What’s in a name: BYD and its trio of sub-brands

Automotive companies are more complex than we think. We know of brands like Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda, and many others, but under their respective umbrellas are even more brands. 

In Toyota’s case, there are Lexus, Daihatsu, and Hino, among others. Volkswagen has the main Volkswagen brand, Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Jetta, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda, and more. The same goes for several Chinese automakers, and that includes BYD.

In a recent media trip to the cities of Shenzhen and Zhengzhou in China with BYD Cars Philippines, we got to learn more about the BYD brand and its handful of sub-brands, some of which are rumored to be coming to our market soon. Understandably, these can cause a bit of confusion, so we try to get to know them better and what sets each brand apart from the others.

We all know the BYD brand, of course. It’s the main brand, the core series of the company’s entire global lineup, and naturally its biggest asset. This is also what’s currently offered in our market, with two distinct series.

Under BYD, you can find the Ocean Series and Dynasty Series. The former is composed of more mainstream offerings with an ocean-inspired design language and naming convention. Vehicles under the Ocean Series include the Seagull, Dolphin, Seal, Seal 5 DM-i, Sealion 5 DM-i, and Sealion 6 DM-i.

Meanwhile, the latter series holds BYD’s slightly more premium offerings, which follow a Chinese Dragon-inspired design language, and vehicle models named after the different Chinese dynasties.

Models under this are the Atto 3 (known as Yuan Plus in China), Han, Tang, and Tang DM-i, and other models we don’t get in our market, such as the Song, Qin, and Xia.

Now we get to the more unfamiliar stuff, which are BYD’s three sub-brands. These are aimed at more premium and luxury segments, starting with FangChengBao with its off-road-focused offerings.

Translating to Formula Leopard in English, FangChengBao was founded in 2023 and focuses mainly on premium off-road and track-ready vehicles. Right now, the brand has an all-SUV lineup with four models, which are the Bao 5, Bao 8, Tai 3, and Ti7. It also had the Super 9 electric supercar concept, but that became the Denza Z.

And speaking of Denza, that’s BYD’s luxury marque that was founded in 2010 as part of a joint venture with the Mercedes-Benz Group. Its name roughly translates to rising power and momentum.

This brand is rumored to be coming to the Philippine market soon, albeit under the umbrella of BYD Philippines (not to be confused with ACMobility’s BYD Cars Philippines), a direct subsidiary of BYD Auto in our market.

Models under Denza are the D9 MPV, the N7 and N9 crossovers, and the Z9 sedan. It also markets rebadged versions of the Fangchengbao Bao 5 and Bao 8, known as the B5 and B8, respectively.

Finally, topping all these brands off is the ultra-luxurious YangWang. Standing for look up or admire, this brand is probably the most well-known among BYD’s sub-brands, thanks to the YangWang U8, which is known for its capability of floating on water in emergencies, 360-degree turns (tank turn), and sideways driving.

READ: The BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme is now the world’s fastest production car, hitting 496.22kph

Of course, who can forget the YangWang U9 electric supercar? Its track-focused U9 Xtreme version recently broke the world record for the fastest production car, achieving a maximum speed of 496.22kph, beating the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. 

Also offered is the U7, a full-size luxury sedan that wears styling cues similar to some BYD Ocean Series models, albeit elevated to a more elegant and premium look.

With every segment in check for BYD, it’s not surprising to see why they were able to gain the title as China’s best-selling automotive brand. All these brands definitely help it become what it is, and we’re hoping to see more from BYD, but with less confusion, of course.

^{Photos by Julian Panlilio}