BYD launches Yuan Up, its most affordable electric SUV at price of $A20,500

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has unveiled its most affordable EV to date – the Yuan Up that will start at prices equivalent to around $A20,500.

BYD showcased the new model to the Chinese market on the brand’s Weibo page, after having done a countdown on social media over the past 3 days.

The launch livestream showcased the car and unveiled pricing and specs. The pricing will start at the equivalent of $A20,500, with the top-spec variant priced around $A25,800.

The Yuan Up has two different motor configurations, with the base model developing 70 kW of power that delivers up to 180 Nm of torque. This helps the car accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 12 seconds.

The more powerful variant offers a motor capable of producing 130 kW of power and 290 Nm of torque. This variant can do the same 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.9 seconds.

On the battery front, two packs are on offer. The first is a 32 kWh blade battery pack which can deliver up to 301 km of NEDC range.

A larger 45.1 kWh battery pack is capable of delivering up to 401 km of NEDC range, which is likely to be closer to 300 km of WLTP range commonly used in Australia.

Charging speeds of 7 kW AC along with DC charging are also available that can charge the car from 30-80% in 30 minutes. This is similar to the charge rate seen on the BYD Dolphin Dynamic model which also uses the 45.1 kWh battery pack.

On the inside, a rotatable 12.8-inch infotainment screen is on offer which is similar to that found in the BYD Dolphin and Atto 3 currently on offer in our local market. A smaller 8.8-inch screen is also found behind the steering wheel.

Size-wise the Yuan up is slightly smaller than the Atto 3, and slightly longer than the Dolphin. 

The length of this new SUV stands at 4,310 mm meanwhile the Dolphin comes in 20 mm shorter at 4,290 mm in length.

The Yuan Up will be offered in multiple colours including some unique variations not seen on other SUVs the brand currently sells. One of these is a pale green which is not offered on any BYD in Australia. Other colours include pink, grey and white.