Fangchengbao is the specialized personalisation brand of BYD Auto, previously known as the ‘F-brand’. The Fangchengbao Bao 5 is a controversial vehicle that has been described as a cool Chinese hardcore crossover, while others say it’s just an ordinary SUV.

Today, we’re going to share with you what it’s like to drive this car as a city commuter – after all, most people buy this car because they like its boxy shape, not to use it as an off-roader all the time.

“Square box” appearance

The familiar exterior adopts the style of a classic hardcore SUV, with a “square box” body and a “small bag” at the back, plus some trim accents, which can really give people a full sense of power. This design is officially called “Leopard Power Aesthetics”. The front end of the car has a clear sense of hierarchy, with LED light strips on the upper and lower parts of the centre grid, which are connected to the daytime running lights on both sides to form a visual effect of a ring-shaped light strip. It comes in a number of colourways, orange, blue, green, black, white and grey, and I just love that mountain range green, which is very retro; the black gives a more understated feel.

The Bao 5 has an approach angle of 35°, a departure angle of 32°, a longitudinal passing angle of 20°, and a minimum ground clearance of 220 mm, which shows that the Leopard 5’s off-road capabilities are not to be underestimated.

Functional equipment for daily life

In terms of practical features, the luggage rack, electric pedals, and external discharge are all fully equipped. It’s worth mentioning that the Bao 5’s external discharge power reaches 6kW and can be plugged in without an adapter, which means you can have a hotpot and watch an outdoor film in the wilderness while still having another 1hp air conditioner on. In addition, the Bao 5 has a 2.5-tonne towing qualification, so if you’re into caravanning, the Bao 5 can take care of all your outdoor caravanning electricity needs.

Electro-vacuum door rear end

The rear of the Bao 5 is also very simple, with vertical tail lamps echoing the horizontal headlamps. It is worth mentioning that the tailgate of the Bao 5 adopts an electric suction design, avoiding the inconvenience of dust splashing when closing the door.

Multi-style interior

The interior of the Bao 5 also features the same Leopard Force aesthetic and is available in three colours – dark blue, beige and green.

Firstly, there’s this very special gear knob which can be raised at the touch of a button full of ceremony. But I found that as soon as I get in the car and press the brake, it raises itself and doesn’t require a button press.

The center console part is equipped with a total of three large screens, it is worth mentioning that the Bao 5 is equipped with a new generation of FiLink car system, matched with a custom high-performance 6nm chip, chip-level integration of 5G network functions, the overall use of very smooth. But the most commonly used instead is this piece of HUD in front of you, it’s really big at 50 inches. When you are on the motorway HUD above the display of information is enough to use.

This whole car is also with ambient lighting, in fact, all the buttons in the car backlight are cyan, but when you change the ambient light, the color of the buttons in the car is not changed. The center armrest position is also equipped with an on-board refrigerator, there is a knob on it, the capacity is large and also adjusts the temperature and also supports heating, 50 °heating can also heat milk, so this is still suitable for families with small children off-road vehicle.

Interior space

Bao 5 wheelbase of 2800mm, from the rear view of this space is still quite large, in the off-road vehicle inside, the backrest angle is actually already more backward to the chair, and then adjusted backward can be more backward. There is also a reading light above the head, there are white and warm light colors, I still prefer warm tones, more a little. The overall car is relatively dark, it is recommended that those with poor eyesight choose a beige interior.

The back row can be put down, but it still has a small angle to the boot. You should have no problem sleeping in the car if you put on a pillow and quilt.

Because the Fangchengbao Bao 5 windows use double laminated glass, so it is particularly good sound insulation. Its speakers are Diwalay speakers and there is a feature with the headrest speakers, you can open the navigation sound in the driver’s seat does not affect the sound of the car play songs, this feature for us to improve the driving experience. When you are tired of driving you can also open the seat massage, but this feature is only available in the mid-range and the top of the line.

Powertrain of the Bao 5

Fangchengbao Bao 5 This car is a new BYD DMO architecture, the front cabin is the engine, generator, and electric motor, the middle of the chassis is the battery, the rear axle is the rear electric drive assembly, the suspension front and rear are double wishbone structure. Thanks to this architecture it can easily overtake when overtaking at high speeds, and can even use the handling flexibility to describe an off-road vehicle, because its electric acceleration is very fast but the output power is relatively linear, a bit like driving a large displacement self-absorption feeling. When driving in the city road surface can also absorb the subtle vibration from the road surface, even if occasionally encountered larger bumps, but also by virtue of the dry suspension action, not to produce unnecessary shaking.

Disus-P intelligent hydraulic body control system

The Disus-P standard version of the Bao 5 is height-controlled, and the Fangchengbao Bao 5 Pilot Edition has a minimum ground clearance of 220mm, while the Bao 5 Flagship Edition of the Cloud Chariot is able to go up by 50mm and down by 25mm on top of that. this means that the Bao 5 Flagship Edition of the Cloud Chariot will be more powerful when wading in the water or traveling on unpaved surfaces with a lot of ups and downs. It’s also easier to get in and out of basements or tunnels when driving on city roads.

You don’t have to worry when the car runs out of power or can’t be recharged immediately, as the power is still strong enough and the acceleration is also very strong when the car is in a state of power loss. Overall, the Fangchengbao Bao 5 is as comfortable to drive in the city as most urban SUVs and can be used as an off-road vehicle for occasional thrills.

Summary

Everyone has their favourite off-road vehicles, Mercedes-AMG is the pearl of the pyramid, Land Rover Defender 110 is the brand’s cross-country feelings, Tank 300 represents the rise of China’s off-road vehicles, that now China’s off-road vehicles and a new member of the even if the Fangchengbao Bao 5, the appearance of functionality to meet the cross-country, and that’s even more important is that the price inside the cross-country vehicles is very advantageous.