Byton is a China-based automotive company founded by ex-employees of BMW and Nissan a couple years ago. In January 2018, it unveiled its first electric SUV concept named Byton. At the 2019 IAA Frankfurt, it showed us the production-ready version of that SUV, called the M-Byte. It now turns out the model will be available on markets outside of China, including Europe and the USA.
The single killer feature of the Byton M-Byte comes in the form of its enormous curved digital dashboard screen measuring 48 inches (123 cm) across. The car itself is 4,875 mm (16 ft.) long and has 2,950 mm (9.68 ft.) between the axles. The drive is on the rear axle by default, but AWD is also available.
In its most basic implementation, the Byton M-Byte comes equipped with a single electric motor good for 272 PS (200 kW). The SUV needs 7.5 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) and can cover up to 360 km (224 miles, WLTP-rated) before exhausting its 72-kWh battery. The top trim version benefits from dual engines joining efforts for 408 hp (300 kW) and a larger 95-kWh battery translating into 435 km (270 mi) of uninterrupted driving. It makes the 0-100 run in 5.5 seconds and maxes out at 190 km/h (118 mph). Topping up the battery from empty to 80% full takes 35 minutes given a strong enough power source.
The production will start soon, and customers in China will get their M-Byte next year. The EV will reach both Europe and the United States in 2021, and the minimum price tag in the latter market will amount to $45,000. This makes the M-Byte a much more wallet-friendly option than the Audi e-tron or the Jaguar I-Pace, which start from $74,800 and $69,500, respectively.