This is the Fangchengbao Bao 5, and that is its actual name. It made its European debut at Top Marques Monaco this week, having gone on sale in China late last year. Yep, Fangchengbao is the latest Chinese car brand to consider going global.
If it does take the leap, it’ll have a bit of a head start because much like Yangwang, Fangchengbao is another one of BYD’s luxury offshoot brands. A BYD spokesperson told Top Gear that a European launch was still being discussed, but we were also given technical data for the Chinese market car and told to “stay tuned for detailed specifications after the model is officially launched in Europe.”
Admittedly, we quite like the look of the Bao 5. It’s roughly the same size as a Land Rover Defender 110, and there are clearly bits of Land Rover design that have influenced Fangchengbao. Ford, too. And yet it all comes together rather nicely.
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There are 18-inch wheels, chunky arches, roof rails, a full-size spare on the back, extending side steps that drop down as you open the door, and many, many screens inside. Oh, and there’s a 677hp plug-in hybrid powertrain that pairs a 1.5-liter four-pot turbopetrol engine with two electric motors and a large 31.8kWh battery.
The result (when everything is fully juiced) is all-wheel drive, 0-100kph in 4.8sec, and a top speed of 180kph. It’ll manage 125km of electric-only range and 1,200km in total. The battery will accept 100kW fast charging, and we’re told that—like Yangwang’s U8—it’ll do tank turns to spin itself around on loose surfaces.
Of course, there’s no word on how much the Bao 5 would cost if it did make it outside of China, but let us be the first to implore BYD to give it a go...
More photos of the Fangchengbao Bao 5:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
