On July 12, BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao brand announced that its Bao 5 off-road SUV set a Guinness World Record for the highest altitude reached by a plug-in hybrid vehicle at 5,980 meters.

The official poster indicates that the Bao 5 started from Lhasa at an altitude of 3,650 meters, passes through the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley at an altitude of 3,600 to 4,200 meters, the Sangmula Pass at an altitude of 5,566 meters, the Lajongla Pass at an altitude of 5,800 meters, and finally reached an altitude of 5,980.05 meters.

The Bao 5 (see spec here) was Fang Cheng Bao’s first model, launched in November last year, available in three trims with a price range of 289,800 – 352,800 yuan (39,900 – 48,600 USD).

Built based on BYD’s Dual Mode Off-road (DMO) Super Hybrid Platform, the Bao 5 measures 4890/1970/1920 mm (including the spare tire), and the wheelbase is 2800 mm. Positioned as a hard-core off-road SUV, the car has an approach angle of 35°, a departure angle of 32°, a longitudinal passing angle of 20°, and a minimum ground clearance of 220 mm.

Power comes from a 1.5T longitudinal engine and dual electric motors, outputting a total power of 505 kW (677 hp) and a system torque of 760 Nm. Its 31.4 kWh Blade battery provides a CLTC pure electric range of 125 km. The comprehensive cruising range is 1,200 km. At the same time, the Bao 5 is equipped with an intelligent electric four-wheel drive system and comes standard with front, rear, and center differential locks.

Inside, the cockpit is designed based on the concept of lock, equipped with a large number of mechanical physical buttons, a 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel, a 15.6-inch 2.5K central control screen, a 12.3-inch co-pilot entertainment screen, a 50-inch HUD, and a screen for the digital external mirror.

In December 2023 and January 2024, the Bao 5 sold more than 5,000 units monthly. Subsequently, the sales decreased in the following months. From February to April of this year, the sales performance was 2,310, 3,550, and 2,110 units, respectively. As of June, the cumulative sales volume is 23,995 units.

Source: AutoHome, Sohu, YiChe, ITHome