Feng Bao Leopard 5 Review: Chinese 700‑HP Plug‑In Hybrid Off‑Road SUV

Name: The Fangchengbao Leopard 5 Is a Quirky, Cool Chinese Off-Roader
Uploaded: 2026-01-19T15:18:44.747180+00:00
Channel: Doug DeMuro
Description: Summary and key takeaways on Feng Bao Leopard 5 Review: Chinese 700‑HP Plug‑In Hybrid Off‑Road SUV, covering Introduction The Feng Bao (Fun Chongpa) Leopard 5

Doug DeMuro

Jan 19, 2026

•

3 min read

YouTube video ID: 8tNyI3dKKt0

Source: YouTube video by Doug DeMuro — Watch original video

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Introduction

The Feng Bao (Fun Chongpa) Leopard 5 is BYD’s first luxury off‑roader under its new brand. Styled by former Lamborghini designer Wolf Gang Edgar, it combines a boxy, body‑on‑frame SUV silhouette with a massive 675 hp plug‑in hybrid powertrain. The video review walks through its quirks, features, and on‑road/off‑road performance.

Powertrain & Performance

Hybrid layout: 1.5 L turbo‑charged 4‑cylinder gasoline engine (~200 hp) plus front and rear electric motors delivering a combined ~675 hp.
Drivetrain: Standard full‑time four‑wheel drive via the electric motors.
Weight: Approximately 6,400 lb, heavy due to hybrid components and off‑road hardware.
Acceleration: 0‑60 mph in about 4.8 seconds, surprisingly quick for a body‑on‑frame SUV.
Range: Primarily electric in everyday driving; gasoline engine acts as a range extender.

Design & Build

Dimensions: 192 in long, similar to a Toyota 4Runner, but with a more aggressive, muscular boxy look.
Exterior quirks:
Full‑width front light bar.
Red‑illuminated Feng Bao logo on the rear when taillights are on.
Skid plates front and rear, recovery hooks, and a full‑size spare tire.
Automatic side‑step that deploys when doors open.
Tailgate: Horizontal swing with a button‑activated latch and soft‑close feature.

Interior & Luxury

Materials: Perforated leather seats, contrast stitching, Alcantara door panels, and high‑quality plastics give a premium feel at an estimated $40,000 price point.
Key fob: Geometric, heavy, no loop – treated as a design object.
Seating: Upright, muscular stance; rear seats surprisingly spacious with ample legroom and no central tunnel.
Unique amenities:
Center‑console refrigerator/heater with adjustable temperature dial.
Push‑down cup holder that raises the bottle on demand.
Wireless charging pads with ventilation.
Multiple storage compartments, including a tool kit and power strip that can turn the vehicle into a mobile battery.

Technology & Quirks

Start/stop: Red central switch; gear selector rises/falls automatically.
Infotainment:
Multiple screens (center, gauge cluster, rear‑view mirror, passenger display).
Camera system with 3‑D view, ability to set captured images as wallpaper.
Global window‑down/up command.
Climate control integrated into the screen, plus a fragrance dispenser.
Air‑quality monitor and purification.
Drive modes: Rock, Mud, Mountain, Sand, Water‑Fording, U‑Turn, Sport Plus, each adjusting traction control, suspension height, and displaying real‑time tire pressure and approach/departure angles.
Suspension: Adjustable height for off‑road clearance.
Differential locks: Front, rear, and low‑range 4L selector.

Off‑Road Capability

Short front overhang for a good approach angle.
Skid plates protect underbody.
Recovery hooks and full‑size spare tire.
Adjustable suspension and dedicated off‑road drive modes provide on‑the‑fly optimization.

Driving Experience

On‑road: Quiet cabin, luxury‑like comfort, solid feel, but noticeable body roll and pitch due to truck‑based chassis.
Straight‑line: Strong acceleration thanks to electric torque; Sport Plus adds a burst of power but handling remains truck‑like.
Off‑road: Capable, with the expected body‑on‑frame robustness; comparable to a 4Runner or Lexus GX.
Comparison: Ride quality similar to a 4Runner, interior quality rivals higher‑priced models, and the hybrid powertrain offers a unique blend of performance and efficiency.

Pricing & Market Position

Priced around $40,000 in China, offering a value proposition that would challenge the Toyota 4Runner, Lexus GX, and other luxury off‑road SUVs if it were sold in the U.S.
Tariffs and brand perception may limit North‑American availability.

Conclusion

The Feng Bao Leopard 5 proves that Chinese manufacturers can deliver a high‑performance, well‑appointed, and genuinely capable off‑road SUV at a compelling price. Its blend of massive hybrid power, premium interior, and thoughtful off‑road features makes it a serious contender against established Western rivals, even if market barriers keep it out of the U.S. for now.

The Leopard 5 shows that a Chinese‑made, luxury‑styled, 700‑hp plug‑in hybrid SUV can compete with established off‑road icons, offering impressive power, premium materials, and genuine off‑road capability at a fraction of the price of its Western rivals.

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Helpful resources related to this video

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Plug In Hybrid Suv Maintenance Guide Recommended

Provides owners with detailed procedures for servicing hybrid components and off‑road hardware, essential for keeping a high‑performance vehicle like the Leopard 5 reliable

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Off Road Tire Set 33 Inch

Upgrading to larger, aggressive off‑road tires maximizes traction and durability for the Leopard 5's heavy weight and 4WD system, enhancing its capability on rough terrain

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Full Transcript YouTube

This is a fun chung bow Leopard 5 and
it's a boxy off-roader bodyonframe SUV
like a Jeep Wrangler, a Ford Bronco or a
Toyota 4Erunner. The difference is this
is Chinese and it has almost 700
horsepower. Get ready for some quirks
and features cuz this is going to be an
interesting one.
[Applause]
[Music]
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Sell on cars andband bids and join the
best community to sell your enthusiast
car. All right, time for the quirks and
features. But first, a thank you and
shout out to DCAR, which is a Chinese
car media brand that does car reviews
and social media car videos and all
sorts of car stuff. They've brought a
few special Chinese cars here to the
States and they provided me with this
one to review. So, thank you very much
to Dcar. But let's talk Fong Chongpa,
the Leopard 5. Fun Chongpa is BYD's
luxury off-roader brand. And this, the
Leopard 5 is their very first vehicle.
And I'll start with the basics. Unlike
other Chinese cars I've recently
reviewed, this one is not fully
electric. Instead, it's a plug-in
hybrid. So, it has a 1.5 L turbocharged
4-cylinder gasoline engine that makes a
little under 200 horsepower. And then
there are electric motors, front and
rear, to add more power and performance.
The result is standard four-wheel drive
because you have those front and rear
electric motors and a total of around
675
horsepower, which is a pretty serious
figure, especially when you consider
this is a bodyonframe SUV that's around
192 in long, which makes it basically
identical to the dimensions and the
structure of a Toyota 4Erunner. Imagine
675
horsepower in a Toyota 4Erunner. That's
the Leopard 5. Now, one big difference
though is heft. This isn't light.
Despite its midsize proportions, this
weighs around 6400
lb. Cuz it's got a lot of stuff.
Electric motors, gasoline, off-road
hardware, luxury tech. I'll show you all
that. 6,400 lb. pretty heavy, but it
still manages to do 0 to 60 in around
4.8 seconds. So, it's quick. And let's
be honest, it looks pretty cool. The
Chinese may not be known for their
off-roading, tough truck heritage like
Jeeps or Mercedes G Wagons or Toyota
Land Cruisers, but this looks the part
with its boxy, blocky, tough, muscular,
aggressive styling. It really looks like
the off-roer that it is. Body onframe.
It looks like a capable four-wheel drive
blocky tough truck. Like it would rival
mainstays like the Toyota 4Erunner and
the Ford Bronco. And the design and its
appeal makes sense because this car was
designed under the supervision of Wolf
Gang Edgar who famously also designed
the beautiful Alfa Romeo 8C many years
ago. and he was running Lamborghini
design when they developed the Aventador
and the Huracan. This guy knows design.
He's now working for Fengp Bao and BYD
and this vehicle is a result. So, it's
no surprise that it looks cool beyond
just kind of a weird quirky Chinese car.
It has legitimate design credibility,
boxy, muscular, because it was styled by
someone who understands the appeal of
design. Then beyond the look, you can
see this apparently has some real
off-road chops on the outside. Up front,
there's a short overhang to make for a
maximized approach angle, and you also
have a skid plate under here to protect
stuff when you're off-roading. In back,
you have another skid plate, as you can
see, and rear recovery hooks built into
the vehicle, which obviously makes it
more helpful for off-roading, so you can
recover with it or be recovered. There's
also a full-size spare tire mounted on
the back, which is of course useful and
helpful and a signature hallmark of a
lot of off-roaders. And since we're
outside, a couple of interesting
exterior quirks in terms of lighting. Up
front, you have a light bar that goes
basically the entire way around the
grill, which certainly makes for a
rather distinctive look and is certainly
unique having the driving lights in this
formation up front. But more
interestingly and more quirky in back
you can see the Fangg Bao logo is
highlighted in red when the tail lights
come on. It almost looks like the Batman
symbol hanging out there on the spare
tire cover. It is very cool. It's a nice
addition. Obviously not regulatory. They
don't have to do it, but they do. and it
looks cool and it is a wonderful design
quirk on the outside of the Leopard 5.
And then we go to climb inside and there
are a couple of interesting things worth
pointing out before we do. One is the
key which you can see here. It looks
cool. It has kind of a cool design to
it. Sort of geometric shape and it's
heavy. It actually feels nice and
luxurious which makes sense for the
luxury off-road Fang Chang Bao brand.
You can see the logo on one side. on the
other side. All the buttons you'd
expect. Interestingly, there is no loop
for you to put it onto your key ring.
You don't do that. You just appreciate
the keys separately. Like a fine piece
of design, I guess. But anyway, opening
up the door. The other interesting thing
is you can see the side step
automatically deploys so that you can
get inside. You open the door, it comes
out, you close the door, and it retracts
back into the vehicle like you see on
some full-size pickup trucks and SUVs
here in the States. And next we move
inside the Leopard 5. And the first
thing you notice in here you can't help
but notice is it's pretty nice. Despite
the perception that Americans have of
Chinese products being kind of inferior
quality, it is a high quality feel in
here. You got nice perforated leather on
the seats. You can see with contrasting
colors. The dashboard has contrast
stitching. You have high quality
materials basically everywhere you look
and feel and touch. Everything feels
good and looks nice. The door panel even
has some Alcantara on it to add a little
luxury to the whole thing. You also have
an upright muscular feel in here like
you would expect in a 4Runner or a
Bronco. You can see mostly right angles,
no sweeping curves. This is an
off-roader SUV and they emphasize that
in here, but with some really high
quality luxury materials as well. And
that's not only just impressive for a
Chinese vehicle, but also considering
the price point in China. This is
reportedly priced in the $40,000
USish price range, which is really
impressive when you're looking at all of
this material. Everything in here is so
nice for that money. Obviously, vehicles
like the 4Runner and the Lexus GX start
to come to mind, which cost a lot more.
It really is a pretty impressive
interior, and especially impressive when
you consider the price point. But moving
beyond the quality, the leather, the
materials, let's talk quirks. Starting
with well, the start button, which is
actually this red switch here in the
center. You push this down in order to
start the Leopard 5. And then the gear
selector automatically rises up from the
center directly in front of the starter
switch. Now, when you want to turn it
off, you just do the same thing. You
press it again and then it's off. and
the gear selector automatically falls
back down. Certainly an interesting
starting experience and things get
quirkier from there. Now, when you start
this car, you're inundated by a group of
screens, which I will cover in a second.
But first, let's talk refrigerator. In
the center console, there is a
refrigerator. And you can change the
temperature with this dial here. You can
adjust, obviously it's in Celsius, but
you can adjust the temperature exactly
where you want it to be to cool down
your drinks or your food or whatever you
want. Now, the interesting thing here is
this can also be a heated box. If you
press this dial, the heating element
turns on and then you can adjust the
heated temperature. So, it can keep
things warm inside this box, not just
cool. And that is a pretty impressive
feature. Now you pull out a bottle of
water from your refrigerator or heater
if you prefer and you put it in the cup
holder. Seems like a fairly normal cup
holder, but you can push down on this
cup holder and basically push this
bottle of water all the way down so it's
living in the center console. When you
want it to be delivered to you, just
press this button here and the cup
holder will rise the bottle of water
back up so that you can drink from it.
When you're done, you can just push it
right back down and then it's not
impeding any of your center console
controls. That is certainly unusual.
Next up, another interesting quirk in
the center console. You can see wireless
phone charging pads here on the driver
and passenger side. Nothing unusual
there, but you can see ventilation for
your devices. So, when they're wireless
charging and they're getting hot, this
ventilation will keep them cool and make
sure they don't overheat. Now, also in
this area, you have all of your serious
off-road equipment. I mentioned
four-wheel drive, body on frame, and it
has all the stuff you'd expect. These
switches here control your differential
lockers. You can see front locker on the
top switch, rear locker on the bottom
switch. You also have this center switch
here for four-wheel drive low. You can
see it's marked 4L for low range
gearing. And you have this separate
switch up here to adjust your suspension
height. This vehicle can raise and
lower. And of course, you can raise it
up. If you're off-roading and you want
to clear some serious terrain, you just
raise up the suspension and it goes up.
Now, speaking of off-roading, another
interesting switch here in the center is
this one. This controls your drive mode.
You push on this switch and the drive
mode selection appears in the center
screen. And you can see there are many
different off-road drive modes to choose
from, including rock, mud, mountain,
sand. that there's even a waiting mode
if you plan to ford water. And there's a
special Uturn feature where the vehicle
will use its traction control and
differentials to allow you to make a
very tight, sharp uturn on a soft
surface like sand or grass, which is
another cool off-road touch of the
Leopard 5. Now, when you're in these
drive modes, there are some pretty cool
features here. Specifically, each drive
mode will adjust the traction control
and optimize the vehicle for that type
of surface. But it will also raise or
lower the suspension depending on which
surface you're on, which is cool. And
when you're in each drive mode, you can
check and instantly see your current
tire pressure right here, and your
current approach, departure, and
breakover angles right here, which
obviously are based on the current
suspension height setting of the car.
That's a pretty cool thing to just be
able to see on the fly. Now, also in
your drive mode settings here, you have
the ability to turn on a sport mode. You
do that. You turn on sport. And I love
the warning that comes up. If sport mode
is not necessary, please exit in a
timely manner. In other words, if you
don't need sport mode, get out of here,
please. In a timely manner, of course.
And since we're in the infotainment
system, let's go through some of the
rather interesting infotainment quirks
in this car. Starting with the camera
system. There is a camera system that
can record what's going on outside the
car or inside the car. You can take a
picture of what you're seeing outside or
what you're seeing inside. And not just
a picture, but a video as well. And when
you take an image, you can even use it
as the wallpaper background for your
infotainment system if you decide that
you love the image just that much. If
you go into the car settings app, you
also have the ability to lower all of
the windows at once. You can see tap
here, they all go down, which is a
really cool feature that I wish more
cars would have, and I'm thrilled to see
it here. Of course, when they're all
down, you can also roll them all up at
once, which is also pretty neat. Now, if
you go into the seating area in the car
settings tab, you can turn on heated and
ventilated seating for front and rear
from inside the infotainment screen,
which is a pretty cool feature. You can
also use this to turn on massaging
seats, which is obviously a nice luxury
touch. And you can pull up your saved
seating position for different items
like your driving position versus your
resting position. If you have a favored
resting position for taking a nap at a
rest stop, you can store that in the
system and then just tap on it instead
of trying to get comfortable each time
you want to take a nap. Also cool in
this infotainment system is a fantastic
vehicle camera system beyond just the
take pictures of yourself system. The
overall camera system is pretty cool.
You pull it up by tapping this button on
the steering wheel. Just press that and
the camera system comes up and you can
see top down angle and you can zoom in
on left, right, front, back to make
backing up or parking in a tight space
easier. You also have access to a 3D
camera as you can see where you can
easily just swipe all around the car to
see precisely what it is you want to see
in your exact position. That's all
pretty cool. Now, moving on from the
center infotainment system to the gauge
cluster screen. This display shows
various different items. On the left you
have vehicle information and you can
scroll through various different pieces
of vehicle information depending on what
it is you want to see. In the center
this shows your like adaptive cruise
driver assistance technology and it'll
detail your following distance and where
other vehicles are on the road as you're
driving along. Pretty straightforward.
Over on the right obviously you have
your music selection. But we're not done
with screens yet. Your rear view mirror
is also a screen which is a great safety
feature. shows what's behind you, even
if your car is full of stuff and people.
And the passenger seat has a screen in
the dashboard. You can see it here.
Primarily, this is geared toward
entertainment like the radio and music
as opposed to doing all of the functions
of the center screen, but it does have a
lot of redundant functions of the center
screen, which is interesting because
it's only a couple of inches away from
the center screen. But nonetheless, the
passenger gets their own display in the
Leopard 5. Now, also worth pointing out
over here on the passenger side, you can
see a little storage compartment below
this screen, which is nice for like pens
or other items you might want easy
access to if you don't want to put them
in the glove box. You also have a grab
handle over here. So, if you're doing
serious off-roading, you can grab on and
hold on. Strangely, there is a similar
handle on the driver's side. I guess
that's when the driver gives up on the
steering wheel and just hopes for the
best. Now, interestingly, next to these
grab handles, you can see these two
vertically oriented climate vents. They
look separate, but they are not actually
separate. They move together. So, they
look like two vents, but they're really
just one. And in fact, when you want to
move the air up or down, that also is
only controlled by one of the two vents,
and it works for both of them. So,
they're more for show, but they do look
cool. Now, speaking of those climate
vents, a lot of the climate controls are
integrated into the infotainment system.
Nothing particularly unusual as far as
climate controls, but this car does have
a fragrance feature where you can
install somewhere in the car a vial of
fragrance and then you can pull it up on
the infotainment screen to make sure
that the fragrance is pushed out of the
vents. And not only do the vents cool
you with air conditioning, but they also
provide a nice scent, a fragrance as
you're driving along, which is nice. You
also have the ability to monitor the air
quality inside the car. And you can turn
on air purification. If you think the
air quality has gotten poor, you can
purify it and the car will apparently do
that for you. Last interesting thing
worth pointing out here in the front is
some extra storage under the center
console. And you can see more storage
down here, a little compartment that you
can use for well storing stuff. And next
we move on to the back seat, which is
shockingly large. Given the overall size
of this vehicle on the smaller end of
midsize SUV here in the States, I am
really surprised by how much rear seat
space there is. I have the front seat
positioned where I would sit as a taller
person and I got a ton of room for my
legs, hip, knees. It feels luxurious
back here. And in fact, even the middle
passenger has a luxurious feel in back
because there's no central tunnel hump
back here that's stealing legroom. So,
middle passenger has full leg room. Rear
seat. Really, really surprising just how
much space there is back here. And you
also have some nice touches in back. For
example, on the backs of the front
seats, you have a storage pockets like
you do in a lot of cars. But here you
get one big one and then two smaller
ones which obviously can be useful for
cell phones or other small electronic
devices. That's a pretty cool feature.
Back here you also get climate vents.
Although these must be the world's
smallest climate vents. I can cover them
completely with my thumb. But
nonetheless, they are back here to
provide cool or warm air for rear seat
passengers. Now back here you can also
see the controls for the heated and
ventilated rear seats. Pretty nice
feature to have. Although, strangely,
the controls all light up in blue.
Heated and ventilated. It lights up in
blue when you turn it on, which means
you got to pay real close attention to
exactly which button you're pressing
instead of the usual blue lighting and
red lighting like in most cars. Now,
also back here in this area, you can see
a little panel here. You push on that,
it pops open and reveals a few charge
ports, which obviously is nice and
convenient to have for rear seat
devices. And you open up the center
armrest and you have an armrest for one,
but also there's a few panels to open.
The front one is cup holders as you can
see and the rear panel open that up for
a little storage compartment in the rear
center armrest. Overall, a pretty nice
place to be in the back of the Leopard
5. And finally, we move on to the back
of the Leopard 5 and specifically the
tailgate. Now, interestingly, despite a
large vertically oriented handle here on
the tailgate, you don't open it by
pulling on the handle. Instead, there's
a little button mounted on the top of
the handle that you press that pops it
open and then you can open up the
tailgate the rest of the way. You can
see it's horizontally open sideways as
opposed to pops up because of that
rear-mounted spare. Now, when you get
back here, you discover exactly how
there's so much rear leg room. There's
not as much cargo space as you would
expect in a vehicle this size. They
clearly robbed some cargo space to add
more space to the second row, the rear
seats, which makes sense. It's a
trade-off that a lot of people would
make, and that's what they've made back
here. Nonetheless, the cargo area is
decent size, just not particularly large
for a vehicle like this. And because of
the boxy design, it goes all the way up
tall, so you could really get stuff back
there if you need. And of course, you
can also fold down the rear seats to
maximize your cargo space. Also worth
pointing out back here, a few other
interesting quirks. You have a cigarette
lighter style power outlet over on the
driver's side. You open that up, you can
plug stuff in. Over on the passenger
side, you have a household style power
outlet, which is also nice to see. And
there's a button back here to lower the
suspension. So, if you're trying to get
something really heavy into the car, you
can lower it from back here in order to
make it easier to get inside. Probably
the most interesting quirk in the back
though, if you lift up the floor, you
can see under here you have on one side
a tool kit for changing tires and other
things. And on the other side some extra
storage compartments that include right
now some charging accessories. This
charging accessory specifically is
rather quirky. You plug it into the
charge port and then from there you can
plug in stuff to this power strip. It's
essentially using the car as a giant
battery so that you can plug in your
stuff like a surge protector, which is
kind of funny to see. But if you need to
power your blender or your microwave and
all you have is your vehicle, well,
you'll be happy that you have this
plug-in power port. Now, our last
interesting item worth pointing out here
is that this rear giant tailgate is soft
close, meaning you just kind of have to
get it to about here, and it will
automatically power close itself, so you
don't have to slam it shut when you're
getting your stuff out of the Leopard 5.
Now, all of this is well and good. A lot
of interesting quirks, but I'm
especially interested in driving it.
What is a Chinese Toyota 4Erunner with
700 horsepower like on the road? Let's
find out. Okay, driving the Leopard 5.
This is certainly an interesting
experience to say the least. First
impression getting in here, it feels
very solid. It actually feels quite
luxurious. It's nice. In a similar vein
as the 4Runner, though, like this blocky
dashboard, you have a very upright
seating position. You know, boxy
mirrors. You're sitting tall here. Um,
it it sort of has it gives you that kind
of feeling just like you would get from
the 4Runner and it's about the same
size, etc. Sitting at a stoplight, it's
quiet in here. You don't hear much of
outside noise going on, which is nice.
I'm looking for a chance to punch it
because I don't often get the
opportunity to experience almost 700
horsepower in a body on frame. Okay,
here we go. Whoa. Whoa. It's fast, but
it's also ponderous. like it's got a lot
of power, but this isn't necessarily the
kind of vehicle you want to be shoving
around corners really hard. Like that's
not really the point of it. Nonetheless,
it is quick in a straight line.
Impressively so. It's like quite fast.
It feels good, but you do get body roll.
You do get pitch and float just like you
would expect from kind of a truckbased,
you know, off-road focused boxy SUV.
It's just unusual that you have all that
stuff and you also have that this much
horsepower. One could argue it maybe
isn't necessary to have this much
horsepower in such a vehicle, but that's
the situation that we're faced with
here. I did just drive the brand new
Toyota 4Runner, which I really do think
is pretty analogous to this. I will say
the 4Runner's ride quality was maybe a
little bit better, about the same. But
one thing that's nice about this is just
how quiet and comfortable it is inside.
The seats in here are very nice. This
feels honestly sort of luxury carish
when you're sitting inside. Not sort of
like it feels luxury carish. have
two-tone leather and you're sitting on
very high quality like seating and
everything feels very comfortable and
nice. It's just hard to disguise the
fact that you're in a bodyframe SUV.
That's always the challenge of creating
a boxy truck-based SUV um from a driving
perspective. And that's true of vehicles
like the Lexus GX um that are also like
luxury truckbased SUVs. Very quiet.
Obviously, the electric motors are doing
most of the work most of the time. I do
hear the gas engine kick in when I when
I floor it. You can hear it kick in. But
the gas engine is actually a pretty
small component of the whole situation
since it only produces like a little
under 200 horsepower. Primarily, this
thing is relying on electric power. With
the gas engine to be a range extender
and, you know, to offer a little bit
more assistance when necessary.
Generally speaking, driving around, at
least right now, I'm mostly in electric
power. It does have a very solid feel.
You go over bumps, it feels heavy. And
looking up the curb weight, 6,400 lb. I
mean, this is a heavy vehicle. Like, it
has hardware in it. both luxury
hardware, obviously a lot of tech
hardware and screens and that kind of
thing, but also off-road stuff. It it is
equipped for like real off-road driving
as well. It feels very composed and
capable like a any other, you know, body
onframe SUV. Honestly, this reminds me a
lot of the Lexus GX. Um, and like nicer
trims of the new 4Runner. That's pretty
much exactly what it feels like and
that's largely what it is. Oh, yes.
Okay, we've entered sport plus mode,
which seems like kind of a curious mode
for a vehicle such as this to even have
in the first place, but we're going to
do it. And let's see how it goes. Wa!
The front really kicks up. Honestly, it
doesn't feel dramatically faster than
even than the regular mode, which
already felt pretty quick. Um, it really
doesn't necessarily feel that much
faster, but from an initial tip in, it
certainly did. It gave you all the juice
that was possible. It's definitely
quick. Like Sport Plus is definitely
activating like all of the power to go
at once. Doesn't feel like the handling
is dramatically different in Sport Plus.
Honestly, it's fine, but the that the
point of this vehicle is definitely not
sport and performance driving, so that's
not really all that surprising. Anyway,
frankly, I'm pretty impressed by this
just in the sense that like it's a nice
SUV. You know, I'm continually this is
the third of these like modern era
Chinese cars I've reviewed. I'm
continually impressed by Americans just
have this perception of Chinese products
as being sort of cheaper and lower
quality and whatever.
This just isn't a Chinese brand coming
to the states would have to fight
against sort of the issue of the name
recognition and just being Chinese. I
think a lot there are probably a lot of
American consumers biased against that.
But also the name recognition of you
know BMW, Lexus, etc. is always going to
be higher than I mean it took Hyundai
years to break in, right? But when you
got products like this, it's you it's
hard to deny that this is a pretty
compelling vehicle. It drives as well as
any vehicle that's sold here right now.
Like I think this if was sold here
tomorrow would be like legitimately
competitive with you know luxury
off-roader SUVs like Lexus GX and things
like that. Um it it feels cool. It looks
cool and I think it would resonate
reasonably well with people especially
if it was sold like if this was a Lexus
I think it would be a vehicle that is
being well reviewed on the US market
right now. It's it feels nice. It's
fast. It's cool. The tech is impressive.
The materials are good. It's quiet in
here. The powertrain is good. There's a
lot of benefits for this vehicle,
surprisingly, but there there really
are. And so that's the Fun Chung Bao
Leopard 5. Once again, like previous new
Chinese cars I've tested, this isn't
bad. It looks cool. It drives well, it's
got a lot of power, good tech, it's
comfortable. Frankly, it's pretty
impressive. This won't be sold here
almost certainly due to tariffs and
general unease about Chinese products
and branding etc. But I truly think that
if it were sold here, this would be a
competitive vehicle on the US market
today. And now it's time to give the
Leopard 5 a Doug score.
And the Doug score is here. 58 out of
100, which puts the Bow 5 here against
some similar cars sold in the States.
And the Bow 5 performs exceptionally
well. That makes sense considering it
offers impressive technology, off-road
capability, and acceleration. And the
styling is good enough, too. If Fangg
Bao was actually able to sell this car
in North America at anything resembling
its price in China, it would be a hit,
even against some really established
rivals like the Toyota 4Runner, as its
value proposition is really impressive.
[Applause]
[Music]