China’s BYD has released the
first images of its new flagship medium-sized car dubbed the Han. The sedan
will be sold in both plug-in hybrid and all-electric guises. Visually, the two
variants both adopt sleek designs but differ quite a lot.
The front of the Han PHEV, for
example, is much more traditional and supports a large grille with horizontal
slats and a set of angular, Audi-inspired headlights. By comparison, the Han EV
has a sharp and sportier front fascia that makes do without a traditional
grille and also includes a set of slimmer headlights. From the sides, the two
appear identical but at the rear, the Han EV is differentiated from its more
conservative sibling thanks to a blacked-out bumper and small diffuser.
Chinese media reports that BYD
was eager to make the Han as aerodynamically efficient as possible and has
managed to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.233 for the Han EV, slightly better
than the Tesla Model S’ 0.24 drag co-efficient. Aiding in the Han’s ability to
cut through the air are a set of optional aero wheels.
Powering the BYD Han EV will
be a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels and delivers 218 hp. A
more powerful, dual-motor variant with all-wheel drive will be available with
268 hp. Range is expected to sit at around the 450 km mark. As for
the BYD Han PHEV, it supports a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 189
hp working alongside a trio of electric motors to create a combined 476 hp.
Both the BYD Han EV and Han
PHEV will be unveiled at April’s Beijing Auto Show.
