
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD on Tuesday launched the eMAX 7 electric MPV, a successor of its first electric vehicle in India - the e6. The eMAX 7 comes in two variants and in six- and seven-seat options at a starting price of INR 26,90,000 (ex-showroom). The two variants - Superior and Premium - come powered by 71.8 kWh and 55.4 kWh battery packs, respectively. The price for the top-end trim goes up to INR 29,90,000 (ex-showroom).
BYD eMAX 7 is being targeted towards families that are looking for long, comfortable trips and are eco-conscious. The carmaker has opened bookings for the vehicle for a token amount of INR 51,000 across its dealerships. It will arrive in the Indian market via the import route, like all other vehicles in the carmaker's portfolio. BYD has already applied for the homologation of the eMAX 7 as it expects the vehicle to drive demand. A homologation certificate allows manufacturers to import more units of a vehicle into the country, beyond the fixed 2,500 units.
Exterior and Design:
The BYD eMAX 7 features aerodynamic lines on the bonnet and a dragon face facia, giving it a bold front appearance, which is accentuated by the crystal diamond floating LED headlamps. At the rear, it gets LED taillights running across the width of the vehicle. The speedy dynamic wheel hub with 17-Inch alloy wheels further enhances the vehicle's look while the spoiler and roof rails add to its sporty appeal. The vehicle is available in four exterior colour options – Quartz Blue, Cosmos Black, Crystal White,
and Harbour Grey.
Interior and Technology:
On the inside, customers are greeted with a Black and Brown dual-tone upholstery and a neatly-designed dashboard. There is a 12.8-Inch rotatable infotainment display and a 5-Inch advanced instrument cluster as well as wireless phone charger and an advanced gear shift with anti-fingerprint technology). The panoramic glass roof with an electrical shade creates a sense of roominess inside the already spacious cabin.
The driver seat comes with 6-way electrical adjusting option while the front passenger seat can is 4-way adjustable, and both the seats are ventilated. The third row seats can be folded to create 580 litres of boot space while the middle seats can also be split into 60:40 to maximise the boot space.
Rear rows get upper AC vents for convenient cooling while the PM 2.5 filtration system keeps the air clean. There are two Type A and Type C charging ports for the first two rows each for enhanced convenience. Other features include six-speaker sound system, voice assistance, keyless entry, NFC card key, electric trunk opening, one touch up-down with anti-pinch for all four-door windows and automatic air conditioning.
Battery and Performance:
One of the most notable changes in the eMAX 7 over the outgoing model is the varied seating options as well as the integration of BYD's in-house 8-in-1 electric powertrain from the company's e-platform 3.0. The company's touts its Blade Battery to be one of the most advanced technologies developed globally for electric vehicles, which maximizes space and strength. The Superior variant with 71.8 kWh battery pack can deliver up to 530 kilometres of range on a single charge, 150 kW of power, 310 Nm of torque and 0-100 kmph acceleration in 8.6 seconds. The Premium variant with 55.4 kWh battery pack offers up to 420 kilometres of range and can reach 0-100 kmph in 10.1 seconds.
The vehicle also offers the Vehicle to Load or V2L functionality which allows customers to plug in electrical devices to the vehicle's charging port for power.
Safety highlights:
The BYD eMAX 7 offers a range of safety features including the Advanced Driver Assistance or ADAS suite. Some of these features include six airbags as standard, ABS, EPF, and EBD, among others.