- Prices for the new BYD MPV are expected to start between $30,400 – $34,500.
- The car should use the brand’s latest DM-i PHEV with a 1.5-liter engine and a single electric motor.
- New entrants to China’s electrified MPV market include the Zeekr Mix and Li Auto Mega.
BYD is hard at work developing a new MPV and an early prototype has been spied testing in China. The new vehicle could share components with the Denza D9 but will be much more affordable.
This rickety-looking prototype is covered in blue and white camouflage that’s been torn to shreds and while it looks quite rough, this new MPV will be an important model for the growing Chinese car manufacturer. Local media speculates it will be called Zhou, although it’s possible the name will change for the production model.
Read: BYD’s New London Bus Means Even Brits Who Can’t Drive Can’t Escape The Chinese EV Takeover
The car is expected to be about 5 meters (16.4-feet) long with a wheelbase stretching more than 3 meters (9.8-feet) in length. It will be sold as a seven-seater and if reports about it sharing its underpinnings with the Denza D9 are true, then it should have similar proportions to that luxurious MPV.
While BYD has been rapidly growing its fleet of battery-electric vehicles over the past couple of years, it has also invested heavily in plug-in hybrids. With this in mind, the Zhou is tipped to be sold initially as a PHEV, likely using the latest version of BYD’s DM-i system which recently premiered in the Qin L DM-i. As such, the MPV should adopt a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine with a single electric motor.
Reports vary on whether or not BYD will release a battery-electric version down the line but we suspect it will as the market for electric MPVs is rapidly growing.
As the development of the car is still in its early stages, few other details are known about it. Autohome suggests it could sell for between RMB 220,000 and 250,000 or $30,400 – $34,500. This would make it significantly cheaper than the Denza D9 which starts at RMB 324,000 ($44,850).
