BYD’s ‘Corvette’ 07 SUV Is A Plug-In Hybrid With European Looks

Chinese automaker BYD has just published the first photos of its new plug-in hybrid SUV.

The vehicle is dubbed either the Frigate 07 or the Corvette 07 (depending on which Chinese media outlet you look at) and is 4,820 mm (189.7-inches) long, 1,920 mm (75.5 inches) wide, and 1,750 mm (68.9 inches) tall with a 2,820 mm (111 inch) wheelbase. It shares its platform with the BYD Tang and will be unveiled at the Chengdu Auto Show before the first customer deliveries start in September.

Car News China notes that the vehicle is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that alone is good for 139 hp. Providing the SUV with some additional grunt is a 197 hp electric motor on the front axle and a 204 hp electric motor on the rear axle. No performance specifications have been released but customers will be offered either a 9.9 kWh or 18.3 kWh battery pack, good for 46 km (28.5 miles) and 71 km (44 miles) of all-electric range respectively.

The design of the new BYD model is unique to say the least. Immediately making it stand out from other SUVs on the market is an oval-shaped grille with illuminated LED graphics and a pair of slim LED headlights.

BYD’s design team has also had a field day with the side profile of the Frigate 07, crafting it with pop-out door handles, black body cladding across the rocker panels and wheel arches, and a set of complex 20-inch wheels (smaller 19-inch rims are also available). These bold looks continue across the rear of the SUV with twin spoilers stretching off from the roof, LED taillights with a complex signature and light bar, and a black bumper with a large license plate cut-out.

While BYD will announce more details about the model during the Chengdu Auto Show, it is expected to start at around 250,000 RMB ($36,440).