Meet BYD’s tough-looking new SUV

BYD has debuted a new model at the Bangkok Motor Show, suggesting it could be on the cards for an Australian arrival.

Dubbed the BYD TI 7, it is a nearly five-meter-long large SUV with boxy off-road styling. In China, the TI 7 sits under BYD’s off-road focused FangChengBao marque like its larger Denza B5 sibling, which just arrived in Australia. The TI 7 is based on a monocoque chassis rather than a ladder frame.

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Outside it shares similar seemingly Land Rover Discovery-inspired to the current Hyundai Santa Fe, complete with what looks like a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, which is actually a storage box. However, unlike the Discovery or Santa Fe, the TI 7 is a five-seater only.

Inside has relatively luxurious amounts of leather trim, a chunky steering wheel similar to the Denza B5, and familiar large screens from other BYD products such as a 15.6-inch multimedia screen and 12.3-inch digital dash. It can optionally have 13.0-inch screens fitted to the backs of the front seats and features dual 50W wireless phone chargers in the floating centre console.

The TI7 is a plug-in hybrid, which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine (115kW/225Nm) with electric motors on the front (160kW/260Nm) and rear (200kW/360Nm) axles. It can drive up to 200km of EV range according to Chinese specifications thanks to a relatively large 35.6kWh battery pack.

Although the car debuted under the BYD brand at the Bangkok show, it was not right-hand drive, appearing simply to be an imported Chinese domestic market version, suggesting its right-hand drive re-development could be some time away yet.

Regardless, both BYD and its more premium Denza arm will have their hands full in the next year. BYD is set to deliver the Atto 1 small car and Atto 2 compact SUV both as electric cars imminently, and is also set to add the cost-leading Sealion 5 PHEV and flagship Sealion 8 PHEV to the range in 2026.

Meanwhile Denza is in the process of launching its B5 Prado-rivalling plug-in hybrid off-roader and its B8 larger sibling. Next year, the brand has its sights set on more niche segments, like the people mover segment with the D9 plug-in hybrid and perhaps even the sports coupe market with the Z9 GT which it debuted with in Europe.

BYD has lofty goals for 2026, going so far as to predict a podium finish as one of Australia’s top three automakers. To do so it will need to unseat long-term favourites like Kia, Hyundai, or Ford.