Over the years, we've been known to take a few spins in the fancy new rides imported by car dealers with all the latest tech.
Today though, we went for a different kind of ride in a Chinese made BYD vehicle. That's short for "build your dream" - and Jules Vasquez found out what all the fuss is about:
BYD is one of the world's leading automakers - but they manufacture only electric and hybrid vehicles. And now they have established a dealership in Belize.
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"This is almost 2-3 years in the making to have this vehicle rolling around in Belize right now."
You'll find them at the Design Depot on the Phillip Goldson Highway:
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"Well this is a fundamental shift in the way that we think about transportation where we go and fuel up with gas or diesel and then that powers the internal combustion engine that then moves a transmission this is completely different."
"With BYD coming in, the technology that the vehicle offers is actually coming in at a very competitive rate like we have a vehicle in the line up brand new starting at $59,500 that is actually cheaper than a lot of used cars that are coming in now."
Marin says that with gas prices soaring to record highs worldwide, the cost benefit proposition is what he believes will sell this vehicle - because when you look under the hood, you'll find a battery, not an engine:
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"People want something that would be able to, you know, insulate themselves from gas going to $20 a gallon, and that's with the plug in hybrid, you can plug this vehicle in and charge it."
"To charge this vehicle for example we did a test and it cost us like nine dollars and sixty cents."
For a full charge, and that drives how many miles?
That would have driven like around 200 and something miles and for the same kind of range on a gas vehicle, you're looking at around $200 dollars In fuel.
Jules Vasquez
"In fuel, in gasoline, right?"
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"So it's substantially cheaper."
Substantially cheaper, but that too has been the knock on Chinese made vehicles: that they're cheap!
Jules Vasquez
"Chinese vehicles in Belize do not have a strong reputation for durability. Like, for example, a Toyota or an Isuzu. How does BYD hope to overcome that stigma?"
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"This is a premium product."
"This is a premium product there is no doubt, there is no, there is nothing about this vehicle that says this is a low quality product. You have a high definition screen in front of you, you have the latest technology, this has lane keep assist, this has pre collision system, nice leather seats, this is something that was kind of reserved away from us, you couldn't buy this vehicle on your own."
And, with a price tag of 140,000 on the flagship Blade pickup many still can't. But what a ride. With a boxy design, it may not be visually striking - but it sure is fast:
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"You know you're going at 50 miles and hour in seconds with very little effort without having to wait for the engine to rev up and the transmission to change gears."
"And so you can accelerate very quickly, some would say at sportscar level."
Indeed. 0-60 in 5 seconds, simply amazing for a vehicle of this weight:
Jules Vasquez
"Wow wow wow."
It is a hybrid vehicle with an engine just to power the battery:
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"This has both an engine and electric motors to go along with the battery so this is more of an EV, but with the range extending engine virtually anywhere."
The interface is sleek and modern with everything you'd expect in a 2027 model. The experience can be slightly disorienting when the gearshift is a little dial - no bigger than a volume knob.
But, there's far less spent on servicing because there are so few moving parts.
And while you may have doubts about the suspension in a Chinese made vehicle Marin says they are built for this market:
Ryan Marin, BYD Dealership
"One of the things that I really like about working with a manufacture like BYD is that they consider when they're manufacturing the vehicle that it is going to come to Belize. So whatever that entails on the factory line with, better more rugged suspension, with more anti corrosion elements going into the vehicle those are all considerations made when the vehicle is coming through the factory floor right."
Marin says they will build a fully outfitted BYD dealership building in the Design Depot lot.
