BYD M6 Electric

After 2 weeks ownership:

This is an excellent car my first MPV and EV. The driving experience is completely different from a petrol car. The 0-100 km/h acceleration is noticeably faster than my previous 2.0 SUV. I get around 450 to 500 km on a full charge, and charging is extremely convenient in Singapore. I can confidently say I'll never go back to petrol cars again.

After two weeks with the BYD M6, someone's finally cracked the affordable family EV code. In a market where Corolla Altis and Elantra occupy this price bracket, the M6 offers more seats, tech, and a full EV powertrain. Want another Cat-A 7-seater? The Peugeot 5008 costs $25k more. We're talking significantly more car and passengers per dollar - a proper seven-seater EV at ICE sedan prices.

The driving experience surprises for a two-ton MPV. Good suspension balance (but slightly bouncy), decent low-speed torque (despite being de-tuned for Cat-A COE), and planted handling thanks to the battery-in-floor design. The default Giti Control P10 tires are adequate. U-turns need planning, but parking's a breeze with accurate 360-degree cameras and good night illumination for spotting those North Bridge Road drains. Sound insulation's solid, though wind noise is more noticeable at speed - that's just EV physics (no engine).

Pro-tips: Brake pedal firest activates regen before friction brakes, so "Standard" Vs "Strong" Regen settings barely differ. Electric tailgate needs 55cm clearance (measured it). Parking sensors? I verified their accuracy with a tape measure.

Tech-wise: Comprehensive safety suite with ADAS, blind spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, and ICC with lane centering (though it only works with ICC, unlike my old Vezel). Door lights for night visibility, remote AC pre-cooling via app (brilliant for Singapore), wireless charging, and ample storage. Niggles include oversensitive seatbelt warnings (triggers with just 2 laptops), no auto-dimming mirror, and a frustratingly basic media player.

Being a facelifted Song Max DM-i shows in some compromises: vestigial transmission tunnel, shallow second-row seats (fine for kids, less so for adult long trips), and middling 580L boot space in 5-seater mode (Octavia offers 600L). But these are enthusiast nitpicks in an otherwise solid package.

The unpretentious exterior with nice LED touches grew on me. With a 10-year warranty on motor and battery, it's one of SG's most sensible family EVs. While NCAP ratings are pending, the safety tech and build quality reassure. As a standalone car: 4 stars (those space quirks matter). But factor in the price? Solid 5 stars for exceptional value - you're getting a tech-loaded seven-seater EV at basic ICE sedan prices. That's not just good value; Its redefining the price bracket

The BYD M6 is an entry-level MPV based off the existing BYD e6 and Song Max models. It comes with two variants (standard and extended) but only the longer range trim is offered here. Coming from a C4GP/Spacetourer, it feels pretty similar in terms of the car size and interior space.

Due to its relatively budget-friendly price, there is some hard plastic around but maybe not as much as other cars in this price range, and it follows a traditional design that is not as funky as the Atto 3. The seats are well cushioned and there is a decent amount of leg and headroom in first two rows. The third row is not just for children and can contain adults if you push the second row seats slightly in front - same like the Picasso or Spacetourer. Front row seats are powered and ventilated. There is plenty of boot space, and the 2nd and 3rd row seats can be folded down flat to ferry large items.

Infotainment includes the large rotatable tablet in the center that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is used to control the air conditioning and radio so no knobs for those though there are some physical buttons for other functions related to driving. Other notable features include a wireless charger, air conditioning for all rows, a large moonroof with sliding shade, auto tail-gate and a whole load of safety features such as blind spot monitor, intelligent cruise control, 360 camera.

Drive-wise, the cabin is quiet and the initial pickup is fast similar to other EVs. The suspension is soft so the drive is comfortable as long as not driven aggressively though there seems to be less body roll perhaps due to the heavier weight. There is regenerative braking though the car does not slow down as much other EVs with the one-pedal function and coasts like an ICE car.

Let me write a proper review rather than the other 2 review before this.

Pre-read:

I drove a hyundai CN7(2021) avante.

Disclaimer:

This review is based on 3 test drive before I made the purchase.

What I need:

Space

Mpv that is less than 200k sgd

Here's my review:

What I like:

- the space is an upgrade from my cn7.

- aircon seats

- sunroof for my kids

- 2 front electronics seat adjustments

- quiet cabin drive

- the rear seats space is decent if you are 170cm and below, which is better than Toyota wish.

- multi zone aircon

- the drive is smooth, and not bumpy (based on my test drive where one of the occasion I experienced heavy rain)

- advance infotainment system.

What I think is decent:

- 0-60km/hr pick up is good but after 60km/hr the pick up is slow but still decent as most MPVs performance is much worst than this.

- the cabin space is ok.. But the width is quite narrow as compared to its peers.

-audio system seems abit weaker but still usable. Kinda of muffled.

- overly sensitive brakes but hey, it's for the safety.

- 3M tinted film like not dark enough..But it's part of the package so no complaints.

What I didnt like:

- the speedometer, there's no digital speed.

- max paper mileage only reach 440km, was hoping for at least 550km.

- DC charging takes 1hr 10mins while other evs in the mkt took shorter time.

- plastic dashboard.

Overall, I made the purchase of this car as this is the most affordable mpv available. And it has decent pick up speed.