BYD Yuan UP to be unveiled in China on March 5

BYD will officially unveil the Yuan UP on March 5 and the car will then be listed within March. The new car is the second model on the e-Platform 3.0 to carry the Yuan name, the first being the Yuan Plus. BYD currently split the core BYD brand into two ranges the Dynasty and Ocean series with each having their own sales network. With Yuan being the name given to the Mongol line of Emperors that ruled China between 1279 and 1368 the Yuan UP belongs to the Dynasty range.

The car itself is more a soft-roader than something for marauding the Mongolian steppe with its single motor setup and a range around 400 km. It is a crossover vehicle in the same kind of style first popularized by cars like the Kia Soul. However, the Yuan UP is a lot more curvy than many cars that follow this vogue.

Using the design language from the Song L the Yuan UP has what BYD refer to as a dragon face. There is a black trim plate which goes around the car. Unlike with the Yuan Plus there are semi-concealed door handles. The car also gains a floating roof thanks to the roof color not quite meeting the body on the D-pillar.  With length, width and height of 4310/1830/1675 mm and a wheelbase of 2620 mm the body size is quite small. On the front the car uses the Yuan (元) character for the logo whereas at the back the car has BYD written in letters and thankfully not Build Your Dreams.

Inside the Yuan UP has a very light interior due to the panoramic roof and the effect is accentuated by the use of mixed colors. On some pictures they show the use of black and beige while on another car it uses pink, charcoal and light gray. The steering wheel also uses the Yuan symbol and the driver has an 8.8-inch digital instrument screen. There is also a centrally mounted 12.8-inch control screen which presumably is capable of rotating its orientation as with most BYD models. Drivers get an electrically adjustable seat. Thanks to the dedicated electric platform the floor in the back is flat making it comfortable for anyone sitting in the middle of the back bench.

It’s believed that there will be three variants but details before the launch are sparce. Power come from a choice of a 70 kW or 130 kW permanent magnet synchronous drive motor. Batteries are of course the Blade from BYD subsidiary FinDreams and there’s a choice of 32 and 45.1 kWh packs good for 301 or 401 km of range respectively. Price is expected to be around 100,000 yuan (13,900 USD).

Editor’s note:

The Yuan UP looks as if it could be another hit for BYD. I have previously driven both the Yuan Plus and Dolphin and was impressed by how much car you got for your money. While the Yuan UP is not revolutionary in its design it is certainly attractive and should appeal to younger buyers.