This is the new BYD Qin Pro, one of China’s
prettiest sedans ever. It will launch on the Chinese car market on September
20. Sadly however BYD appears to be very uncertain about the future; the Qin
Pro will be offered in a triple: petrol, EV, and PHEV.
The petrol version cones in two kinds: a 109 hp 1.5
and a 154 hp 1.5 turbo. The EV gets a 163 hp electric motor with a 500
kilometer range. But the PHEV is the best one; combining the 1.5 turbo with an
electric motor, good for 285 horsepower. BYD calls the PHEV the ‘DM’, which
stands for dual motor.
Price for the petrol will start around 100.000 yuan,
the EV will go for 170.000, and the PHEV for 160.000 (prices for the EV &
PHEV are after subsidies). So the PHEV
seems the best deal; cheaper than the EV and with lots of more horses. The
petrol versions seem nonsense, especially the underpowered 109 hp variant.
But no matter the power, the Qin Pro’s party piece
is the interior. It looks ultra clean and ultra modern, with a surprisingly
large steering wheel.
The digital dashboard looks very race car, small and
super sharp. The 12.1 inch touch screen stands free above the center stack, and it
is able to rotate. When it does it blocks the driver’s view, but it doesn’t
block any buttons. Not sure why anyone would ever need this, but it is a great
looking trick.
BYD has been under some pressure lately, with slow
sales and worries about the end of the subsidy system. But with cars as pretty
as the Qin Pro sales should be able to recover, at least a bit.
