Opinion: BYD is the most daringly ambitious car manufacturer in the world right now

Mike Rutherford thinks Chinese car makers like BYD are about to step up into the premium car club

You had to be there, really. And I’m delighted to say that I was. On all four days.

I’m talking about last week’s British Motor Show, where I got up close and personal with Tesla’s Cybertruck (more impressive than in photos) and the new Ford Capri (in name only, tragically).

Over on the Best Cars of the Year (Best COTY) stand at the Auto Express national car exhibition, BYD was voted Best Car Company by a panel of international judges (me included) for being just about the most daringly ambitious manufacturer in the world right now.

Apart from building all-new models every few seconds, it’s establishing a network of plants in Europe and elsewhere to complement its existing Chinese factories.

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I’ve never known a company so blatantly determined to take on and beat the world.

And its Seal saloon and Seal U SUV models at the show provided further evidence that if this Chinese firm isn’t yet a legitimate member of the premium car club, it soon might be. The Seal won the Best Car Line-Up of the Year award. And that’s appropriate when you consider that it’s a range within a range.

The MG Cyberster, with its not-too-shabby £55k (and up) price tag, is another that doesn’t look great in photos. But in the flesh, in the right colour and even when stationary in an exhibition hall, it has the appearance of a proper supercar worth over £100,000. Honest. With this and its enormous game-changing potential in mind, it was the natural choice for Best Sports Car.

MORE: MG Cyberster review

At the bottom end of the range, it must be petrifying Mazda and its tired, smaller, cheaper, old-school MX-5. And at the other, Ferrari should be asking why this Chinese EV is arguably better looking than one or two of its legendary models costing way more money.

The Lexus LBX and Suzuki Swift justifiably picked up awards for good, solid, superbly built products that are being sold largely on price to all those increasingly important real-world customers. The LBX sneaks in at under £30,000 and is therefore untouchable as Best Value Premium Car, while the sub-£20k Swift was ranked Best Affordable Hybrid.

Celebrating its 50th birthday, the Volkswagen Golf was crowned Best Car of the Half Century. I mean, why on earth wouldn’t it be, given that it remains all the car you’ll ever need, right?

The not-so-little in the flesh, sub-£15k Dacia Spring pure EV stole the Best Bargain Car of the Year title – in part because it had been seen by so few Brits prior to its appearance, and partly due to its better-than-expected, cheekily chunky looks and pauper’s price tag. 

But it was the even newer, fresher, strangely sublime, reassuringly subtle, respectfully retro Renault 5 that was the most-viewed model on the same stand. It stole the hearts of myself and my fellow Best COTY judges from the automotive media, design, industry and motorsport sectors across the continents.

But equally, if not more important is the fact that attendees who queued to see it gave the R5 the clear nod of approval over all of the other contenders. The all-new, all-electric Renault 5 is therefore the official Best Car of the Year 2024/2025 – The New Car World Champion. And deservedly so.