2026 BYD Tang DM-i review: BYD’s luxurious hybrid seven-seater tested | Top Gear Philippines
The first generation BYD Tang was a revelation in terms of hybrid electric performance. BYD at the time was known as a pioneer in hybrids and electric vehicles, but they weren't quite known [music] as car makers per se. They had experience making cars for the Japanese, but their internally developed cars were just uh kind of so so. The next generation was so much better in terms of luxury, in terms of power, in terms of technology, but it was so expensive it never got here. After the recent Philippine government tax [music] breaks, it did come in, but the all-electric model is still in the 3 million plus peso range, which is out of reach for most [music] buyers. But now, BYD is bringing its hybrid electric luxury crossover to the masses with [music] the BYD dmi. So, it loses one motor, so it's frontwheel drive only, but it still has all the bells and whistles, [music] and it has more power at a better price than many thighmade SUVs. Sound intriguing? Hell yes it is. It's not just intriguing. This is a fantastic car. The original Tang was BYD's response to the Lexus RX and it showed. Even though it was a 500 horsepower hybrid all-wheel drive fireb breathing monster, it was a big softy. Not so this car. This car feels like a proper premium sporting crossover. It's rock steady at speed and even at high speeds [music] in the rain, it's relatively quiet. Those GT Comfort tires at all four corners, they don't make a lot of noise. They don't squeal, and they're very good in high dynamic situations, which is not something I ever thought I would say about GT Comfort tires. Wind noise is well controlled. About the only thing I can hear right now [music] is the rain hitting the windshield and the water splashing against the other side of the car. This is a very luxurious crossover. In terms of economy, it's hard to say. I've only had this car 2 days and I have not used up the battery yet. From my calculations, I'm doing between 4 to 6 km per kilowatt in mixed conditions. Overall, I'm doing an average of about 5 plus kilm per kilowatt hour, which is surprising for something this big and this powerful. In terms of performance, the front-wheel drive does give you a little bit of hit to the performance. Channeling 270 horsepower through the front tires is always going to be a challenge. Now, BYD claims 0 to 100 in 7.5 seconds. In our testing, given [music] that the roads are wet, it takes around 7.8 seconds in the wet. We've only lost.3 seconds because the electronic stability control is fantastic. This is one of the [music] best ESCs I've ever tested there. You don't feel that stutter stutter stutter you get from less sophisticated traction control systems, and it will even kick in when you're in a high-speed curve to make sure that you don't do anything stupid. [music] Other active safety systems include, of course, your adaptive cruise control and your lane keeping assist. Full level two, and they work pretty well, as they do on all BYDs. actually better than most BYDs. Of course, I'm not using them right now because the weather again is terrible and it's hard for an automatic system to keep you in lane when you can't even see the road markings yourself. As a family car, not as a sports crossover, this does pretty well. Granted, the sporty setup means that it will rumble over high frequency bumps and you will feel some of that through your bottom end. It doesn't get to the point where it's actually uncomfortable, but I can't say the same for those in the rear seat. So, caveat mtor, this is a great car for daddy, for mommy in the front seat, maybe for the little kids stuck in the third row, who knows? Like all mid-range to high-end BYDs, the Tang comes with a full 360° camera system. It's active not just while parking where it works with wonderful proximity sensors, but also at highway speeds. Now, you may be thinking, I don't need cameras when I'm on the highway. I can just look out the windows. But surprisingly, in low visibility conditions like this and at night, the camera is better than your eyes. Looking down the road right now, all I can see is glare reflected off of it and of course the haze coming from the rain. This camera somehow increases the contrast between the road markings and the road itself so that you can see if you're in lane. Of course, you need to look forward, [music] but you can use this as a quick reference to make sure that you are in the right lane and that there's nothing worrying under foot. And at night, that [music] same system, that same contrast enhancement system helps shield you from the glare of oncoming headlights, so you don't need to look at it at all times, but when there is another car coming, it is [music] helpful. A big part of the luxury equation is style, and the Tang has that in spades. It has a look best described as Chinese dragon. long flowing lines, swooping headlights, wavelike tail lights, and accent lines that look like Chinese calligraphy. It also has a gaping grill that tells you there's a lot of power under the hood. Granted, it's mostly electric power, so you don't need a grill that big, but it's there to tell you that there's power [music] anyway. Unfortunately, it is a bit too sporty. All this black grill, [music] the big 20-in gunmetal mags, they don't stand out against the dark color [music] on our test unit. And I can't believe I'm saying this because I hate chrome, but this car does need a little bit of chrome just to make [music] the trim pop a little. Otherwise, no complaints. I love the shape. It's sleek, it's sporty, [music] it's imposing, and it's big. And unlike the Sea Lions, it actually stands out in a crowd. The last and perhaps biggest part of the luxury equation is the interior. And it looks like BYD has pulled out all the stops. Despite dropping the price drastically, you still get light colored leather everywhere and a nice mix of materials from the contrast stitched dash stop topper to the slate gray plastic that's on the dash and on the console. And note chrome pin striping everywhere. [music] Like BYD, put some of this on the outside, too, please. Now, this wouldn't be a BYD without the nautical references. You still get a little wave here on the dashboard, [music] and you still get funky AC vents. It doesn't look like it, but check that out. [music] These AC vents are funky. In terms of inc cabin storage, you have litted cup holders and a center console box that's not very deep, but at least it hides away all your charging points so they don't clutter up the dashboard. You've got the glove box and the door pockets, and that's it. One thing missing here is you don't have a change pocket in the driver's door to put your RFID cards and change from the tollway. Well, RFID cards, you can stick them in the sun visor like everyone does, but there's no place to put spare change in here except maybe here. Wo! Nah, that's that's not a good idea. No BYD would be complete without the signature touchcreen. Unfortunately, this one doesn't flip. There just isn't enough space for this huge screen to [music] flip on this dashboard. But you do get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and [music] built-in Spotify and YouTube. You can't watch YouTube while the car is moving, but when you're parked, you can sit back, relax, and watch your favorite Top Gear [music] videos. The sound out of this thing is fantastic. There's a built-in subwoofer in the back that makes [music] this a great party vehicle. Well, an executive party vehicle, but a party vehicle nonetheless. The perception of luxury falters just a tiny bit in the rear seat. Not because it's uncomfortable or spartan. No, this bench [music] is well padded and it's nice to sit on. It's a bit flat, but there's space for a full three people here and the materials are very nice. You even get decent materials on the door panels. Usually, this is where manufacturers like to hide their cheaper plastics, but [music] not here. Instead, it's the lack of toys. In a 3 million peso car, you might be getting touch controls here. You might be getting AC and radio controls here instead of just cup holders, but here, [music] yes, you just get cup holders. That said, you have rear AC. You've got enough leg room to cross your legs. You've [music] got huge amounts of headroom and elbow room, and you've got this beautiful dual pane sunroof showing you the rainy skies of Manila. The third row is one of those occasional use only things. With the second row in the normal position, I've got basically [music] zero leg room. To get more leg room, you need to slide the second row forward like so. Now, [music] the second row has very little leg room, and I have acceptable leg room. That said, given these limitations, the headroom in here is okay, and the elbow room is pretty good for two people. Unfortunately, these armrests are way too high, and your cup holders are under your armpits. So, it's not a place that you put honored guests. It's just an occasional seat again for people in an emergency and that's all they are. In terms of cargo space, the Tang has well [music] some. It only has 235 L of space behind the third row, five of which is taken up by all the charging cables, but you can put the third row down to reveal 940 L of space, which is enough for just about anything you [music] might need. Don't expect any fancy underfloor storage because there's a lot of hybrid hardware under there. And you don't get the [music] fancy AC charging ports that the BYD Shark does in the back. You do get [music] a 12vt where you can plug your vacuum in. That's just about enough for a regular crossover. Oh, power tailgate, [music] too. So, that's the BYD Tang DMI. BYD's [music] attempt to bring power to the masses, or at least the upper middle class. Let's get to the pros and cons. [music] The first pro, the one that hits you in the face first, is the power. 270 horsepower, and man, does it go. This is the fastest 7-seater you can get at [music] this price point. And it doesn't sacrifice efficiency for that either. In our mixed driving, [music] we got 5.5 km per kowatt, which is what you might expect out of a compact crossover, an EV compact crossover. On the con side, it's a hybrid. It's not an EV. So, your battery is only theoretically 110 km long, but when it gets down to 20%, which is about 80 km, [music] the gasoline engine turns on and it will recharge it up to around 35 to 40%. Which should be a pro because that means you have an extended range EV that will go anywhere. But when you're using the gasoline to recharge the engine, it's not quite as efficient as just using the EV system. So, you will want to keep this plugged in all the time or whenever you can. And thankfully [music] this is a CCS charger so you can plug it in at any mall in the country. Another pro is the luxury. It is beautiful inside. Leatherrett [music] everywhere. That giant 15.6 in highdefinition touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, YouTube. [music] It is wonderful to watch movies on when you're parked and waiting for the kids with the subwoofers just [music] gently massaging you with the sounds of whatever you're watching. On the con side, yes, it is a prettyl looking car, but is a bit anonymous, I guess. Like the BYD [music] Shark, it that one hits you in the face with the power and the styling. It looks like nothing else on the road. It [music] looks like something from the future. The Tang looks like it's from today. [music] It's very prettyl looking. It's very modern, but it is just modern. It doesn't look [music] futuristic. A car like this should look a little more futuristic. And lastly, the final pro and perhaps the [music] biggest one is the price. At 2.09 million, the Tang is incredibly affordable. Well, not for everyone, but for anyone looking for a 7seat family SUV. It's got level two driver assist, a sunroof, all the bells and whistles. To get that [music] much kit on a thigh SUV, you would have to spend 2.5 million or more. The closest competitor we could find to it was perhaps the Kia Sarrento, which matches it in terms of performance, but [music] is much more expensive. On the con side, it's only 4×2. It's frontwheel drive, so it's not a 4×4. It's not an off-roader. [music] Sorry, you're not getting that for this much money. But this isn't a lot of money for what you get. I mean, [music] I don't mind the lack of 4×4 on a car like this. No one is ever going to take a luxury crossover like this [music] off-road. And for what it's meant to do, this is perhaps the best vehicle in its class, or maybe almost any class out there. And for that, we've [music] got to give it a 9.5 out of 10. >> [music]
BYD has continued to expand its Philippine lineup non-stop, and throughout the year, it’s launched one model after another in what seems to be an attempt to cover all segments of the market possible. One of its recent introductions is the BYD Tang DM-i, a hybrid seven-seater crossover presenting itself as an alternative to the traditional diesel-powered midsize SUVs.
It’s the hybrid version of the fully electric Tang, which has already been available for quite some time. The Tang DM-i, however, has a significantly more affordable P2.098 million price tag and is packaged with a more widely adopted plug-in hybrid powertrain. It’s a good deal on paper, but how is it on the road? Watch the full video to learn more.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:18 Driving
5:24 Exterior
6:21 Interior
9:36 Cargo area
10:17 Pros and cons
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