KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 — After launching three electric vehicle (EV) models locally, BYD has teased a brand new model for the Malaysian market. According to a teaser post on Facebook, the upcoming BYD model is said to be "built for family adventures, driven by comfort and safety”.

From the looks of it, BYD Malaysia will be introducing a three-row MPV and it appears to be the BYD M6. This fully electric MPV has been launched in Indonesia and it’s also coming soon to Singapore.

BYD M6 fully-electric MPV coming to Malaysia?

The BYD M6 appears to be an updated version of their older BYD e6. Based on the global spec sheet, the BYD M6 has a single motor powering the front wheel that pushes 150kW (201hp) and 310Nm of torque, which is similar to the BYD Atto 3 and the BYD Dolphin ER.

This MPV can get from 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds and it is equipped with a 71.8kWh battery with a NEDC-rated 530km of range on a single charge. According to the Indonesian brochure, it can support DC charging up to 115kW for the higher-spec version and 89kW for the lower-spec model. For AC charging, it appears to retain a single-phase 7kW onboard charger like its other models in our market.

There’s also a lower-spec Stadnard variant with a less powerful 120kW (160hp) motor and a smaller 55.4kWh battery with a shorter NEDC-rated range of 420km.

In terms of dimensions, the BYD M6 is 4710mm long, 1810mm wide, 1690mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2800mm. This makes it slightly smaller than the Toyota Innova Zenix (Length: 4760mm, Weight: 1850mm, Height: 1796mm, Wheelbase: 2850mm). The M6 is offered in either a 6-seater (2+2+2) or a 7-seater (2+3+2) version.

On the inside, it looks quite similar to the old BYD e6, but it has received several notable upgrades including a new steering wheel design and driver selector. It still features a familiar 12.8″ rotating screen on the dashboard with 360-degree camera and support for Apple CarPlay.

Safety equipment has also been upgraded with a total of 6 airbags along with BYD’s comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which include adaptive and intelligent cruise control, automatic emergency braking, door open warning and predictive collision warning.

Other amenities include a wireless phone charger, ventilated and powered front seats, panoramic glass room and support for Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) which turns the fully electric MPV into a powerbank to power your domestic home appliances.

Affordable fully electric MPV priced under RM150K?

So far there are no pricing details yet but we reckon that the BYD M6 could be priced below RM150,000 when it launches in Malaysia. In Indonesia, the base 7-seater version is priced at IDR 379,000,000 (about RM103,409), while the range-topping 6-seater version is priced at IDR 429,000,000 (about RM117,500).

Besides the BYD M6, there are indications that another BYD EV is coming to our shores and it is speculated to be the BYD Sealion 07.

According to the latest Road Transport Department (JPJ) data, BYD is currently the leading EV brand in Malaysia with a total of 5,603 EVs registered between January to August 2024, equivalent to 39% market share. The BYD Seal is the most popular model with 2,267 units registered in Malaysia this year so far, followed by BYD Atto 3 with 2,217 units and BYD Dolphin with 1,119 units. — SoyaCincau