FAW Bestune’s tiny electric hatchback just got a massive practicality upgrade. Officially arriving in China on October 28, 2026, the newly launched five-door variant of the Bestune Pony addresses the biggest headache of its predecessor: a cramped, hard-to-access backseat. It is a necessary gamble. Sales for the original three-door model plummeted by 37.5% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2026, forcing FAW to shift gears quickly if it wants to keep pace in China’s fiercely competitive budget EV market.
Despite the growth spurt, Bestune kept the playful, toy-like aesthetic that made the original a hit. It still sports rounded headlights, semi-hidden door handles, and chunky 13-inch wheel covers, all wrapped in a choice of bright pastel shades like orange, mint green, and sky blue. Powering the rear wheels is a 30 kW (40 hp) electric motor pushing out 90 Nm of torque—plenty of pep to get you up to its 103 km/h top speed. Drivers can choose between two CATL-supplied lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries: a modest 17 kWh pack or a more robust 27.2 kWh version. These deliver a healthy city range of 222 km and 328 km respectively on China’s CLTC cycle.
Rear passengers no longer need to awkwardly squeeze past a folded front seat just to get in. The five-door version offers a respectable 265 liters with all seats occupied. Drop the back row flat, and it opens up into a 1,052-liter cavern. Up front, the cabin keeps things modern but minimalist. A 7-inch digital dash handles the vital driving stats, while a clean, optional 10.1-inch central touchscreen sits above simple, chunky rotary dials for the climate control.
The five-door Pony launches at a base price of 44,900 yuan (around PhP 429,034), but early birds can snag a 5,000-yuan launch discount, undercutting the competition at just 39,900 yuan (around PhP 381,257). This price point puts it on a direct collision course with market heavyweights like the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. While FAW has teased that overseas shipping has begun for the Pony family, global buyers will have to wait a bit longer for specific regional launch dates and configurations.