Gordon Young looks at the meteoric rise of BYD and explains a shortcoming that might drag on growth: a lack of brand legacy.
The automotive industry is no stranger to disruption. Tesla proved that a new entrant could shake up the market with bold ideas and fearless execution. Now, BYD is pushing the envelope even further – offering its groundbreaking “God’s Eye” autonomous driving system on even its cheapest models, making self-driving tech as commonplace as seatbelts. It’s an audacious move that could redefine the car market.
And yet, despite its technological supremacy, BYD still finds itself at a structural disadvantage against Western brands with deep-rooted heritage. The reason? Consumers don’t just buy cars – they buy brands, history, and the meaning behind the badge.
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Consider Bentley’s latest brand extension – a $5.8m-per-unit luxury residential tower in Miami. This isn’t just an ultra-high-end property. It’s an extension of the Bentley experience. Residents won’t just drive their Bentleys – they’ll live with them. Thanks to the custom-built Dezervator elevator, residents can park their cars right inside their apartments, turning their luxury vehicles into permanent fixtures of their living space. It’s automotive prestige fused with high-end real estate – an elevation of brand identity into lifestyle status.
Jaguar, too, is undergoing a reinvention. With its ‘Copy Nothing’ positioning and the Type 00 concept, it’s making a play for the luxury segment with a distinct visual identity. The brand is leaning into its history of British craftsmanship while borrowing codes from fashion and hospitality. It’s the kind of storytelling that creates desire – not just around a car, but around a legacy.
This is where BYD faces its biggest challenge. It has the technology, the price advantage, and the momentum. But it lacks the romance of an established brand. It has no heritage to draw from, no legacy of craftsmanship, no storied past in motorsport or grand tourers. In short, no mythology.
Yes, BYD is winning on price (for now) and features, but will customers feel proud to own a BYD the way they do a Bentley, a Jaguar, or even a BMW? Owning a luxury car isn’t just about utility – it’s about status, aspiration, and continuity with the past. BYD, for all its innovation, is still just a car company – not yet a cultural icon.
This isn’t to say BYD can’t overcome this. Tesla, after all, was once a no-name disruptor. But Tesla had a different formula – an iconoclastic founder, an Apple-esque brand aura, and a first-mover advantage in premium EVs.
BYD is playing a different game – pushing affordability and technology at scale. It’s a winning strategy in many ways, but if it wants to become a beloved brand, it will need more than just great products. It will need legacy building.
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The road to becoming an iconic automaker isn’t just paved with tech. It’s paved with meaning. And until BYD finds a way to inject that into its brand, it will remain an engineering powerhouse – but not yet a desirable one.