BYD Destroyer 05 interior revealed – PHEV sedan for China with up to 197 PS, 325 Nm, 120 km EV range

This is the BYD Destroyer 05, a plug-in hybrid sedan that was first revealed at this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show in China back in November. At the time, the Chinese carmaker did not provide a view of the interior, but has recently done so via a post on its Weibo page.

If you’re curious about the name, here’s a little backstory. According to CarNewsChina, BYD launched a new sales network this year called Ocean Net that sells two series of vehicles, including the Marine Life series for fully electric models – the Dolphin is the first in this series.

The other series is called Warship and focuses more on plug-in hybrids, with the Destroyer 05 being the first model in this line-up. The Ocean Net sales network is said to operate separately from BYD’s existing dealers and is aimed at younger car buyers. Following the nautical theme, we won’t be surprised if BYD introduces new models named the Cruiser, Frigate or even Corvette, although that last one might cause some legal dispute.

Measuring in at 4,780 mm long, 1,837 mm wide, 1,495 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,718 mm, the Destroyer 05 is slightly larger than Toyota Levin sold in China. Official pricing has yet to be announced, but reports in China claim the sedan will go for between 120,000 and 150,000 yuan (RM78,639 and RM98,299).

The Destroyer 05 is the third BYD model to be equipped with the carmaker’s DM-i plug-in hybrid powertrain that features a 1.5 litre petrol engine making 110 PS (109) hp and 135 Nm of torque. The mill can be paired with one of two electric motors, including a low-power version for a total system output of 179 PS (177 hp or 132 kW) and 316 Nm, as well as a high-power version for 197 PS (194 hp or 145 kW) and 325 Nm.

The latter allows for a 0-100 km/h time of 7.3 seconds, but the less powerful electric motor lengthens the time to 7.9 seconds. Two Blade batteries developed by BYD are also offered, with one capable of providing an electric driving range of 55 km, while the other gives 120 km.

Styling-wise, the Destroyer 05 adopts BYD’s “Marine Aesthetics” design language and sports a busy face with plenty of dashes and lines on its grille, accompanied by slim headlamps linked by a trim piece with the BYD script. This theme continues throughout the rest of the exterior, as evident by the design of the side mirrors, wheels and taillights, which are also linked.

Inside, the BYD PHEV appears to take a page out of the Tesla playbook, with a large touchscreen dominating the dashboard. Spanning 15.6 inches, the display provides access to many vehicles functions and can also be rotated from landscape to portrait format.

To accommodate this feature, the middle air vents are placed closer to the centre console, which also houses cupholders, a rotary dial gear selector and quick access controls to specific functions. The look of these vents is replicated for the rear passenger cabin as well as the larger ones on the corners of the dash. Another display inside is an 8.8-inch unit in front of the driver acting as a digital instrument cluster.

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