The all-new electric Byton SUV concept unveiled

MANILA: The Milan Design Week witnessed the unveiling of the concept version of the first model from the newest Chinese automobile player - Byton. The company, at its European launch, has said that the high-tech electric SUV is 85% ready and will undergo some minor changes in order to meet the legal requirements before hitting the roads. The concept comes with some amazing technology along with two powerful engine options.

Talking about the powertrains, the electric SUV will come with two different options - a single-drive electric motor engine that can generate a maximum power of 272 hp along with a peak torque of 400 Nm. The more powerful engine is a four-wheel-drive version that churns out a power of 475 hp along with a peak torque of 710 Nm. The capacity of the batteries haven’t been revealed yet, but the company does claim that the SUV will have a range of 399 km. The range can, however, be increased to 520 km with an upgraded battery pack. The concept model measures 4,850mm in length, 1,940mm in width and 1,650mm in height while running on 22-inch wheels.

The electric SUV features driverless technology from Aurora and has a number of other technologically advanced features. The dashboard equips “Shared Experience Display” that comes with features like gesture control and voice control can also be controlled by smartphone apps. An 8.0-inch touch-screen tablet comes integrated into the steering wheel that offers various driver information. The rear passengers also get two display screens. All the seats are equipped with facial recognition cameras that identify the user and allows personalized seating settings.

On the front side, the car features slim looking LED headlights. Talking about door handles, there are none! Instead of door handles, the concept comes equipped with facial recognition lenses that will unlock the door only to authorized users based on its biometric data.

The SUV is expected to be out for sale in China by late next year and will be hitting the European and the US roads by 2020. The estimated price for the Byton electric SUV could be £32,000 (Ph p 23,34,850 approx).