BEST IN CLASS
In some past epoch, I was a schoolteacher.
Although I didn’t finish an education degree in college, I did the learn and execute the routines that have long defined the Philippine school system – read books and journals, delivered lectures, made rubrics and lesson plans, formulated quizzes and papers (that I checked with what my students amusingly call “The Red Pen of Doom”), and tabulated grades.
As the school year progressed, I learned who were the top performers and the top misfits. Although it’s a sad reality that the regimented learning system that many of us grew up in places far too much reverence on memorization and grades (instead of good character, critical thinking and other non-quantitative competencies), it does distinguish the stronger performers.
I suddenly reminisced on my teaching career while driving the 2025 BYD Tang DM-i. In a sense, reviewing a car is much like grading a pupil’s paper – you trust us to serve as arbiters of the second-most-expensive thing that you will ever buy, which massive corporations have invested billions of pesos to develop.
Happily, this big BYD is arguably one of the finest seven-seaters that I’ve ever driven.
Flowing style
The Tang is a familiar sight in the BYD Philippines lineup, having first come to our shores as a seven-seat, battery-electric crossover.
But the Tang DM-i looks like a totally different car after taking a page from Audi’s playbook, particularly the gloss-black accents on the prominent front grill, 20-inch alloy wheels, side mirrors and pillars. It all works well with the Moon Stone Grey paint scheme, which likewise emphasizes the creased hood and strong beltline.
Pointed LED headlights not only provide excellent illumination (including through tight corners), but also add to this BYD’s European-inspired aesthetics. And details like the large tailgate spoiler, faux rear ducts and full-width LED taillights (that put on amusing light show when you unlock the car) make it look sportier than its blocky, sport-utility-vehicle (SUV) rivals.
Sumptuous space
But it’s the interior where the Tang DM-i absolutely deserves top marks.
This Chinese upstart feels like a Mercedes-Benz, especially since it is covered wall to wall in supple gray leather with diamond patterns on the supremely comfortable and supportive seats (the two-spoke steering wheel is also very “Chedeng”). And practically every surface uses soft-touch materials that truly make this crossover feel a cut above a Toyota Fortuner or Nissan Terra.
Despite the rather high ride height (standard side steps would be nice), this big BYD has a unibody chassis that not only offers superior shoulder room, but also generous legroom because of the relatively low and flat floor. The third-row seats have average space for the class, but the seating position is much better than its SUV rivals.
And then there’s the 15.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – it’s crisp, responsive and offers a superb view of the standard 360-degree camera system. But it carries on the BYD tradition of being infuriatingly difficult to navigate, requiring you to go through layers of menus to access even basic functions.
Nonetheless, the Tang DM-i’s unmatched refinement and the 12-speaker Dynaudio surround-sound system make every trip feel like you spent way more than this crossover’s price tag. But even the best papers have flaws – the dual-zone climate control system is powerful, but bizarrely doesn’t have dedicated vents for the third row.
In addition, the cargo space is rather small for such a big car, the steering wheel lacks adjustment for shorter drivers like me and the clever, one-lever access to the third row is only possible on the passenger side.
Exciting drive
Another subject in which our student does rather well is P.E.
Under the hood is a turbocharged 1.5-liter, twin-cam, inline-4 gasoline generator mated to an electric motor and a 21.5-kWh Blade Battery pack for a combined output of 267 horsepower and 315 Newton-meters of torque. The latter figure may be dwarfed by turbodiesel rivals, but the Tang DM-i makes up for this with its blistering acceleration.
The BYD is also far more athletic because its unibody chassis, enormous 255/50-series tires and superbly tuned suspension all work together to provide a truly supple ride that combines reasonable body roll and surprisingly good suspension travel. In other words, this seven-seater will not batter you and your passengers like traditional SUVs often do.
But a little more varsity coaching would help – the strong brakes are controlled by a rather spongy pedal, while the slightly numb steering has the unnerving tendency of getting fidgety at full throttle. The latter almost feels like torque steer (remember this?), thus requiring you to really put your arms into holding the car straight and true.
As with all BYDs, the Tang DM-i offers truly impressive fuel-consumption figures. You can drive up to 80 kilometers on a full charge or opt to get an unmatched 17 to 20 kilometers per liter in the city.
Meanwhile, our 14 to 17 kilometers per liter on the expressway was only average, largely because the generator spent much time recharging the battery. Making up for this is the excellent DiPilot active-safety suite that can almost practically drive this big BYD on its own, leading to more relaxing and substantially safer journeys.
First honors
The 2025 BYD Tang DM-i not only recreates the magic of its smaller cousin, the Sealion 6 DM-i, but also elevates it to dazzling heights.
Despite its issues, this seven-seat BYD is well-equipped, fast and very pleasant to drive, all while being technologically advanced and exceedingly fuel efficient. If it cost P2.4 million, it would already wreak havoc on similarly equipped 4×2 SUVs like the ancient P2,396,000 Toyota Fortuner LTD and the excellent P2,379,000 Ford Everest Wildtrak.
But similar to what it did to compact crossovers with the Sealion 6 DM-i, BYD Cars Philippines is letting all hell break loose by pricing its electrified seven-seater at just P2,098,000. At this point, not even the rather archaic Mitsubishi Montero Sport Black Series 2WD at P2,190,000 comes close.
The Tang DM-i doesn’t quite get a 100-percent grade from me, but it certainly deserves to deliver the valedictory address in the SUV class.
