BYD is going all-out in our automotive market. With the launch of the Shark in February, it wasn’t long until the brand introduced its newest competitor in the MPV category, the purely electric eMax 7. And it will greet interested customers at the 2025 Manila International Auto Show.

We had a quick chance to drive the eMax 7, specifically the Superior Captain variant, which is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor that drives the front wheels. It produces 201hp and 310Nm. It can also do a 0-100km/h sprint in 8.6 seconds.

For styling, the MPV utilizes BYD’s Dragon Face 3.0 design, which has the same design cues seen on the Tang and the Han.

Stepping inside the car, you’ll find premium leather seats throughout, captain chairs in the second row, and spacious, easy-folding third-row seats. At the front, the interior has premium woodgrain and soft-touch panels.

The driver gets a five-inch multi-info display combined with an analog instrument cluster. The dashboard rocks BYD’s signature 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 15W wireless charger, and four charging ports (two in front and two in rear).

Ride-wise, the vehicle is equipped with front MacPherson struts and rear multilink independent suspension. The MPV is fitted with the BYD Blade battery, which has a capacity of 71.8kWh, capable of a 530km range on a single charge. The DC fast charging can juice up the battery from 30% to 80% in 28 minutes. BYD claims that the combination of the suspension and the battery results in a low center of gravity, making the eMax 7 more engaging to drive.

In the existing market for MPVs, the eMax 7 will be an interesting choice for Filipinos since it’s an electric vehicle. ACMobility, the brand’s distributor, has over 70-plus charging hubs in the country and aims to reach 700-plus chargers by the end of 2025.

The BYD eMax 7 will be available for test drives at MIAS (April 10-13; World Trade Center).