Byton reveals concept SUV to take on Tesla Model X
With a 325-mile range, the Byton concept is said to be designed like a smartphone and offers all the latest connectivity tech
Byton has unveiled its all-electric concept SUV, which is described as a ‘rethink’ of the current car market.
The car, which is set to take on the likes of Tesla’s Model X, was revealed at the CES Consumer Technology Association trade show in Las Vegas yesterday.
Described as a ‘digital lounge’, the SUV will be the world’s first ‘SIV’ – Smart Intuitive Vehicle – according to the carmaker, which has its headquarters in Nanjing plus sites elsewhere in China as well as in the USA, Germany and Hong Kong.
The concept – which was designed by ex-Apple and BMW workers and gets its name from “Bytes on Wheels” – will be available with either a single electric motor, producing 268bhp and powering the rear wheels, or a dual-motor set-up with four-wheel drive and 469bhp. Byton says the car will be capable of 0-60mph in around five seconds and have a range of 325 miles.
Jeff Chung, Byton’s Intelligent Car Experience division chief, said: “What we want to try to do is merge your life outside of the car with your experience inside the car.”
That could be why it has chosen to equip the concept with a display that stretches the entire width of the dashboard – a feature the company says will make it to the production stage. There’s even a tablet computer fitted to the centre of the steering wheel.
Cameras control most aspects of the car, with facial recognition software unlocking the doors as well as setting the driving position and driving modes according to who’s approaching.
The Byton’s interface can be used with touch, voice or gesture control, while door and interior mirrors are replaced with monitors.
All this connected tech could leave the car open to hacking, but Byton says it has addressed that possible problem with the smart gateway, which will protect it and use machine learning to analyse data collected from the car to improve security.
Byton aims to put the SUV into production in 2019, with a saloon car and MPV to follow on the same platform. Prices are said to start from $45,000 (circa £33,200), although whether this will be the same in all markets is yet to be confirmed.
