The luxury van segment in the Philippines is mostly dominated by the likes of the Toyota Alphard, with other offerings like the Kia Carnival and GAC M8 also being alternatives with electrification in them. But BYD Cars Philippines is looking to disrupt that market with the all-new eMax 9 DM-i, its first luxury minivan offering.
Coming in with two variants, the Advanced and Premium, it’s priced at Php 2,678,000 for the former, and Php 2,998,000 for the latter, and they offer a whole lot for their asking prices.
The biggest draw to this minivan is its plug-in hybrid drivetrain, as the Super DM-i powertrain mates a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor for a total combined power output of 271hp and 315Nm of torque. The Premium variant also uses the DiSus-C suspension, giving it adaptive damping for a very smooth and comfortable ride.
Both come with a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) BYD Blade Battery, but at two different sizes: the Advanced variant features a smaller 20.4kWh battery good for up to 95km of pure electric range, and a total range of up to 945km. Meanwhile, the Premium variant has a 36.6kWh battery capable of up to 170km of pure electric range and a total range of 1,000km.
Based on real-world testing with an Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP)-certified efficiency run, the eMax 9 DM-i Premium variant was able to clock in 1,261.2km on one full tank of gas and one full battery charge.
Via its CCS/Type 2 charging port, it’s capable of both AC and DC fast charging with vehicle-to-load capabilities. The Advanced charges faster, taking three hours to fill up from 15 to 100%, while the Premium is slower, taking five hours to fill up the same percentage. However, both can fast charge, taking 30 minutes to charge from 30 to 80%.
The exterior of the eMax 9 DM-i announces itself with a lot of road presence thanks to its Dragon Face design language with a large grille, full LED lighting front and back, dual power sliding doors, a power tailgate, and 18-inch wheels for both variants. It measures 1,970mm wide, 1,805mm tall, and 5,145mm long with a wheelbase of 3,045mm. It’s offered in three colors: Deep Sea Blue, Cosmos Black, and Aurora White.
The leather upholstery comes in a Beige and Brown finish for Premium variants, with the Advanced coming in a single-tone Black finish. There is a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, a 15.6-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 50W wireless charger, a 12-speaker (8 on the Advanced) sound system, triple-zone climate control, and eight-way power-operated, ventilated front seats.
The interior can seat seven people with its power-operated third-row bench, but all eyes are on the second-row seats. On the Premium variant, the second-row seats feature heating, ventilation, power adjustments, and massaging functions with an ottoman function, topping it off with a built-in refrigerator. Otherwise, the Advanced gets manual second and third-row seats and a storage cabinet instead of the refrigerator.
Finally, the Premium variant comes with the full suite of DiPilot advanced driver assistance systems, complete with adaptive cruise control, front and rear collision warning, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert and braking, and a door opening warning. Both variants at least come with a 360-degree camera as standard, six parking sensors, and automatic emergency braking.
Finally, the car comes with six years/150,000km of warranty for the vehicle, and eight year/160,000km for the high-voltage battery and electric drive unit. It also comes with a free 7kW home charger and a portable charger.
The BYD eMax 9 DM-i will be shown off at the 2025 Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit until October 25, Saturday, and also at the Greenbelt 5 Fashion Walk until October 26, Sunday.
