With a starting price range of RMB 99,800 ($14,650) to RMB 145,800, the Qin Plus DM-i 2023 is the first time has made a model with its DM-i powertrain starting at less than RMB 100,000.

(Image credit: BYD)

The launch of the facelift of BYD's budget sedan Qin Plus DM-i seems to have gained a good initial acceptance.

The Qin Plus DM-i 2023 received 15,872 orders three days after its launch, the largest Chinese manufacturer of new energy vehicles (NEVs) announced today.

BYD launched the facelift of its plug-in hybrid sedan Qin Plus DM-i on February 10, offering five versions with a starting price range of RMB 99,800 ($14,650) to RMB 145,800.

This is the first time BYD has made a model with its DM-i powertrain start at less than RMB 100,000. The previously on-sale Qin Plus DM-i was released in March 2021 with a starting price range of RMB 105,800-145,800.

The model is an A-segment sedan with a length, width and height of 4,765 mm, 1,837 mm and 1,495 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,718 mm.

It is equipped with a DM-i super hybrid-specific blade battery with two capacity options, 8.32 kWh and 18.32 kWh, providing an NEDC battery range of 55 km and 120 km, respectively.

At full fuel and charge, the model has an NEDC range of up to 1,245 km and a fuel consumption of 3.8L per 100 km at low charge.

BYD said in a poster that the model aims to disrupt the fuel car market.

The Qin Plus DM-i was aimed at the car segment that has the largest total addressable market in China, and the lower starting price of its facelift model is attractive to price-sensitive consumers.

From January to November 2022, models in the RMB 100,000 to 150,000 price range contributed 26.5 percent of all passenger car sales, according to a report released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on December 13.

For comparison, models in the price range of RMB 150,000 to RMB 200,000 contributed 19.6 percent, and models in the price range of RMB 200,000 to RMB 300,000 contributed 16.2 percent.

BYD launches Qin Plus DM-i 2023, aiming to further disrupt conventional fuel car market