Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
Last Thursday, September 29th, BYD Philippines celebrated their 3rd Anniversary in the market by having a grand get together with family, business partners and media. Food and drinks were flowing with live entertainment to boot. This was followed by the anticipated launch of the 2016 BYD F0 and the new, BYD SUV, the S7!
The program started with Opening remarks from Managing Director, Star Corp., BYD Shaw, Mark Andrew Tieng. He first acknowledged the numerous attendees and shared the significant milestones of the company in 2015 to 2016, including the 5-STAR Program; BYD Auto Club; and their successful campaign in the Philippine Endurance Challenge where the team emerged victorious in the Manufacturer’s Cup and FM2 Class Championship.
“We would like to thank all of you especially our media friends for your continued support. BYD Philippines has been in the country for three years now and we are proud to say that all our customers are very happy and satisfied. Our promise is that we will continue to do more for our customers,” said Tieng.
Working on the theme “Change is Coming”, Tieng gave a glimpse of BYD’s vision in the local automotive industry by announcing plans of the company’s network expansion and the unveiling of the more vehicle models.
“It is necessary in order for evolution to take place and success to continue. This is true at BYD. In this company, change is also constant but we assure you that with us, change is always for the better. And indeed, change is coming,” shared Tieng.
The climax of the program was the unveiling of the new BYD F0 and the all new S7.
The F0 now sports an upgraded fascia. Its a combination of a new grille with sporty projector headlights with black outline. Also, new rims now sport the exterior.
The F0 is now equipped with LED daytime running lights, aside from common interior mirror, it has a child safety lock, 3rd brake light, front three-point seat belts, rear side seat three-point belt, electronic anti-theft system, and Smart Key System.
The frame still retains the high-rigidity body c, overall pressed steel side panels, crumple energy absorbing steering column, energy-absorbing crumple brake pedal, side-impact safety bar. Its still powered by the same 1.0-liter BYD371QA all-aluminum engine, which puts out 67Hp at 6,000 rpm and cranks out maximum torque of 90 Nm between 4,000 – 4,500 rpm mated to either a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. The F0 is capable of reaching a top speed of 151 kph.
The S7 is BYD first foray in the local SUV battleground. This sleek and luxurious vehicle is equipped with the usual amenities such as Push Start/Stop Button, panoramic parking assist view and panoramic sunroof, but what sets it apart is the revolutionary PM 2.5 air Purification System. It actually cleans the cabin air particles in 4 minutes! This is very timely and desirable, given the amount of pollution inhaled especially during traffic gridlock.
Other features are the Integrated Multi Media System, LCD Dash, illuminated shifter stylish interior. Exterior mods include Electronic folding side mirrors with camera and welcome light, projector headlights and 18in wheels! The engine is state of the art Turbocharged 2.0 Twin Cam-16 valve VVT that puts out 151 hp at 5,500 rpm for the 20-liter variant and maximum torque of 320 N-m between 1,750-4,500 rpm the S7 can sprint up to a top speed of 185 kph to 190 kph and its mated to a 6-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission with two-wheel drivetrain.
You can see these and their other models on display at Its showrooms located along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong, BYD North EDSA, Batangas and Cebu City. For more information, visit www.byd.com.ph.
Photos by Neil Pagulayan