BYD Tang is the world's most powerful hybrid SUV with 505HP!

2016 BYD Tang is the brand-new plug-in hybrid vehicle concept with quite terrific technical specifications: BYD claims a 0-100 acceleration of 4,9 seconds, a pure-electric range of 85 kilometer(52 miles), and a fuel consumption of two liter per 100 kilometers(62 miles).

2/24/15 4:00 am chumakdenis 1

While the Chinese market for plug-in hybrids has developed more slowly than expected, BYD has persevered with a new range of plug-in hybrids.

It has been selling its compact Qin plug-in hybrid sedan for a year, and is now taking orders for its second model, the Tang plug-in hybrid compact SUV.

BYD was the first company in the world to launch a production plug-in hybrid; its F3DM in 2008 was two years ahead of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

BYD Tang

The BYD Tang is a speedy hybrid SUV based on the BYD S7, which again is based on the good old BYD S6. The BYD Tang comes with an impressive front with a giant grille with lots of chrome, which will look even more heavy-loaded on a dark colored car.

Exterior

The Tang certainly looks the business. Black wheel arches, a black wing on the window, black roof rails, and black windows. Large and angry exhaust pipes, and taillights that will bite your hand off.

Wheels look awfully small in giant arches. Small wheels are a typical Chinese low-cost way to get fuel consumption down a little bit more. Smart and such, but it doesn’t look very good.

Note ‘542’ badge on the door, standing for: 5 for the 0-100 acceleration in 5 seconds, 4 for four-wheel drive, two for fuel consumption of 2 liter per 100 kilometer.

Performance

The Tang is propelled by BYD’s new DMII dual mode hybrid-drive system mating a petrol engine to an electric motor. The petrol engine is a 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder with 205hp and 320nm. The electric motor is the same unit as in the BYD Qin sedan; delivering 149hp and 200nm.

Combined output of the power train in the Tang will be 354hp and 420nm, making the Tang the most powerful hybrid SUVs in the world

Interior

 Tang comes with a very luxurious interior with lots of leather and wood. Instruments are all digital.

Air filtration system

The center dial houses the built-in air purifier, developed to filter the killing PM2.5 particles out of the dirty Chinese air, leaving the occupants of the vehicle with air slightly more breathable. The BYD S7 is fitted with the same system.

Versions

There are also two special versions of the Tang called the Limited (98 units) and Ultimate Edition (200 units), which bring not just interior upgrades, but performance upgrades too. The Tang Limited has red alloys, lots of leather and wood inserts and some special badges - with the price set at 300,000 yuan which is roughly $48,256.

The Tang Ultimate Edition is even more bonkers, featuring a somewhat sporty body kit, carbon fiber inserts and a price of 600,000 yuan or about $96,530. Why double the cost? Well, it's also half a second quicker to 62 mph, which means a time of 4.4 seconds. That makes it the 3rd fastest SUV in the world after the BMW X5/X6 M and Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63. Still, 4.4 seconds vs. 4.9 seconds is never worth double the money unless you get double the looks, double the handling and double the comfort.

Production

The Tang will be launched  on the Chinese car market on January 20 2016. Price will start around 300.000 yuan before green-car subsidies, which can be as high as 60.000 yuan for a hybrid, so sticker price at the dealer will hover around the 250.000 yuan ($40,200).