BEIJING, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Complaints about BYD

over its move to offer free smart driving

features across most of its line-up have flooded a prominent

Chinese auto quality platform, many from customers who said they

had overpaid for their cars.

Over 4,700 complaints were filed against BYD cars between

February 11-17 on 12365auto.com, a third-party auto consumer

complaints platform, compared with about 150 the week before and

roughly 500 for January.

BYD cars, including ones from its best-selling Ocean and

Dynasty series, also took the top 10 spots on a list the

platform publishes that ranks models by the number of complaints

received.

One complaint, sent in by an owner of a Seal 06 DM-i plug-in

hybrid sedan, said they had repeatedly asked the salesperson

when buying the car if a newer model would be launched this

year.

"But only half a month after I picked up the car, the new

model hit the market with notable upgrades in configuration at

the same price," the person said, adding that they wanted free

upgrades and other compensation from the company.

The platform showed BYD responding to say that the company

had passed on the complaint to the relevant company departments.

BYD did not respond to a request for comment.

The complaints are one of the ripple effects a prolonged

price war and hyper competitiveness in the Chinese market are

having as automakers slash prices, offer free features or

incentives, or roll out new models at a pace faster than other

countries.

Two years ago, U.S. automaker Tesla, shortly after it cut

prices in a move that started the price war, saw hundreds of

Tesla owners assemble at the company's showrooms and

distribution centres in China, seeking rebates and credits.