Will the BYD Destroyer 05 DM-i sedan make sense in our market?

Having a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) in the lineup seems to be doing good for BYD Cars Philippines. Just a few months after launching the Sealion 6 DM-i compact crossover, the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) automaker has already exhausted stocks with more coming thanks to positive response from the Philippine market. 

Well, BYD has another extended-range model in its stable–the Destroyer 05 DM-i. This compact sedan was first unveiled in November 2021 and went on retail in March 2022 for the Chinese market. Would it make sense for the company to launch it here?

Starting with its looks, the BYD Destroyer 05 is certainly attractive wearing a sleek and aggressive front fascia with a large Dot Matrix borderless front grille with an illuminated strip that connects the wraparound Star Battleship LED headlights. The rest of the vehicle is also very sleek with a coupe-like roofline and Geometric Dot Matrix LED taillights with clear lenses.

Inside, it looks very familiar with a similar aesthetic as the BYD Sealion 6. Of course, it comes with a 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen infotainment system. It is also equipped with an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a two-tone interior color scheme.

What’s really interesting here is the powertrain. Powering the BYD Destroyer 05 is the brand’s DM-i hybrid system which is composed of a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated Inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 110 horsepower and 135 Nm of torque. 

This can be paired to a 132 kW electric motor with a maximum torque of 316 Nm and an 8.3 kWh BYD Blade Battery allowing for an all-electric range of 55 kilometers, or a 145 kW electric motor with a maximum torque of 325 Nm and an 18.3 kWh battery that allows for an all-electric range of 120 km. Total driving range is estimated at over 1,200 kilometers.

It can be charged via 3.3 kW AC charging and even 17 kW DC charging.

As for safety, the highest-spec version is equipped with BYD’s DiPilot driver-assistance suite composed of adaptive cruise control, curve speed control, active lane keeping, lane departure warning, lane change assist, traffic sign recognition, intelligent high and low beams, automatic emergency braking, emergency brake warning, pedestrian recognition, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and forward and rear collision warning.

With the compact sedan market having choices limited to the Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic, and Mazda 3; it does not seem lucrative for BYD Cars Philippines to bring in theirs. But we think that with their successes even with their fully-electric Dolphin hatchback, it might just work. This could also become their second sedan offering after the fully-electric Han.

Do you think BYD Cars Philippines should bring the Destroyer 05 in to…uhhh…destroy its potential rivals?