2024 Fangchengbao Bao 5 review

Part of BYD’s growing stable, Fangchengbao focuses on premium SUVs with genuine off-road ability and hybrid technology. You might say they’re China’s Land Rover, aiming for the same adventure-capable slice of the market as rival GWM's Tank vehicles.

The Bao 5 is the brand’s first model, an imposing body-on-frame SUV with a minimum ground clearance of 220mm and the ability to perform a semi-tank turn within a 3.4m radius.

Perhaps more interestingly, with the confirmation that Denza will be the next BYD brand to enter Australia, and with a Bao 5 curiously being labelled as a Denza B5 on our test drive, it could be on its way here in the near future.

In China, the base version of the Bao 5 retails between $50,000 and $63,500. Given the base version matches the price of a top-spec Seal in China, you’re potentially looking at something like a $70,000 starting point if sales begin here.

For that, you’d be getting a very competent Land Rover Discovery rival for almost half the price, a true SUV that’ll wade as deep as 790mm, can adjust its height by a full 140mm, comes with the full triad of diff-locks, and boasts just over 500kW and up to 125km of EV-only range.

It certainly looks the part, sitting a good 1.92m tall on the lowest suspension setting, and sporting a fairly traditional look with boxy styling, chunky protruding wheel arches, squared-off shoulders front and rear, and either 18- or 20-inch wheels for a robust and imposing appearance. There’s a side-step for easier access to the cabin (you’ll need it), and a side-hinged boot lid.

Side-hinged because it packs a full-size spare, elsewhere there’s a roof rack, 6kW vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-vehicle discharge, and towing capacity up to 2.5 tonnes, thoroughly cementing its effectiveness as a vehicle capable of supporting the complete outdoor lifestyle.

If you’re not convinced yet, the interior might do the trick. We’ve grown accustomed to Chinese brands throwing all but the kitchen sink at their premium offerings, and the Bao 5 is no exception, with the dashboard alone hosting a pair of 12.3-inch screens either side of the 15.6-inch 2.5K central screen. 

There’s also a 50-inch head-up display unit and a digital rear-view mirror on some editions, in case that wasn’t enough screen real estate for you.

Fangchengbao has gone for the rugged look inside with chunky grab handles all over the place and a rather complex design, but the Bao 5 feels every bit as premium with liberal use of soft-touch materials and leather for a high-end feel. 

The seats are either a faux leather, nappa, or a mix of nappa and suede, and come in either blue, green, or sand shades. There’s 12-way adjustability for the driver’s seat, six- or 10-way for the passenger, and heating, ventilation and massage options for both, with heating and ventilation available for those in the rear.

In some ways you can tell it’s still a BYD because of the presence of physical switchgear, BYD one of few Chinese brands to not bury everything in the screens, but the most eye-catching are the jewel-like switches on the centre console. The bright red centre switch starts the car, while others flick between hybrid and electric running, switch driving modes, and adjust the diff-locks. 

Behind these, there’s a small fridge/heater in the centre cubby that's good for storing up to four drink bottles, and adjustable by a digital dial just behind the cupholders.

Elsewhere, there are 18 speakers from French audio specialist Devialet, a trio of fragrance pots, a pair of 50W vented wireless chargers, and a large panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade.

As you’d expect, it’s also spacious both front and rear with no shortage of leg and head room, with the high driving position providing a commanding view of the road. Rather than squeeze in a third seating row, the Bao 5 maximises space across two seating rows.

Our limited drive of the Bao 5 included a roughly 2km off-road track as well as a coned circuit on an airfield, and while neither is truly representative of how a Bao 5 would be used in daily life, they did give an insight into its various abilities and lack thereof.

Certainly on the track, the Bao 5 proved to be both rapid and comically soft in equal measure. With 505kW of power and 760Nm of torque on tap from dual motors, 200kW at the front and 285kW at the back, plus a bit of boost from the 145kW 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, the Bao 5 positively leaps off the line, achieving a 0–100km/h sprint of 4.8 seconds. 

But throw that height and weight into a corner and the Bao 5 seems to become an enormous blancmange, rolling with the enthusiasm of a buoy on choppy seas. It’s entertaining and just a little terrifying at the same time, but you will find when applying full throttle and full lock that the traction control holds everything together. It looks to all the world you’ll end up on your roof from the outside, but things stay upright.

Off-road, though, you come to appreciate that ground clearance and adjustability. Even on standard road tyres, our car made light work of the steep inclines and descents with just the odd slippage here and there. It doesn’t stay unerringly flat like the much more expensive Yangwang U8 managed to achieve, but it works.

Fangchengbao claims over 1200km of total range, 125km of which can be EV-only, though both figures are based on often-lenient CLTC fuel consumption testing, so trim about 20–25 per cent off those numbers for a more realistic estimate. The 31.8kWh battery, using cell-to-chassis technology (within a ladder frame chassis), is protected from puncture by five layers of defence, and can charge at 100kW, the whole system boasting claimed fuel consumption as low as 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres.

Whether the Bao 5 makes it here as a Fangchengbao or a Denza, it’ll bring an unparalleled combination of luxury and off-road ability to an expected price range not exactly flush with talent. 

The efficient and highly effective electrified powertrain is the icing on the cake, offering the best of both worlds in a slick and smooth package, albeit one that’s a bit spongier on the road than you might otherwise prefer. The likes of Nissan, Ford, and even Land Rover will be hoping it stays away a bit longer yet.