BYD has revealed its new entry-level electric SUV, and it’s set to carry a sharp price tag.
The BYD Yuan Up is set to go on sale in China in March 2024, and will sit below the Yuan Plus, known here as the Atto 3.
Car News China reports it’ll carry a base price of around ¥100,000 (A$21,600).
After having been revealed in a Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filing late last year, the Yuan Up has now officially been revealed by BYD.
The company has only released exterior images thus far, though photos shared by Car News China of a Yuan Up from a dealership reveal a large, free-standing infotainment touchscreen but a recessed digital instrument cluster; prominent, stitched grab handles at the base of the centre stack, flanking a wireless charging pad; and an unusual, crystal-look shifter.
A member of BYD’s Dynasty Series of vehicles, like the Atto 3, the design of the SUV follows BYD’s updated Dragon Face design language as seen on the larger Song L.
It features slim LED headlights and vertical air intakes, as well as a slim, closed-off grille with a chrome base that links up with the daytime running lights.
It has a boxier look than other BYD SUVs, somewhat reminiscent of the Smart #1 or Mercedes-Benz GLB, and wears dark plastic cladding on its wheel arches and bumpers.
The Yuan Up also features flush door handles, a panoramic sunroof, as well as 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels with a five-spoke design.
At the rear it features a full-width light bar with a similar light signature to the BYD Dolphin.
The fully electric crossover will reportedly be offered with a choice of two powertrain options, with a single, front-mounted electric motor producing either 70kW or 130kW of power.
The smaller of the two electric motors also features in the base BYD Dolphin in Australia, which uses a 44.9kWh battery and has 340km of WLTP range.
The Yuan Up will have the choice of either a 32kWh or 45.1kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, with either 301km or 401km of CLTC range, respectively.
Based on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 architecture, the Yuan Up measures 4310mm long, 1830mm wide, and 1675mm tall with a 2620mm wheelbase.
That makes it extremely similar in size to the MG ZS EV, and makes it only slightly smaller than BYD’s existing Yuan Pro.
The Yuan Pro is one of BYD’s older models, debuting in 2015 as the BYD S1 before being renamed the Yuan in 2016 and finally the Yuan Pro in 2021 to coincide with a facelift.
BYD hasn’t confirmed the Yuan Up for an Australian launch.
The brand’s local division has confirmed a ute and a mid-sized SUV for 2024, both with plug-in hybrid power – a first for the brand Down Under – and says it plans to introduce two or more new models every year.
Its plans don’t include the similarly affordable Seagull hatchback, though the company’s distributor EVDirect says it would like to offer the vehicle here as a more affordable entry point to the range, sitting below the Dolphin.
The base Dolphin Dynamic opens at $38,890 before on-road costs, making it Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle.
