Fuel consumption 2,58 liters including a drained battery: The cheapest Chinese sedan BYD Qin Plus DM-i is entering its third generation

BYD started selling the third generation of its cheapest plug-in hybrid sedan Qin Plus DM-i in China on 27 October. The new model has grown in length and width; it can travel up to 220 km on electricity and, according to the manufacturer, with a full tank and a charged battery it can manage over 2 000 km. The base version costs 79 900 yuan (about 10 700 €) and during the launch promotion it’s even 3 000 yuan cheaper.

A bigger sedan with a new face

According to the CnEVPost portal, the new Qin Plus measures 4 840 mm, which is 60 mm more than its predecessor, and the wheelbase has been stretched by 82 mm to 2 800 mm, so there should be noticeably more legroom in the back. It’s wider by 63 mm and taller by 17 mm. The front gets sharp headlights and a trapezoidal air intake grille; at the side the car features a sloping rear section in a fastback style, and at the back there’s a light strip running across the entire width.

There are nine body colors to choose from, including the new blue Island Blue, and an interior in white or black. If you pay extra for a driving assistant, the car also gets a lidar on the roof above the front windshield area—something cheap sedans usually don’t have.

Up to 220 km on electricity, together over 2 000 km

Power comes from the fifth-generation DM hybrid system, in which a 1,5-litre gasoline engine with an output of 74 kW is complemented by an electric motor with 120 kW. The LFP battery has either 16,2 or 24,3 kWh depending on the version, so the car can drive on electricity for 140, or 220 km according to the Chinese CLTC standard. The predecessor managed up to 210 km. You charge the battery from 30 to 80 % in roughly 20 minutes.

With a depleted battery, the car burns only 2,58 litres per 100 km according to BYD—but this is measured using the older NEDC standard, which significantly underestimates consumption. With a full 65-litre tank and a charged battery, the car can cover up to 2 290 km according to the manufacturer, which on paper would be enough to drive from Bratislava to Barcelona without a single stop at a gas station.

Interior with lidar and two chargers

Inside you get a 8,8-inch digital instrument panel and, depending on the version, a 10,1- or 12,8-inch touchscreen display with the DiLink 150 system. The steering wheel has two spokes, the gear shifter was moved behind it, and a block of physical buttons remains under the display—something that’s disappearing in Chinese cars. There are also two wireless phone chargers, six speakers, ambient lighting, and well-designed seats with multiple storage compartments.

For an extra charge you get the assisted driving system God’s Eye B with lidar, which according to the CarNewsChina website handles navigation in the city and on the highway, plus multiple automatic parking modes. However, the driver still has to monitor the driving.

Prices and sales in China

The Qin Plus DM-i is sold in three versions. The base one with 140 km electric range costs 79 900 yuan (about 10 700 €), the version with 220 km range costs 90 900 yuan (about 12 200 €), and the best-equipped one costs 100 900 yuan (about 13 500 €). During the launch promotion, every version is discounted by 3 000 yuan, so the cheapest comes out at 76 900 yuan (about 10 300 €). The conversion is only indicative, since European prices are usually much higher due to equipment, customs duty, and VAT.

BYD needs the new generation, because the Qin family—which also includes the bigger Qin L and Qin Max—is selling far worse in China than last year. In the first nine months of the year, it found owners for 207 589 cars, which is 55 % less than in the same period last year, and in September the year-on-year drop was as much as 65 %.

BYD hasn’t said anything yet about entering Europe with this model. In Slovakia, however, the brand has been selling the plug-in hybrid sedan Seal 05 DM-i and the Seal U DM-i SUV since June 2025, so cheap Chinese hybrids are already available here for customers. The customs duties the EU imposed on Chinese electric cars don’t apply to plug-in hybrids, which is why BYD is sending them to Europe more and more.

Technical specifications

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