a lot to propel along a large, heavy 5-metre-long SUV. But fear not because this is very different from the kind of PHEV unit you'll find in a BYD family hatch. It represents the first outing for the Chinese brand's latest DM-p powertrain that mates that compact four cylinder engine with two electric motors (one on each axle) energised by a substantial 35.6kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack. The stats of this set-up are truly impressive; 646bhp, 845Nm of torque, 0-62mph in 4.5s en route 118mph and, perhaps most impressively, an EV range figure of 74 miles. To give you some class perspective, a Land Rover Defender PHEV manages just 31 miles; a Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV just 33 miles. Cars like this must be fully equipped to go properly off-road, but most spend nearly all the time on it and the Ti7 has been engineered to that remit. There's enough ground clearance (190mm) to occasionally put the provided off road drive settings to the test (Snow, Sand, Mud and Mountain) but the settings make only minor adjustments to the steering and suspension and you're going to be spending most of your time in the tarmac modes (Normal, Eco and Sport). There's also adjustable regenerative braking via the centre screen; and steering column-mounted paddles to activate low-level autonomous driving. You sit high and commandingly and expect body roll to be kept in decent check - at least by the standards of a 2,400kg big SUV anyway. Braked towing capacity is 2,000kg.

Design and Build

There's very much a Land Rover Defender / Toyota Land Cruiser vibe to the Ti7's blocky SUV styling, with its chunky bluff edges and spare wheel carrier on the tailgate. Those looking for a large, luxury more car-like big SUV need not apply. The contrasting bumpers and 'floating' roof also seem Defender-like, though this BYD's 1,865mm roof height is 102mm shorter than its rival. The 4,999mm body length is comparable to the 110 version of that Land Rover model and the Ti7 sits on big 20-inch wheels. More Solihull brand inspiration can be found in this BYD's surprisingly well-built and lavishly appointed cabin, where there are lots of horizontal and vertical stylistic references and you sit high up. In a Chinese model, you'd expect a screen-dominated dashboard and, sure enough, there's a big 15.6-inch central monitor to complement the flush-mounted 10.25-inch driver instrument display. What you might not expect in an Oriental model are all the knobs and buttons that BYD has decided that a big practical SUV of this sort should have; these include a toggle switch for the driving modes, a knurled dial for audio volume adjustment and buttons for switching between the car's Hybrid and EV settings. There are chunky grab handles on the dashboard and nice touches include a huge twin-panel glass roof, mini speaker screens in the headliner and a temperature-controlled hot and cold box under the central armrest. The Ti7 is a seven-seater (we won't get the five-seat version here), with generous space for adults in row two, where there's a rear climate touchscreen and multiple charge ports. Side steps help passenger access. As usual with an SUV of this size, the third row is intended for children, but the boxy shape allows adults to sit there for short journeys if need be, though they'll need some seat-sliding leg space help from those ahead to do so. The Land Cruiser-style side-opening tailgate will be inconvenient in multi-storey car parks, but you can expect similar luggage capacity to a Defender 110 - this BYD offers 550 to 700-litres depending on the positioning of the rear seats.

Market and Model

£48,000, BYD's asking price here, is very decent value for a big, capable PHEV SUV of this kind. And there's plenty of kit included as standard. Big 20-inch alloy wheels are housed within chunky wheel arch extensions, plus there's privacy glass from the rear doors and beyond. Exterior illumination is provided both by LED lighting all round; the headlights feature a dynamic welcome animation, while door-mirror puddle lights offer extra visibility when approaching the car at night. Customers have six exterior finishes to choose from: Starlight Silver is a no-cost offering, while Mountain Green, Obsidian Black, Jade Green and Titanium Grey are available for a further £1,100. A final shade, the Matte Titanium Grey, costs an additional £2,000. The windscreen and front windows are made from acoustic glass to further improve occupancy refinement, while the full interior is bathed in light thanks to a panoramic glass panel in the roof. Leather upholstery features as standard, and is available in three finishes: black, light grey or brown. Seat heating and ventilation is available to the front seats and the outer seats in the second row, and three-zone climate control allows each row to maintain its own temperature. Further temperature control is offered for occupants' drinks or snacks, courtesy of an in-car refrigerator and drinks warmer located between the driver and front passenger. As for infotainment, a 15.6-inch touchscreen is standard, while a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is positioned ahead of the driver. And an 18-speaker sound system provides immersive audio.

Cost of Ownership

As you'd hope, DC charging comes as standard with this PHEV and thanks to BYD's second generation Blade flash-charging technology (which DC-charges at up to 230kW), at an appropriate DC charger, a 10-97% spell of replenishment will take just 9 minutes. At home, using a typical single-phase 7.4kW AC wallbox, a full charge needs about 5 hours, a time you could reduce to just 3 hours with a three-phase 11kW AC supply. Combined fuel consumption is rated at up to 39.2mpg. And, as we told you in our 'Driving' section, EV range is rated at up to 74 miles. Residual values should be reasonable for a new-to-market brand. As usual with BYDs, there's a six year/90,000 mile warranty, while the battery gets an eight year/120,000 mile warranty. Because asking prices are over £40,000, owners will be paying the VED car tax 'expensive car' surcharge, which means payments of £620 annually from ownership years two to five.

Summary

We can't imagine that many Land Rover Defender customers are going to cancel their orders and switch to Ti7. But you could argue this BYD to be a better all-rounder than the model that probably inspired it. EV drive range here sets a completely new standard for a big Plug-in Hybrid-powered SUV. And you might be surprised to find the drive experience and cabin finishing more premium than you expect. Of course, the Ti7 is not ultimately off road going to be able to go the places a Defender can, but most likely buyers are unlikely to need it to. And there's more off piste capability then you get from this segment's Korean contenders. We can see then, why this BYD sells so well in other markets. The Chinese maker won't shift so many in ours - it's a small sector. But that segment's enhanced by this model's arrival.