Even Better than the Real Thing? BYD F1 Meets Toyota Aygo

Nikkei Automotive Technology, a Japanese automotive technology magazine, recently ran an article titled, “BYD’s ‘F1′ Looks Like Toyota Aygo,” noting that from the trapezoidal body to the dash the Chinese hatchback looks almost exactly like Toyota’s Aygo.

Some people however, seem very cool with all of that: “I think this car [BYD F1] looks way better than the Japanese one [Toyota Aygo], and we designed it ourselves,” said Xia Zhibing, the general manager of BYD Auto, during an interview with Guangzhou Daily, “Cars look alike in a lot of ways. Some parts of certain Toyota models, for instance, look like Mercedes-Benz’s and Ford’s.” He continued by saying, “[People] can bring it out if there’s any argument [in design]. Our design concept is to absorb the best of others’ ideas and make it in a different way.” He opined that this is what Japan and South Korea automakers have done and what made them grow into successful companies.

(Click through the jump to read more or on the images below to check out BYD’s F1 and Toyota’s Aygo.)

“We just incorporated their successful experiences. We’re totally confident as we legally have our own copyrights and technological patents,” Xia further noted.

This is actually not the first look-alike case for BYD Auto and Toyota. When the BYD F3 bowed at Guangzhou Auto Show in 2004, it soon caught the attention of the employees at the Toyota showroom, and they consulted the BYD staff for statistics of the model right away. The BYD F3 is jokingly called “Chinese Corolla” by Chinese drivers and local media, and some drivers have even changed their BYD badges to Toyota’s.

BYD Auto expects to start selling cars in Europe within two to three years, counting on an increasingly fuel-conscious consumer base to be drawn to its dual-mode electric-hybrid vehicles. “We are very confident about this,” Wang Chuanfu, chairman of Hong Kong-listed battery maker BYD Co, told Reuters in an interview at the Geneva Motor Show.

BYD Auto is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. The automaker is run by BYD Group, which has specialized in manufacturing rechargeable batteries since 2003.