New high-performance BYD getting ready to rumble this spring
Chinese giant BYD is gearing up to announce new performance model within next two months, Auto Express understands
Rumours of a BYD hot hatchback started almost two years ago at the 2024 Beijing Motor Show. Since then, the company has gone all-in on high-value family cars and SUVs, as news of the much-mooted performance car all but dried up.
But this week BYD UK country manager, Bono Ge, told Auto Express that the company is gearing up to make an announcement within “two months” on a car with “very good features” that feels “sporty and really powerful” – suggesting plans for the uprated model are back on the table.
“My understanding, as a foreigner coming to the UK, is that the sporty features are very important for UK customers,” Ge told us. “They think sporty makes them cool. We understand that.
“I cannot disclose a lot of detail, but in two months’ time, maximum, we will give you more information about our thinking,” he said. “We understand that the hot hatch, for example, is a great thing. I don’t think that’s just the UK, but western Europe – a lot of people appreciate a hot hatch. And we are also trying to introduce a product, which can give some very, very good features, feel sporty and really powerful.”
It’s as-yet unclear what form the new model will take, but whatever transpires, it’s likely we’ll see at least some inspiration from 2024’s Ocean-M concept. At the time, BYD was coy on technical information, beyond revealing that it is rear-wheel drive and that it used a platform new to the brand. It was believed to be an evolution of the company’s existing EV architecture, possibly with around 300bhp and a 0-62mph time of around five seconds.
The Beijing concept had a sporty profile, with a high waistline that rose significantly towards the rear window, plus sharp surfacing at the front and along the flanks. The show car had a huge rear wing, aero diffuser and side blades that could, in theory, feature on this newly-discussed performance model due soon.
Ge concluded: “Like I said, we want to be customer-centric. We need to know what customers need. Our job is to build a product that customers like – that’s the reason they buy [our cars]. We have to think what customers need; we will share information very soon, but not today.”
Can’t wait for BYD’s fiery family car? Check out its big-value saloons and SUVs available now on Auto Express’s Buy a Car service…
