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Exactly how much chassis tuning work is carried out in Australia for BYD models built in China? Find out here.
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BYD Australia is touting a level of local suspension tuning for its new Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 models, but there is a big difference between a market-specific complete rework to suit local conditions and simply changing a tyre package.
So what has BYD done to the Australian versions of the its two new plug-in hybrid SUVs?
Speaking to Drive, BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins said both models “definitely” have been localised, but went on to explain there are ways suspension tuning can be interpreted.
“All of our new product introductions go through a regime of suspension, ride, and handling evaluations. Some of those are more extensive than others. Our general default is to a European setup of suspension,” Collins explained in an exclusive interview with Drive.
“Validation is obviously done locally to make sure that that suits, and if modifications need to be done further upon that, then we'll do that.”
Keen to get to the bottom of exactly what local changes were made to the new Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 plug-in hybrid SUVs, we talked further with BYD spokesperson Paul Ellis, who went a little deeper into what the local suspension tune entailed.
“We evaluated the Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 before they went on sale [in Australia] and provided feedback to China,” Ellis said.
“It was deemed that the suspension tune wasn’t suitable for our market… it was too soft and bouncy. So we opted for another setting, a firmer spec that was aligned to a European spec.
“Now that the vehicles are here, our local engineering team will continue to evaluate. We send feedback up the line to the production teams and normally they’re pretty good at listening to us.”
Indeed, BYD Australia had earned considerable kudos within the greater BYD organisation due to its work on the Shark 6 ute’s suspension settings. This vehicle has drawn praise for the excellence of its on-road ride and handling, and the Aussie set-up is now the default for world markets.
“We continue to reassess that car along with others,” said Ellis.
And the current Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 suspension tunes?
“We take that as our starting point and not our end point,” Ellis said.
BYD is keen to bolster its local tuning capabilities. It won’t have escaped their attention that GWM has been bashing out the kilometres at Lang Lang proving ground with a development team headed up by ex-Holden chassis guru Rob Trubiani.
“Yes, certainly it's an area that we're upscaling, and we put all our new models through that process,” said Collins.
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Andy brings almost 30 years automotive writing experience to his role at Drive. When he wasn’t showing people which way the Nürburgring went, he freelanced for outlets such as Car, Autocar, and The Times. After contributing to Top Gear Australia, Andy subsequently moved Down Under, serving as editor at MOTOR and Wheels. As Drive’s Road Test Editor, he’s at the heart of our vehicle testing, but also loves to spin a long-form yarn.
