The saying “he who gets the family sedan gets the world” has always been popular in the automotive industry. The reason is that the family sedan market has always been the largest and most dominant market, making it very difficult to get a piece of the pie in this market. For a long time, the A-class sedan market has been dominated by joint venture brands, and Chinese brands have struggled to make a name for themselves. However, this monopoly was finally broken in 2023 by the Chinese brand BYD Qin. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, the BYD Qin sold 46,394 units in December 2023, once again winning the monthly sales championship in the A-class sedan category. Its annual cumulative sales from January to December 2023 were 482,145 units, significantly ahead of the second-place model, the Nissan Sylphy, representing the first time in 13 years that a Chinese brand has won the annual family sedan championship. This is a milestone for BYD and even for Chinese brands.
On November 25, 2023, BYD welcomed the production of its 6 millionth new energy vehicle, just 3 months after the 5 millionth one. The Qin family played a significant role in this achievement. The Qin PLUS was launched in 2021 and became the best-selling compact A-class sedan in just a year and a half. In February 2022, it entered the top 3 in A-class sales, and in September 2022, it won the monthly sales championship. In February 2023, the Qin PLUS DM-i 2023 Champion Edition was launched, ushering in a new era of equal pricing for hybrid and gasoline vehicles. In April 2023, the Qin family won the sales championship in all categories of cars. In May 2023, the Qin family’s cumulative sales exceeded one million, becoming China’s first new energy A-class sedan million-selling IP. By the end of 2023, the Qin family’s annual sales exceeded 480,000 units, breaking the monopoly of joint ventures and winning the 2023 annual sedan championship for Chinese brands, demonstrating China’s pride with a strong “scissors difference” in strength.
The milestone in sales is achieved by the technological, systematic, brand, and service strength of BYD. BYD Qin PLUS offers two technology routes: pure electric and plug-in hybrid.
Especially the DM-i super hybrid technology brings consumers five revolutionary product strengths of “fast, economical, quiet, smooth, and green.” Compared to pure electric models, hybrid models that can use both oil and electricity can adapt to a wider range of consumers. The BYD DM-i super hybrid system uses a large-capacity blade battery, so daily city driving is mostly done in pure electric mode, providing a quieter and smoother driving experience. And thanks to the characteristics of the electric motor, whether it’s acceleration response or absolute power, it is superior to similar fuel models. At the same time, due to the use of hybrid power, it can allow the engine and motor to operate in the most efficient working range, so it can bring lower energy consumption and longer range while considering the driving experience. And with the support of the blade battery, safety can also be well guaranteed.
The Qin PLUS DM-i powertrain system is composed of a 1.5L efficient engine, EHS hybrid system, and DM-i super hybrid dedicated blade battery. The engine has a maximum power of 81 kilowatts and a peak torque of 135 Nm, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration of only 7.3 seconds, comparable to many 2.0T cars. In daily urban driving conditions, the power system mainly uses pure electric drive in a series connection, benefiting from the quick response of the motor for a more agile driving experience. With less engine intervention, the overall driving experience is quieter and of higher quality compared to traditional fuel vehicles and oil-based hybrid vehicles. In terms of energy consumption, the dedicated hybrid engine of this plug-in hybrid has a high thermal efficiency of 43.04%, achieving a low fuel consumption level of 3.8L/100km even in a depleted battery state. This means that if driven like a traditional fuel vehicle without charging, its fuel consumption level would still be significantly lower than that of a traditional fuel vehicle.
If there are charging conditions, the Qin PLUS DM-i also offers two capacity blade battery packs of 8.32kWh and 18.32kWh, with a full oil and electricity range of over 1245km, greatly reducing range anxiety. For daily commuting, its pure electric range of 55km and 120km is enough to meet the commuting needs, further reducing the cost of car use. In addition to hardcore technology, BYD also has a mature manufacturing system, quickly connecting the entire industry chain, and will launch the Qin PLUS DM-i champion model in 2023, with a starting price of 99,800 yuan (14010$) to achieve “oil and electricity at the same price” first, once again becoming a booster for sales.
In terms of brand building, after years of market testing, the BYD Dynasty series has gained sufficient market recognition and formed a family system in design. For example, the naming and design language of Qin PLUS DM-i are full of new national trend elements. BYD’s Dragon Face design language, atmospheric and stylish design style can meet the aesthetic standards of most Chinese consumers.
In terms of intelligence, the car is also equipped with DiLink intelligent networking system, which can well meet the current consumer’s demand for intelligent car machines in terms of UI interface design, sense of technology, fluency, and built-in functions. Overall, in the new energy era, Qin PLUS DM-i, with a more balanced brand, technology, and price system, has become a model of the same level. In addition, in an increasingly competitive market, BYD has also strengthened its service system, further enhancing service quality, and endowing the model with “soft power”. Recently, Qin PLUS DM-i launched the “limited-time fuel-to-subscription fund”. Owners of fuel vehicles or prospective owners who order fuel vehicles can enjoy a discount of 10,000 yuan (1400$) when purchasing Qin PLUS DM-i in stores. “998” is upgraded to “898” for a limited time. If you are planning to drive a new car home for the Spring Festival, you might consider the “family car champion” Qin PLUS.