These days, trying to beat traffic feels like a losing battle. You can leave earlier or take an alternate route, but chances are, everyone else had the same idea—so you still end up stuck. The same goes for fuel prices—you can buy the most efficient car out there, but you’re still at the mercy of those weekly price hikes.
But you know who is smirking at gas prices? It’s the guy with an EV. These cars are great but they’re not cheap either. That’s when EV cars like the Bestune Pony come in.
At Php 588,000 the Bestune Pony is the most affordable and most practical everyday EV available in the PH market. I would also gift it “the best date car” “best errand car” “best fetch your kid to school car” plus “the car with the most charisma” award.
Can you rock its design?
I wasn’t so sure when I first saw Bestune Pony in photos, maybe it was the color or the angle of the shot, whatever it was, the car is sooo much better in person. “Fun” is all over its design with its big bulbous headlight with DRLS, it has a rounded rectangle in the front and on the sides to keep things interesting and on the front fascia this city EV almost has a superhero mask to go along with its “can do” attitude.
The rear design is essentially a flatter version of the front. While the overall execution might not be to everyone’s taste, the Bestune Pony makes up for it with a wide selection of colors to choose from.
Visibility is surprisingly good, even with the small side mirrors. However, one notable drawback is the absence of traditional defogger lines on the rear window, which can be a challenge in certain conditions. The A/C does have a defogger option but I often found myself wishing for a rear wiper, though an aftermarket dashcam with a built-in screen could help mitigate this issue.
Finally, the side profile is one of the car’s strongest angles. While many people I showed photos to were hesitant about driving it, seeing it in person completely changes the impression. It’s hard to ignore, and I’ve never had a car draw this much attention—people constantly stopped to ask about it.
The Fun Continues Inside
As you might expect plastic is everywhere in the interior of the Bestune Pony, but at least it’s well put together, I didn’t hear any squeaking or feel any loose bits, the build was tight. Just like the outside the Bestune designer kept things interesting with stuff that you weren’t expecting, how does a lego like surface that keeps your stuff on the dashboard nice and secure, a color scheme that only enhances the personality of the car, and space for 4.
Can you Fit 4 People?
Absolutely! as long as they’re not basketball players or football players a typical Filipino family of 4 should be fine. The A/C does a fine job of cooling the inside, and you’ve got a radio with AM/FM/USB/Bluetooth to keep you company. School runs & grocery shopping should be a breeze with parking and maneuverability being another strong point of the Bestune Pony.
Can It drive on the highway? And how far Can I go?
We don’t doubt that it can reach its maximum 100 km/h top speed, you’ll feel the road more due to the small tires and limited suspension travel. That said, this car isn’t about speed—it’s about efficiency. With a solid 170 km of range, perfect for city driving, and the ability to weave through traffic like nothing else on the road, it’s built for urban agility.
And if you’re curious about what this little guy can do, there’s even a Sport mode that gives it a decent boost when you need it.
Easy Peasy Charging
Unlike a lot of EVs that in truth require special equipment like customized chargers at home, for the Bestune Pony charging is just a plug away, any 220V socket to be exact, and preferably don’t use an extension cord, total charging time can be anything from 4 to 5 hours.
How much can you save?
The accepted KM Rate for a lot of EV owners is around 1 Peso per Kilometer, maybe lower if your total usage is low. The fact is, if you’re serious about saving, it’s probably not a bad idea to swap your expenses of booking grab every day to your monthly payments for this car, the Bestune Pony is of course coding exempt so that’s a whole car already saved.
Is it safe to drive?
There’s only so much metal that you can put on a small city car like this, that said you have driver-side airbags, seat belts for all 4 people, you got ABS (Anti-lock braking system) EBD (Electric brake distribution), and CBC (Cornering brake control), and uphill assistance to help you out.
How about the warranty? Battery?
FAW Bestune Philippines offers a 6 year warranty on the battery and motor, while you also get 3 years standard warranty on the car itself. Since this is an EV, expect NOT to pay for expensive oils and much less things to break since more and more people are finding that EVs are actually more reliable that its gas guzzler counterpart.
Conclusion
As much as I love the roar of a V10 and the commanding presence of a big SUV, sometimes going back to basics and being smart about city driving just makes sense. At Php 588,000, the Bestune Pony undercuts the already affordable Jetour Ice Cream by 100K, making it an even more budget-friendly option. If you need more space, there’s also the DFSK Candy to consider.
The point is, going smaller and going electric comes with fewer sacrifices than you might expect for daily city driving. In fact, you might find yourself reaching for the “cuter” car more often than you’d think—we guarantee it.
