BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao brand is working on its third model and has teased the boxy SUV ahead of an expected unveiling in the coming months. Fang Cheng Bao is one of BYD’s SUV-focused premium brands and was formed back in 2023. It has just one model in its range, the Bao 5, initially known as the Leopard 5 at its launch. The company has also unveiled a flagship SUV, the Bao 8, which will go into production later this year. As its name implies, the Bao 3 will sit below these two models in the company’s product portfolio.
The front of the new SUV looks quite bulky
and aggressive and includes large headlights, each with two thin LED daytime
running lights positioned above them. You may also notice that Bao 3 has a set
of flared wheel arches, which help give it some extra presence on the road. These
prototypes, all wrapped in intricate camouflage designs, are also shown with
roof rails and spare wheel carries. The taillights consist of simple LED
stripes, not dissimilar to the lights used by current Genesis models.
Bao 3 will be
underpinned by BYD’s DMO platform. Powertrain details remain a little murky,
with some reports claiming the model will be battery-electric while others
assert it will be a plug-in hybrid. If it’s a PHEV, it should have a powertrain
similar to the larger Bao 5, which includes a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and
a pair of electric motors. In the Bao 5, the front motor has 268 hp and 360 Nm, while the motor at the rear is rated at 382 hp and 400 Nm. That model also has a 31.8 kWh battery pack, but given
that the Bao 3 is slightly smaller, its battery pack should be a little more
compact.
Spy shots of the vehicle’s interior shared
by Autohome reveal a large infotainment screen on the dashboard, a fully
digital instrument cluster, a chunky steering wheel, and metal switchgear on
the transmission tunnel.
