This is the brand new BYD Tang, looking super sharp
with a big black beak and mirrors that look like a weapon. The new Tang will
hit the Chinese car market in April next year. The photo, taken at the BYD
factory in Guangdong, also shows a camouflaged car. It seems larger than the
Tang, likely a new seven-seat SUV.
The Tang will come in two flavors: plug-in hybrid
and petrol. Somewhat disappointingly the plug-in hybrid drive train of the new
Tang appears to be exactly the same as of the old Tang: a 205 hp 2.0 turbo plus
two electric motors of 150 hp each, good for a combined output of 505
horsepower.
Still very impressive, but a new car should have a
new number. The badges on the PHEV indicate it will do 0-100 in 4.9 seconds,
again the same as the old car. However, in a press release BYD stated that the
new Tang will go from zero to hundred in 4.5 seconds. More on that as we get
it. Top speed is 180 km/h. The petrol version gets the 205 hp 2.0 turbo.
Dimension size is 4870/1950/1725 mm, and wheelbase is 2725 mm. Curb
weight PHEV: 2390 kg. Curb weight petrol: 1890 kg. That is a massive 500 kilo
difference. Fully loaded
(with fuel, fluids): 2995 for the PHEV and 2415 for the petrol, a difference of
580 kilo.
But even though it is so much heavier it is still
massively more fuel efficient: BYD claims a fuel consumption 2 liter per 100
kilometer for the PHEV and 8.8 liter per 100 kilometer for the petrol. There is
a new badge on the back, spelling out the meaning of BYD in full: Build Your
Dreams.
