The Byton M-Byte is inching closer to production as
the company has released a new promotional video that shows their “first
drivable” prototype. Dressed in heavy camouflage, the prototype appears to remain pretty
faithful to the concept which debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in
Las Vegas. However, the clip reveals a handful of minor styling changes.
Up front, the crossover has been equipped with a new
fascia that features an additional vent and restyled air intakes. The video
also reveals the model has new headlights which are significantly larger than
those used on the concept.
Elsewhere, we can see the prototype has been
outfitted with traditional mirrors and door handles. These components replace
the “invisible” door handles and “side-view cameras” which were used on the
concept.
Byton didn’t say much about the prototype, but the
company has previously said the production model will be built in Nanjing,
China and go on sale in that country towards the end of 2019. European and US
sales are slated to begin in 2020 and the company has said pricing will start
at US$ 45,000.
The entry-level model will be rear-wheel drive and
feature a single electric motor that produces 268 hp and 400 Nm of torque. The crossover will also have a 71 kWh battery pack
which allows for a range of up to 400 km.
Byton will also offer a four-wheel drive variant
which has two electric motors that develop a combined output of 469 hp and 710 Nm of torque. This model will come with a larger
95 kWh battery pack which enables the M-Byte to travel up to 520 km on a single charge. Byton has also said the crossover will be launched with a Level 3
semi-autonomous driving system. That will later be upgraded to a Level 4
system, via a software update, in 2020.
