BYD M6

Available with dual-tone black and brown leather upholstery as standard, the seven-seater cabin of the BYD M6 feels spacious, though the design of the cabin looks too plain for a vehicle of its category.

The driver’s cockpit of the BYD M6 has a three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel with a compact 5-inch full-TFT instrument console behind it. The centre console is dominated by a large 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which has a unique rotating feature. Below this huge screen, the centre console gets sleek AC vents. 

The M6 is nicely equipped with modern amenities like a wireless charger, powered front seats with height adjustability for the driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, panoramic sunroof, 6-speaker audio system, USB charging ports, LED cabin and ambient lighting, air purifier, and powered tailgate.

The BYD M6 has been in the global market for quite some time with mild facelifts ensuring that it looks as fresh as possible. However, the overall styling has now begun to show its age. Nevertheless, the compact dimensions, aerodynamic bonnet with smooth curves, kink on the waistline while moving towards the rear and a sharp crease through the door panels add some character to the otherwise simple design.

The BYD M6 has wing-shaped LED headlamps with triple LED projectors and L-shaped LED DRLs, which have a slim satin silver garnish panel running between them. More satin silver accents can be seen below the side air dams on the front bumper, lower part of door panels, and above the license plate housing at the rear. With 17-inch alloys, the BYD M6 also gets large LED combination tail lamps with wraparound LED inserts that merge with the connected LED light bar. 

The BYD M6 has Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link at the rear, with the compact electric MPV having 17-inch alloy wheels, 140 mm ground clearance, and 2800 mm wheelbase as standard. The low-slung stance and soft-tuned suspension setup of the M6 give it a well-balanced ride and handling setup, while the long wheelbase ensures that the space is good in the second row. However, the third row feels short on legroom for taller people. 

The BYD M6 sold in the Malaysian car market comes with a single AC motor setup which is placed at the front. While the torque output of 310 Nm is the same in both the variants, the Standard Range claims 161 bhp, while the Extended Range claims 201 bhp from the same motor. With a top speed of 180 kmph, the claimed 0-100 kmph timings are 10.1 seconds for the Standard Range and 8.6 seconds for the Extended Range. 

Both variants also have different battery setups, which are compatible with 7kW AC charging. The Standard Range gets a 55.4kWh battery that delivers 420 km range and supports up to 89kW DC fast charging, while the 71.8kWh battery of the Extended Range claims 530 km range and supports up to 115kW DC fast charging. 

The basic safety equipment which is standard in both the variants of the BYD M6 includes front, side, and curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX child seat mounts, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic parking brake, electronic stability control, traction control, vehicle dynamics control, hill hold control and roll movement intervention.

The other sophisticated safety features present in the M6 are a brake override system, 360-degree parking camera, rear parking sensors, auto hold, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, door open warning, front and rear collision warning, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure assist and emergency lane keeping assist. 

The overall styling of the BYD M6 has become a bit dated to look at inside-out after all these years, though it has received minimal updates to look relevant. As a compact MPV, the M6 has comfortable seats and ride quality, while being easy to drive with light steering and decent battery and motor setups.