BYD Fang Cheng Bao launches Tai 3 SUV, prices start at USD18,300

Fang Cheng Bao, a sub-brand of BYD, has rolled out the Tai 3 SUV (sport utility vehicle), the first model in its Tai lineup.

Fang Cheng Bao officially launched the Tai 3 at an event, with a starting price of RMB 133,800 (USD18,300), the brand's lowest-priced, expanding its product coverage from off-road SUVs to also include family SUVs.

The Tai 3 is available in 5 variants, including two rear-wheel-drive versions with starting prices of RMB 133,800 and RMB 139,800, and three four-wheel-drive versions with starting prices of RMB 153,800, RMB 163,800 and RMB 193,800, respectively.

The starting price of the entry-level variant has been reduced by RMB 6,000, or 4.5%, from the price when pre-sales began on Mar 31. The rest of the four variants have a starting price that is RMB 10,000 lower than the pre-sales price.

The Tai 3 has five seats and measures 4,605 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width and 1,720 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,745 mm.

The model is Fang Cheng Bao's first battery electric vehicle (BEV), and the brand's other two models, the Bao 5 and Bao 8, are hybrids.
The Tai 3's rear-wheel-drive version is powered by an electric motor with a maximum power of 160 kW and a peak torque of 310 Nm, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 7.9 seconds.

The four-wheel-drive version has a front motor with 110 kW of peak power and 200 Nm of peak torque and a rear motor with 200 kW of peak power and 310 Nm of peak torque, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.

All variants of the Tai 3 have a range of 501 kilometers, albeit with different battery pack capacities. Its rear-wheel drive version gets a battery pack with a capacity of 65.28 kWh and two of the four-wheel drive variants get a pack with a capacity of 72.96 kWh. The highest-priced variant, with BYD's Ling Yuan automotive drone system, uses a battery pack with a capacity of 78.72 kWh.

The Tai 3 has a charging power of up to 237 kW and can charge from 30% to 80% in 18 minutes.

The model comes standard with BYD's God's Eye C smart driving system, with the smart driving solution DiPilot 100, which supports driver assistance functions including NOA (Navigation on Autopilot) on highways.

The Tai 3 is the production version of the Super 3 concept announced by Fang Cheng Bao last year, and is the third model in the brand's lineup after the class Bao 5 and Bao 5 off-road SUVs.

When Fang Cheng Bao unveiled the Bao 8 at its spring launch event in Shenzhen on April 16, 2024, it unveiled two concepts -- the Super 3 SUV, and the Super 9 supercar.

Naming the production version of the Super 3 the Tai 3 appears to be a shift in strategy for Fang Cheng Bao, as the previous production version of the concept was called the Bao 3 and in June 2024 it entered a regulatory filing catalog with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

Tai literally means titanium, and the lineup would include hardcore models for families, Fang Cheng Bao said at the time.

Unlike the Bao lineup, which uses a body-on-frame that is more oriented to off-road scenarios, the Tai lineup will focus on a more family-oriented unibody design.

The Tai 3 is built on the brand's dedicated smart EVO electric platform, which can handle scenarios including snow, mud, mountain and sand, Fang Cheng Bao said yesterday.

For the full year 2024, Fang Cheng Bao sold 56,388 vehicles, according to data compiled by CnEVPost. The brand began its first vehicle deliveries in Nov 2023.In Mar, Fang Cheng Bao sold 8,051 vehicles, up 126.79% year-on-year and 62.91% from Feb.
By the end of Mar, the brand's cumulative sales totaled 81,312 vehicles.