On May 28, BYD Auto officially announced the official price of its new mid-size sedan, the Qin L. The new car is equipped with the latest fifth-generation DM system. The CLTC pure electric range is available in two versions, 80km and 120km, and the NEDC fuel consumption when the battery is exhausted is only 2.9L/100km. The comprehensive range with a full tank of fuel and a full charge is 2100km. The newly launched models are available in 5 models according to different configurations, with a price range of RMB 99,800 to RMB 139,800 (~US$13,700 – US$19,300).
As the latest member of the Qin family, official says, BYD Qin L adopts the “new national trend dragon face aesthetics”, the exquisite front face is matched with the large-size bottom grille, The front headlight group is long and sharp, integrated with the luminous “dragon whisker” that picks up, and the overall look is more energetic.
From the side of the body, the waistline runs from the front fender to the rear door, making the body more slender. It adopts a fast back design, which not only adds some sportsmanship while maintaining the overall stability. We also see that the new car adopts a traditional door handle design.
At the rear, the wider rear shoulder wrap-around design not only echoes the front face, but also adds muscle to the body outline. At the same time, the car adopts a bar-type taillamp design, inspired by the Chinese knot. It is worth mentioning that it uses a simplified BYD tail badge, which can also glow.
In terms of body size, its length, width and height are 4830/1900/1495mm, and the wheelbase is 2790mm, which is positioned as a medium-sized car. For comparison, the body size of the current Qin PLUS model on sale is 4765/1837/1495mm, and the wheelbase is 2718mm. It can be said that the Qin L is a whole circle larger than the Qin PLUS overall. In addition, it is worth mentioning that its rear suspension has been upgraded from the torsion beam of Qin PLUS to an E-type multi-link independent suspension.
In terms of interior, the interior design of the Qin L is inspired by Chinese landscape paintings. The overall central control panel adopts an integrated design. The new car adopts an embedded large-size LCD instrument panel with a 15.6-inch rotatable central control screen, a new style three-spoke multi-function steering wheel and wireless mobile phone charging, etc., to increase the sense of technology, to meet the current user’s car needs. The new car is equipped with DiLink smart cockpit, which integrates a 15.6-inch self-adaptive rotating suspended Pad, vehicle-mounted ETC, mobile phone NFC car key, full-scene intelligent voice and other configurations, 100% compatible with the mobile phone ecosystem, and the new car is standard with vehicle-mounted ETC and NFC car key.
● Car History
The name BYD Qin (Chinese “秦”，meaning a dynasty) originated in 2012 and also created the current Dynasty series. The concept version of the first-generation BYD Qin was released in 2012 and the production version was launched at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. In December of the same year, the Qin was officially launched. It was equipped with the second-generation DM system, adopted dual-engine dual-mode, and was composed of a 1.5T engine + single electric motor, with a maximum power of 295 horsepower and a “zero-hundred” acceleration of 5.9 seconds. The first-generation Qin was sold for 5 years and sold over 160,000 units.
At the 2018 Beijing Auto Show, the replacement model of the Qin was officially launched and named Qin PRO. The DRAGON FACE front face and the third-generation DM hybrid system appeared on this car. The Qin PRO was built based on the BNA architecture, and the same platform can be adapted to gasoline, DM, and EV powertrains, offering a variety of options. When it was launched on September 20, 2018, the price range also spanned from RMB 79,800 to RMB 299,900.
Following the Qin PRO, the Qin PLUS model was officially launched at the 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show, equipped with the now-groundbreaking DM-i technology. The Qin PLUS was officially launched on March 8, 2021, and is still on sale today. In 2023, the Qin PLUS sold a total of over 480,000 units throughout the year, becoming the first choice for many families. As of May 2023, BYD Qin’s cumulative sales have exceeded 1 million units, setting a new record.
Just as each generation of Qin has had a corresponding generation of DM technology, the newly launched Qin L will be equipped with the latest fifth-generation DM technology. This car will also join forces with the Qin PLUS to attack the family car market, providing users with more choices.
At the press conference, Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, said: “20 years ago, we planted the first seed of global plug-in hybrids. Now, three out of four plug-in hybrid models in the world come from Chinese brands, and the global plug-in hybrid market has entered the Chinese era. In China, one out of every two plug-in hybrid models sold is a BYD. The Chinese plug-in hybrid market has grown tenfold from 2020 to 2023.”
Currently, the Chinese plug-in hybrid market is fiercely competitive. The main competitors of this car are Chinese brand plug-in/extended-range models such as the Galaxy L6, Deep Blue SL03 (which may be renamed L07 in the future), Roewe D7, Chery Fulwin A8. At the same time, as a family car market, the Qin L also faces a certain degree of competition from gasoline cars such as Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Sagitar.
Compared with its competitors, BYD has an absolute advantage in channels. Previously, Qin PLUS sold over 40,000 units per month, and Qin’s overall cumulative sales exceeded 1 million units, which has brought this car a very good reputation refers to the number of a particular product that is currently owned or in use). As a heavyweight product, the Qin L and Seal 06 will jointly attack the compact and entry-level mid-size car market, and also go head-to-head with joint venture brands.
Over four generations, the BYD Qin has become a household name for family cars in China today. With continuous technological development, the design and technological configuration of the Qin have been continuously upgraded, and the DM system has also been continuously updated. It can be said that the development of the Qin also reflects BYD’s development and changes in recent years. In terms of sales, the current BYD Qin PLUS model has a monthly sales volume exceeding 46,000 units, and it is already the absolute pillar of the Dynasty network. Under the dual-car strategy, how high can the Qin L reach in the future? We wait and see.
