- The Song Ultra DM-i plug-in hybrid SUV starts at 129,900 yuan ($19,160) and offers a pure electric range of up to 310 kilometers.
- The model features an AI agent, as the artificial intelligence wave begins to enter the auto industry on a larger scale.
BYD (HKEX: 1211) has launched the new Song Ultra DM-i SUV (sport utility vehicle), as the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker accelerates the expansion of its plug-in hybrid product lineup.
The Song Ultra DM-i hit the market at a BYD intelligent technology strategy launch event on Thursday, offering five variants with official guide prices ranging from 129,900 yuan ($19,160) to 159,900 yuan.
The launch of the hybrid SUV brings a plug-in hybrid model with a 310-kilometer pure electric range to the 130,000 yuan segment of the Chinese market for the first time.
The new car is equipped with BYD's latest fifth-generation DM (Dual Mode) hybrid technology, featuring a 1.5-liter engine and a drive motor with a maximum power of 175 kilowatts.
Consumers can choose between 26.6-kilowatt-hour or 38.0-kWh Blade Battery packs. Under CLTC conditions, its pure electric driving ranges are 205 km and 310 km, respectively.
With a full tank and full charge, its maximum combined range can reach 1,845 km.
Thanks to the new generation of hybrid technology, the model's fuel consumption is only 3.3 liters per 100 km when the battery is depleted.
In terms of smart features, the Song Ultra DM-i is equipped for the first time with an AI (artificial intelligence) agent system named "Didi Xia."
BYD said that this is not a traditional passive voice assistant, but an AI agent with proactive interaction capabilities, supporting fuzzy semantic understanding and multi-dialect communication.
The move responds to the AI trend that has been popular in China over the past few months. With the global popularity of the OpenClaw agent, which features a lobster logo, a so-called "lobster raising" craze has emerged in the Chinese tech circle.
In the field of smart driving, the new car comes standard with BYD's God's Eye C assisted driving system. Consumers can also pay 12,000 yuan to option the God's Eye B version equipped with LiDAR.
The upgraded system supports advanced smart driving functions such as city navigation autopilot. BYD also provides a safety guarantee for the city navigation system.
The Song Ultra DM-i measures 4,850 mm in length, 1,910 mm in width, and 1,670 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,840 mm.
The vehicle supports folding down the front and rear seats to form a "large bed mode." The top-trim model is also equipped with a "queen's co-pilot" seat featuring 10-point massage and an electric leg rest.
For chassis and safety configurations, the new car comes standard with the DiSus-C intelligent damping body control system across all variants. It also offers a TBC high-speed tire blowout stabilization system to ensure driving safety.
The launch of the Song Ultra DM-i was a key part of BYD's smart technology strategy event. On the same day, the company also released its in-house developed 4nm smart driving chip, Xuanji A3.
($1 = 6.7799 yuan)
