BYD officially listed the L3 sedan, it is based on the G3 but more luxurious-up market so BYD can ask more money for it. Price starts at 92.800 yuan and ends at 118.000. Engines: 1.5 with 79kw and 144nm and a 1.8 with 90kw and 160nm, both engines either with a 5-speed manual or a CVT. Size: 4568x1716x1480, wheelbase is 2615.

BYD’s new L3 sedan will hit la market on August 16, priced between 90.000 and 120.000 yuan. Engines: 1.5 with 79kw and 144nm and a 1.8 with 90kw and 160nm. No runners indeed, but fast enough for the endless traffic jams in Beijing. No plans yet for an electric L3 because BYD found out nobody wants those, sales of the electric F3DM were minimal, to say the least.

Size: 4568x1716x1480, wheelbase is 2615.

Note the F0′s in front and in the rear view mirror.

Under the bonnet-design still a weak point, but this goes for all ‘domestic’ Chinese automakers.

The L3 is a new ‘prenium’ car from BYD meant to compete not only with Geely and Chery but with the big boys from the joint ventures such as the Volkswagen Lavida. The new machine certainly loox better than all other BYD’s including the F6 which slots theoratically above the L3 is BYD’s line-up.

But it ain’t so simple. The F6 costs between 560.000 and 159.800 rmb, a huge pricerange. Two engines available: 2.0 and a 2.4 four cilinder petrol. The new L3 costs around 120.000 rmb and is only available with a 1.8 litre four cilinder petrol.

The explanation is in the Great BYD Plan to upgrade the line-up from ‘simple and cheap’ to ‘high tech and more expensive’. The F6 clearly sits in the first category while the L3 is a new child of the second.

The L3 will debute at next month’s Beijing Auto Show. Earlier there were reports on a 1.5 engine for the L3, those voices are silent now, we’ll keep listening…

Yet another sedan from BYD, they can’t get enough of it and the market seems to agree, the vehicles are selling well. To sell even more BYD had a simply filosophy: make more different cars that all almost look alike. This is the new L3, to debute at the Beijing Auto Show in April.

Enigines: a 1.5 and a 1.8 with CVT. It will be positioned between the F3 and G3 sedans. The G3 is a luxury F3 with exactly the same engines. Where that leaves the L3 is a bit vague. Price will start around 120.000 rmb.