Rumors had been circulating that BYD’s upcoming “6” model was in the pipeline. Although early speculation suggested that the Seal 6 sedan or Seal 6 DM-i would soon be released in Malaysia, the most recent teaser from BYD Sime Motors has put a halt to those plans. After some internet detective work, it appears that the mystery automobile is, in fact, a sedan known as the BYD Qin L EV in China, as this photograph reveals.
Early this year, the Qin L, a model in the company’s Dynasty series, was introduced in its home market of China. Now this won’t be the first vehicle from the series to arrive in Malaysia because it’s part of the same family as the BYD Yuan Up, which is known in Malaysia as the newly released BYD Atto 2, and the Yuan Plus, which is marketed in Southeast Asia as the Atto 3.
The car will undoubtedly have a different name, just like its SUV brothers, but what might it be? Given what we are hearing, there appears to be no doubt that the number “6” will appear in the official name.
The dimensions of the BYD Qin L EV are 4,720 mm in length, 1,880 mm in width, 1,495 mm in height, and 2,820 mm in wheelbase. Dimension-wise, the EV’s measurements indicate that it is slightly higher, slightly wider, slightly shorter, and has a more compact wheelbase than the BYD Seal.
In contrast to the BYD Seal’s ocean-themed design, the Qin L has what BYD refers to as the “Loong Face” design language—that does not mean long face. In fact, “loong” actually means “dragon” in Mandarin, which refers to a dragon-inspired design. Meanwhile, the Qin L’s rear end features what looks to be BYD’s ‘infinity ring’ rear light signature set within a full-width light bar, continuing the family resemblance.
There are two rear-wheel drive powertrain options among the three Qin L models that are offered. The base model is powered by a 46.08 kWh battery and has a 149 horsepower and 220 Nm motor. This configuration is good for a 470 km range, based on the very generous CLTC cycle.
A more potent electric motor that produces 217 horsepower and 330 Nm is shared by the two higher-tier models. When combined with a larger 56.64 kWh battery, the range increases to 545 km (CLTC) but expect around 450-460 in the real world.
While BYD did not disclose specific AC or DC charging specifications, according to its official brochure, the company states that all variants can be recharged from 30-80% in just 24 minutes.
The BYD Qin L costs between RMB119,800 (about RM71k) and RMB139,800 (about RM83k) in China. This suggests that if launched here, the Qin L will likely be positioned below the updated BYD Seal, which is priced starting at RM179,800.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
With its sharp yet conservative lines, the new model destined to be launched soon, will employ a competitive EV powertrain, class-leading appointments and a price that makes it stand out in a crowd.