BYD wants to one-up the competition with its Yuan Up, a small electric SUV slotting in under the popular Atto 3 (aka Yuan Plus).
Exterior images of the new small SUV have been published by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and shared by CarNewsChina.
They reveal an SUV with front- and rear-end styling similar to the recently revealed mid-sized Song L but a boxier silhouette more reminiscent of a Smart #1.
The Yuan Up will become BYD’s smallest electric SUV, measuring 4310mm long, 1830mm wide and 1675mm tall on a 2620mm wheelbase.
That makes it extremely similar in size to the MG ZS EV.
There will be a choice of two electric powertrains, one with 70kW and one with 130kW. Kerb weight is 1430kg and 1540kg, respectively.
The smaller of the two electric motors also features in the base BYD Dolphin in Australia, which uses a 44.9kWh battery and has 340km of WLTP range.
Producing less power than key rivals, the base Dolphin does the 0-100km/h sprint in 12.3 seconds but weighs 1506kg.
It rides on 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels, and while the interior hasn’t been revealed we can see a panoramic sunroof is available.
The Yuan Up will potentially undercut BYD’s smallest electric SUV, the Yuan Pro, which is priced between ¥95,800 and ¥113,800 (A$20,472-$24,319) in China.
The Yuan Pro is only slightly larger, measuring 4375mm long, 1785mm wide and 1680mm tall on a 2535mm wheelbase.
Yuan Pro
It features a 70kW/180Nm electric motor and either a 38kWh or 47.04kWh battery, good for 320km and 401km, respectively, on the CLTC test cycle.
It’s one of BYD’s older models, debuting in 2015 as the BYD S1 before being renamed the Yuan in 2016 and renamed Yuan Pro in 2021 to coincide with a facelift.
It previously also offered petrol power, and sits within BYD’s Dynasty family of vehicles, which includes the Yuan Plus (aka Atto 3) and new Song L crossover.
BYD Atto 3 BYD Dolphin
BYD also has the Ocean family of vehicles, which includes the Dolphin and Seal sold here.
It’s unclear whether BYD Australia will introduce the Yuan Up. It has confirmed a ute and a mid-sized SUV for 2024, both with plug-in hybrid power – a first for the brand Down Under – and says it plans to introduce two or more new models every year.
Its plans don’t include the similarly affordable Seagull hatchback, though the company’s distributor EVDirect says it would like to offer the vehicle here as a more affordable entry point to the range, sitting below the Dolphin.
The base Dolphin Dynamic opens at $38,890 before on-road costs, making it Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle.
