BYD Ti7 Review & Prices

The BYD Ti7 (pronounced tie-seven) is a seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV with chunky styling, four-wheel drive and a lengthy list of standard equipment. It’s BYD’s first seven-seater for the UK, following on from popular SUVs such as the Seal U and Sealion 7.

It’s a bit like a family-sized picnic hamper dressed up as an expedition rucksack. There’s lots of outdoorsy attitude in the design, but the three rows of seats and interior space make its family leanings clear. There’s even a fridge, so it’s a rather fancy hamper.

There’s no shortage of alternatives with a similar brief. The MG S9, Chery Tiggo 9, Hyundai Santa Fe and Skoda Kodiaq all offer seven seats as well as plug-in power, though visually the Ti7 is clearly inspired by one alternative in particular - the Land Rover Defender.

You can see that in the BYD’s upright windscreen, chunky extended wheel arches and almost vertical rear end. There’s even a side-hinged rear door with a spare wheel attached. It looks suitably rugged, and it’s sized accordingly - it’s longer than even a Land Rover Defender 110.

Inside, it’s a familiar formula with a large 15.6-inch central touchscreen and 10.3-inch driver display, with wireless phone charging panels underneath and a pretty minimalist design. It’s not quite as chunky and charming as the Defender 110, but it looks plush enough, and vegan leather upholstery in black, light grey or brown colour schemes gives you a choice of vibe. There’s also a standard panoramic roof to keep things bright.

Interior equipment certainly goes beyond the usual fare for a family SUV. Both the front seats and the outer middle row seats are heated and ventilated, plus there’s three-zone climate control. Up front, you get twin wireless chargers, and the compartment under the centre console can either keep drinks cold or a takeaway supper hot.

Boot space depends heavily on how many people you’re carrying. With all seven seats occupied, there’s just 126 litres left for luggage - about half what you get in a small car like the Kia Picanto - so don’t expect to fit more than a top-up supermarket shop or a couple of carry-on bags. Fold the third row and you get a much more palatable 970 litres, which is bigger than even the cavernous 819-litre Chery Tiggo 9.

The Ti7 will be available exclusively as a plug-in hybrid, badged DM-p for ‘Dual Mode Performance’. It has a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a big 35.6kWh battery - that’s bigger than you get on some small electric cars - and it means you get 79 miles of electric range. That’s not the best in class, with the Tiggo 9 capable of 87 miles, but for something so big and square it’s pretty good.

With 408hp, performance should be impressive - BYD quotes less than five seconds to get from 0-62mph, which is sports car pace. As soon as we’ve driven the Ti7 we’ll report back on whether it’s just powerful, or if it’s comfortable and good to drive as well.

In the meantime, you can see our best BYD Ti7 deals here, or check out BYD Ti7 lease deals. See what used BYDs for sale there are, and remember Carwow can help you to sell your old car when the time comes, too.

The BYD Ti7 costs just under £48,000, with a single Excellence AWD specification available.

That makes it considerably more expensive than the MG S9 plug-in hybrid, which starts at around £34,000, and about £5,000 more than the Chery Tiggo 9. Both also have seven seats, so the BYD’s size and lengthy equipment list don’t automatically make it the cheapest way to get plenty of car for your money.

Excellence includes 20-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, heated and ventilated front and outer middle-row seats, an 18-speaker stereo, two wireless phone chargers and the fridge/drinks warmer. Silver paint is included; four alternative colours cost £1,100, while matte grey adds £2,000.