A very early BYD F3 GLX-i sedan, seen in Beijing in 2017. The F3 was in a great shape, painted in a silver gray shade with the original BYD logo on the grille. License plate is from Shandong Province.
The F3 was BYD’s first mass market sedan. Production started in 2005 and continues on the same platform until today (!!!). Over the years, the F3 has been updated numerous times, but the basic design and the hard points of the chassis still remain the same.
The BYD F3 we have here today was made somewhere between 2005 and 2008. We know that for sure because in 2009 the old logo was replaced by a new one. Our F3 seemed almost entirely original. The sporty wheels were factory standard. The owner only added black film to darken the windows. GLX-i was a trim-level, third-highest, out of four levels in total.
At the time, most of China’s car makers were trying hard to imitate, learn from, and copy European and Japanese brands. This was plainly visible in their marketing and in many cases even on their cars. The BYD F3 is a case in point. The text around the wheel’s center says: Euro Concept Style Wheel.
The interior was almost entirely original too, bar for the comfy steering wheel cover and the seat cover on the passenger seat. Beige and faux wood were very popular then, believed to ooze luxury. The F3 has ‘wood’ in the center stack and on the gear knob.
The owner added even more luxury with two beige-white pillows.
The BYD F3 GLX-i was powered by a 1.6 liter four-cylinder petrol engine with an output of 100 hp and 134 Nm. The motor was mated to a five-speed manual transmission, sending power to the front wheels. Top speed was 180 km/h and 0-100 was gone in 12.3 seconds. From 2005 until 2007 the manual was the only gearbox available. Only in 2008 did BYD add an automatic gearbox to the lineup. Price in 2005 for the GLX-i model started at 80.800 yuan.
The rear BYD badge is an oldie too!
The nicely styled F3 badge.
The GLX-i badge.
The F3 was instrumental in making BYD as big as it is today. In Europe, BYD is mostly known for its PHEVs and EVs. In China, it is known for that too, but also for making affordable family cars, like the long running BYD F3.
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