BYTON to Mass Produce it's M-Byte Electric SUV This Year

author: Manish Kharinta   

Chinese electric vehicle marker BYTON is going to unveil its mass production offering sometime in the middle of this year. Customers will be be able to reserve one around the same time. The expected price tag for the M-BYTE will range between RMB 300,000 to 400,000 (~$45,000 -  $60,000) respectively.

BYTON's M-Byte EV will have the honor of being the company's first EV, marking Byton's entry into the budding electric vehicle space. The M-Byte likely to go on sale in by the end of the year in China.

Initially, the sales of the electric SUV will be limited to the Chinese market, but according to reports, BYTON's M-Byte will eventually make its way to the North American market sometime in 2020.

The M-Byte features short overhangs, which maximizes cabin space, offering more room to passengers. The exterior boasts LED headlamps, a two-tone paint scheme, and sharp-looking LED tail light clusters, which wrap around the rear end. The design gives the M-Byte a futuristic look.The LED tail light clusters which run across the rear end is a styling cue which has become synonymous with electric SUV concepts lately.

BYTON will also offer an intuitive access feature in the M-Byte, which uses face recognition technology to unlock the doors when a driver approaches. Other gadgets include a rearview camera which replaces the conventional glass rearview mirror.

For occupants, the instrument cluster is dictated by multiple screens. The center console which BYTON calls a "shared experience display" includes a 50 by 10 inch wide LCD touchscreen display which stretches the entire length of the dashboard. The widescreen display also supports gesture controls for various vehicle functions and the infotainment system.

In addition to the giant Shared Experience Display, there is another touch screen display integrated into the steering wheel along with a smaller 9-inch touch screen mounted on the space between the front seats, which allows occupants to carry out various functions such as climate controls and multimedia.

The M-byte features Byton's Shared Experience Display, which runs the length of the dashboard.

M-Byte's production model will be offered in two variants. The base variant will feature a power output of 272 horsepower producing  295 lb-fts of torque and the more powerful model packs 476 hp and 523 ft lbs of torque respectively.

The base model of this electric will only be offered in rear wheel drive, whereas the more powerful top-of-the-line variant will get an all-wheel-drive setup powered by dual electric motors.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.