BYD Spotted Testing Cheaper Tai 6 Defender-Style SUV — SkimNews
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- Fang Cheng Bao, BYD's sub-brand, began testing a new boxy SUV called the Tai 6 — the fourth model in its Titanium lineup after the Tai 3, Tai 7, and Tai 9.
- A spy photo posted on China's Autohome shows the Tai 6 as a rugged, Defender-like 5-seater with new headlights and a LiDAR unit on the roof; BYD has yet to officially announce the model or any specs.
- The Tai 6 is positioned as a smaller, more affordable sibling to the Tai 7, with a target starting price near 150,000 yuan ($22,000) versus the Tai 7's 179,800 yuan ($26,500) in China.
- In China the lineup sells under the Fang Cheng Bao name, while BYD rebadges the models as the "Ti" series for Europe, the UK, and other global markets.
- The Ti 7 sold in the UK uses BYD's Super Hybrid DM powertrain — three electric motors plus a 1.5L turbocharged engine producing 402 hp combined, paired with a 35.6 kWh Blade Battery and up to 74 miles (102 miles in city driving) of WLTP electric range.
- The Ti 7 starts at £47,995 ($65,000) on the road in the UK — undercutting the plug-in Land Rover Defender 110 at £71,840 ($97,000), which delivers a WLTP electric range of only 31.1 miles.
Why it matters: The Tai 6 extends BYD's pattern of pricing Defender-styled SUVs well below established premium rivals — the Ti 7 already undercuts the plug-in Defender 110 by roughly £24,000 ($32,000) in the UK. With a stated target near $22,000 in China, the 5-seat, LiDAR-equipped off-roader lands in a budget tier where Western competitors barely field compact crossovers.
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