Say luxury minivan and the first thing on most people’s minds is the Toyota Alphard. We can’t blame them, though, as the luxurious Toyota van has been the de facto king in that class for quite some time already.
That said, there are several automakers that have tried to emulate the Alphard’s formula, but BYD’s latest model looks like it has potential. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the BYD Xia.
The Xia is part of BYD’s Dynasty series meaning it’s positioned in the premium or near-luxury market. Appropriate, too, given its upmarket aspirations. Sure, it’s classified as a minivan, but at over five meters long—5.145 meters, to be exact—it’s anything but mini.
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We’ve seen the Xia before, but it’s the first time BYD is officially releasing interior photos and specifications. After browsing through the new information, we’re genuinely curious if BYD Cars Philippines is, at the very least, considering bringing it here.
For starters, the Xia a range-extended electric vehicle and uses a similar setup to the popular Sealion 6 DM-i. It pairs a 1.5-liter turbo with a single electric motor—a now-familiar setup in the BYD lineup. The engine primarily serves as a generator to charge the batteries powering the electric motor. The motor then punches out 268hp and 315Nm of torque. If anyone’s curious about performance, it’s enough to get the heavy minivan to 100kph in 8.1 sec.
There are two battery options available for the Xia. The first is a 20.39kWh unit that can run up to 100km on pure electric propulsion alone, with no charging from the engine. Higher trim levels use a bigger 36.6kWh pack with an electric-only range of around 180km. Per BYD, total range is up to 1,080km under CLTC (China Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle) testing methods.
Inside, the front follows a wraparound cockpit concept with three screens on the dashboard, depending on model grade. Typical in Chinese vehicles, most controls are integrated into the infotainment system. Interior color options include brown on white and black on white.
Other neat features? Advanced driver-assist systems, such as adaptive cruise and autonomous emergency braking, come standard, of course. Seat ventilation is available, and so is a full-length panoramic glass roof. Captain chairs are also part of the package with higher trim levels getting full power adjustability.
A multimedia screen swings down from the ceiling to keep rear occupants entertained on the road. If that’s not enough, there’s even a mini-refrigerator in the second row.
In China, the BYD Xia starts at CNY249,800 for the base variant with the smallest battery. The top-of-the-line spec with the larger battery comes in at CNY309,800. At local conversion rates (sans taxes), that’s a spread of around P1,996,000 to P2,476,000.
Knowing BYD Philippines’ aggressive pricing strategy, we might get close to those numbers, but that’s if this model will be sold here in the first place.
