The BYD G3 was a compact sedan. BYD produced it from 2009 until 2014. It was based on the same platform as the slightly smaller BYD F3 sedan. BYD also sold a hatchback version called the G3R. The owner of the car in the photos added shiny strips under the side windows and shiny door handles. These door-handle assemblies were quite popular in the 2000s, available at car repair shops for almost every car. At the time, shiny equaled wealth, so many cars were blinged up to the max.
Interior
A typical BYD interior for the time. Beige seats, beige plastics, a busy center stack, and a large-diameter steering wheel with a thin rim. The center stack combines shiny black with matte gray trim. It has an audio unit with a CD player and large round dials for the air conditioning system. The shiny gear-lever knob was factory standard.
The owner added seat covers front- and rear. The covers looked brand new and fitted perfectly over the seats and bench. The BYD G3 was a compact car, but, like all Chinese cars, it was quite spacious inside.
The large-light unit trend was going strong in the 2000s. The BYD G3 has HUGE lights front and aft. BYD offered 1.5 and 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engines for the G3 sedan. The car in the photos has the 1.5 under the hood.
Specifications
The old-school one-piece character badge on the back: 比亚迪, Bǐyǎdí, BYD.
The 1.5-liter motor had an output of 80 kW (109 hp) and 145 Nm. The motor was mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, like in this car, a CVT, or a 6-speed DCT. The top speed of the manual model was 165 km/h.
The BYD G3 was a compact sedan: 4600/1705/1490, 2610 with a 1210 kg curb weight. That seems so light compared to today’s heavyweight EVs and PHEVs!
The badge with the old BYD logo, a shiny oval with a strange and shiny font. BYD used this logo for about ten years. The BYD G3 was an affordable car. The base model cost only 62.900 yuan in 2009, and the top-spec car sold for 109.900. However, it wasn’t as popular as the F3, which was almost as large and even cheaper. Consumers didn’t see the extra value of the G3. Therefore, it is a comparatively rare 2000s BYD.
BYD has come a long way since the G3. Production ended in 2014, that’s only 11 years ago. At the time, almost nobody took BYD seriously, except a certain Mr Buffet. How right he was! Today, BYD makes ultra high-tech cars like the BYD Sealion 07 EV, and the Fangcheng Bao Bao 5. In 2024, BYD became the best-selling car brand in China, a position held ever since.