Almost a Tank 300: What BYD Leopard 3 Offers

December 1 became a symbolic date for the electric vehicle market: along with the appearance of a new recycling fee, relatively affordable and interesting models became a thing of the past. The story of this BYD Leopard 3 is a story about a car that managed to be brought in literally at the last moment. The owner was lucky enough to jump on the bandwagon and get an all-wheel drive electric crossover at a price that seems fantastic today.

The delivery process turned out to be far from simple. Queues for deregistration in China, difficulties at the border, and unspoken "accelerating payments" made the car's journey to Russia long and nerve-wracking. As a result, a 2025 car with a mileage of about 10,000 km and almost maximum configuration cost the owner 2.5 million rubles. Today, a similar electric car with all-wheel drive, a ground clearance of about 200 mm, and comparable characteristics would cost 4.5 million rubles or more.

The specific example is a BYD Leopard 3 without lidar, but in a rich configuration. It has a basic 73 kWh battery instead of the 78 kWh version, but the claimed range of 500 km looks quite realistic: in real conditions, you can expect about 400 km. The total power is 420 hp, although the documents show much more modest figures. The appearance of the car is emphasized by an unusual green film, under which the basic light body color is hidden, and the light interior was chosen deliberately - for reasons of taste and comfort.

In terms of format, the Leopard 3 is not a frame SUV, but a crossover with increased cross-country ability. Short overhangs, a smoothly laid battery, and the absence of protruding elements from below provide decent geometric cross-country ability. The ground clearance is impressive, and the electronics competently simulate locks, allowing you to confidently get out even from diagonal hanging. Comparisons with the Tank 300 arise regularly, but in terms of philosophy, the Leopard is closer to compact universal crossovers, and not to "honest" frame vehicles.

The interior is typically Chinese - technological and sometimes unexpectedly practical. There is an electric front trunk with a full-fledged underground, microphones for karaoke, a built-in refrigerator, and many physical buttons along with screens. The rear trunk is modest, but functional, with a subwoofer and sockets for external consumers. At the same time, the rear row cannot be called spacious: if there are tall passengers in the front, there is not much legroom in the back.

On the road, the Leopard 3 focuses on comfort. The suspension is energy-intensive, with a multi-link design at the front and rear, which has a positive effect on the smoothness of the ride. Compared to the Nissan Ariya, which the owner had before, the BYD is softer and calmer, although noticeably more compact. The seating position is high, and the ergonomics are familiar for models of the brand. Even the presence of Drift Mode looks more like a marketing bonus - in practice, the car prefers stability and predictability, rather than spectacular drifts.

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