In the great year of 2003 BYD bought Qinchuan Auto, which got them a car-making license and the BYD Flyer, a popular mini car. BYD saw all kinds of possibilities with the Flyer platform. On the 2004 Beijing Auto Show BYD unveiled four concepts of new Flyer variants, designed and built in less than a year. No small feat for a then brand new auto maker!
The variants were:
1. The BYD Flyer F2: An extra luxurious Flyer with a longer wheelbase.
2. The BYD Flyer F4: A wagon with a longer wheelbase.
3. The BYD Flyer EF3: An electric sedan taxi.
4. The BYD Flyer Hybrid-S: A normal Flyer with a hybrid drive train
5 (bonus). The BYD Flyer Dragon Car: a normal Flyer with wild decals. This was not a concept but a typical show-car.
Factory images for the media
In early 2004 BYD released images of the four Flyer variants to the media:
The media photo of the F2 was totally realistic, showing the car in the flesh front of a real building.
The image of the F4 showed a photoshopped image of the vehicle in front of a very photoshopped background, seemingly a road at dawn.
The images of the EF3 and Hybrid-S were very similar, showing the cars on a simple background with some technical specifications.
Interestingly, the Hybrid-S on the media photo is painted in a yellow shade of cold but the eventual concept car was blue!
BYD also released an image of our bonus, the Flyer Dragon Car. It showed the vehicle against a fully white background. Probably the best photo of the lot. Note the sporty wheels. The eventual show car had different wheels.
I have included the Dragon Car in the article because BYD treated it as a ‘debut’ in the same vein as the concept cars. But it wasn’t a concept so I call it a bonus.
The cars were first shown in Beijing, then on several local shows, and finally in the fall of 2004 on the Guangzhou auto Show. The pictures in this article are of a mix of these appearances.
On the 2004 Beijing Auto Show, BYD also unveiled the mad ET concept car and the BYD F6 concept car. More on the latter in a later story.
For reference: the 2004 BYD Flyer. Size: 3500/1445/1470, wheelbase was 2300.
Now, let the show begin! All specifications as provided by BYD in 2004.
BYD Flyer F2
The Flyer F2 was an idea for a more upmarket and luxurious Flyer variant. It got new headlights, a classy grille, classy wheels, and a beige faux-leather interior.
But most importantly; it was quite a bit larger than the standard Flyer, with a 10-centimeter longer wheelbase. Size F2: 3740/1645/1510, 2400. The extra space went to the passengers in the back.
A very neat behind. Note especially how well the pipe tip is integrated in the bumper. The rear window is surrounded by a perfectly straight black frame. The F2 has a fit & finish level that BYD only reached in the real world about a decade later.
In late 2004 BYD said production of the F2 was set to start in 2005, powered by a 1.3 liter four-cylinder engine and equipped with all sorts of luxury goodies, including a DVD-player. But in the end BYD decided against production and the F2 remained a concept only.
BYD Flyer F4
The Flyer F4 was probably the most interesting car of the lot. A wagon set to compete with the popular Buick Sail S-RV. The F4 was painted in a gray-dark yellow dual tone scheme. It got the same headlights as the F2 but the bumper was more robust.
same headlights as the F2. Dual tone paint.
Most eye catching were the roof rails culminating into a large roof spoiler. You can still see very clearly that is was indeed a Flyer with a load-space added on, note the top-line of the rear doors going slightly downwards, like it does on the Flyer. The F4 was a big car: 4350/1690/1700, wheelbase 2600.
The media photos on the booth’s wall. The Dragon Car on a similar image as the EF3 and the Hybrid-S (not visible here).
The Flyer F4 had a new engine under the bonnet: a 1.6 liter ‘4G18’ Mitsubishi unit, sourced from the Shenyang-Mitsubishi engine making joint venture. BYD apparently understood a so much bigger car needed a bigger engine. Output was 98 hp. It was mated to a 5-speed manual.
The F4 too was slated for production, but again it was canned and forgotten.
BYD Flyer EF3
The BYD Flyer EF3 was an electric sedan, and was shown complete with a BYD-designed fast charging unit. It has the same front as the F2 and the same wheels as the F4. But behind the C-pillar thing didn’t look too good:
China has seen many strange and ungainly sedans based on hatchbacks and the EF3 is likely one of the worst. The extra side window is not real and it sits way too low, just like he entire rear end. The rear wheels are far too far under the car, as if it had a shorter rear axle. Color scheme didn’t help.
The EF3 has the same wheelbase as the F2 but the added ass made it quite a bit longer: 4250/1645/1551, 2400.
The Flyer EF3 was intended for taxi duty in Shenzhen, BYD’s home town in Guangdong Province. BYD claimed it had a range of 350 kilometers and a 125 km/h top speed. Deleveries to taxi companies were set to start in 2005. But once again nothing came of it. Much later however, a large part of the Shenzhen taxi fleet would be made up of the BYD e6 EV. So the plan was right but the timing was not.
BYD Flyer Hybrid-S
The Flyer Hybrid-S was a normal-sized Flyer with a hybrid power train. BYD also fitted a set of side skirts and some extra sporty wheels. Although it looked very basic compared to the other concept cars, the development of the hybrid system was in an advanced stage.
BYD was very specific about the specifications: “A 4-cylinder engine with a displacement of 0.8L and an output of 29.5kW, mated to an electric motor with an output of 30kW and a capacity of 20Ah. The Li-ion rechargeable battery had a voltage of 296V. The fuel consumption in city-mode was lower than 4L/100km”. For comparison, the normal petrol powered Flyer used 5 liters per 100 kilometers.
“In terms of harmful substances in exhaust gas, CO is 0.56g/km, HC is 0.07g/km, and NOx is 0.07g/km. They are 44%, 30% and 13% lower than the European No. 4 standard. The body weight is 1070kg, which is 320kg heavier than the standard car”.
The Flyer Hybrid-S did not see production but BYD became China’s leading hybrid brand just a few later, long before they became famous for full-electric cars. So the research that went into the Hybrid-S was not a waste!
BYD Flyer Dragon Car
Our bonus car was called the Flyer Dragon Car. BYD was a bit lazy with this one, see the Qinchuan logo’s on the wheels! The car was wrapped in a wild dragon-themed image, showing a fighting man with a dangerous dragon.
There was more fighting on the sides, plus Chinese stamps and characters. BYD said they wanted to make an “emotional connection” between the audience, Chinese culture, and the national automobile industry.
Not a mad idea at all. Many Chinese car companies have used Chinese cultural associations in their marketing and car names. BYD recently launched a series of cars named after Chinese dynasties of old, and their latest design language is called… Dragon Face!
As we now see; none of these five cars made it to production but the ideas and technology eventually all came back. And that is exactly where concept cars are for.
Sources, besides those linked in the text: Sina, Sina, Sina, PCauto, Moonsoft.
The F4 is nice. Probably would have sold. The EF3 not so much. May have made an OK taxi.