FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: High-tech BYTON e-SUV debuts

Chinese brands are no stranger to European motor shows, but Euro-Sino start-up BYTON was trumpeting a different tune at the Frankfurt motor show today, where it unveilled the production version of the BYTON M-Byte electric SUV.

The e-SUV specialist says its commitment to its ‘digital heritage’ is core to the company’s future and will separate it from the herd.

This strategy is even evident in its badge. The BYTON B is split 50:50 to signify a balance of auto and EV powertrain expertise and digital savvy.

The company’s M-Byte mid-size luxury SUV’s exterior is handsome but generic in its look and feel.

The difference is very much in the interior. Here a seamless 48-inch curved glass dash panel runs the full width of the car and features a full digital interface for both ‘hard’ functions and infotainment.

Many of the company’s European development team have arrived at BYTON from BMW. They say for background that BYTON has turned the traditional powertrain-led focus around 180 degrees with digital infrastructure set to be the brand’s main differentiator.

“In five years, there will be many effective electric powertrains and generic battery technology. We think our digital heritage and focus will be what sets BYTON apart,” the brand’s spokesperson told carsales.

BYTON will begin production of the M-Byte in China in 2020. Its investors include the FAW Group.

At this stage the car-maker is concentrating on European, US and domestic Chinese markets. It says, right-hand drive production is “in road map” but will not comment on the timeline.

“We have a lot on our plate already,” carsales was told.

BYTON CEO, Dr Daniel Kirchert, said at Frankfurt: "As one of the most important motor shows in the world, the IAA is a yardstick for us. We are on the verge of starting series production and the feedback from media and especially from our future customers, is of great relevance to us.

“Today's unveiling of the BYTON M-Byte also shows the effort paying off for the team… We have taken a smart electric car from an initial idea on a white sheet of paper to series production readiness, while also building a coherent infrastructure with locations on three continents and an efficient Industry 4.0 production facility in China. We can rightfully be proud of this," he said.

BYTON is calling the M-Byte a “next-generation smart device designed for the age of shared mobility and assisted driving”.

Like other smart devices, BYTON says it will work with third-party developers to integrate a wide range of connected service into the vehicle.

“We will create APIs and the like to build functionality into the car. Say there was a newspaper or website in Australia that wanted to send information to our car -- we’d make available a set of developer style tools for them,” our BYTON insider explained.

In addition to the huge digital dash, the M-Byte incorporates driver and co-driver tablets.

The driver’s 7.0-inch unit is incorporated into the steering wheel while the larger co-driver tablet is central and can be operated by both driver and passenger.

Multiple interaction modes will be offered including “touch gesture, voice and air gesture control, driver’s face recognition, as well as physical buttons,” the company says.

The M-Byte will offer a range of rear and AWD powertrains from 200-300kW. Both 75 and 95kWh battery options will be available with the larger unit delivering a WLTP range of about 435km.

Depending on the market, fast DC charging of up to 150kW (35 minutes to 80 per cent) will be offered. AC home charging of between 3.7-22kW will also feature.