BYD (HKEX: 1211) is teasing its new flagship sedan, with the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker releasing official camouflage photos of the model.
The new car is the first D-class flagship sedan in BYD’s Dynasty lineup, marking the company’s latest step in accelerating its expansion in the premium market.
Lu Tian, general manager of the sales division for BYD’s Dynasty lineup, shared the images on Monday, having started soliciting official naming suggestions for the new model from the user community last week.
After multiple rounds of screening, six candidate names ultimately entered the final round, with the number of users selecting the “Dahan” (or Great Han) option currently maintaining an overwhelming lead.
Han is the flagship sedan of BYD’s Dynasty lineup. Although specific technical details of the Dahan sedan remain unclear, it will join the upcoming Datang SUV in targeting the premium auto market. Tang is the flagship SUV of BYD’s Dynasty lineup.
As the first D-class flagship SUV of the Dynasty lineup, the Datang will be officially launched in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, in mid-June. The model began pre-sales in late April, with pre-sales prices starting at 250,000 yuan ($36,970) and reaching up to 320,000 yuan for the highest configuration.
The Datang SUV has received a strong market response. Within the first 24 hours of pre-sales, its orders quickly surpassed 30,000 units. In the first two weeks after pre-sales began, total pre-orders for the model exceeded 100,000 units.
The Datang is equipped with BYD’s latest second-generation Blade Battery, adopts a 1,000-volt high-voltage architecture, and features megawatt-level flash charging technology. The maximum range of its pure electric version reaches a record 950 kilometers.
The roll-out of these flagship models comes as BYD’s sales begin to show signs of recovery. The company achieved a slight year-on-year increase in wholesale volume in May, ending a previous eight-month streak of declining sales.
BYD sold 383,453 NEVs on a wholesale basis in May, edging up 0.26% from a year earlier.
Explosive growth in overseas markets became the biggest highlight, with its overseas sales reaching a record 160,644 units in May, surging 80.40% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the capacity bottleneck caused by the transition from the first-generation Blade Battery to the second-generation product is easing. As production line upgrades gradually concluded in May, BYD’s monthly sales are expected to see a steady growth.
The successful pre-sales of the Datang SUV and the impending arrival of the Dahan sedan are crucial for improving the company’s financial situation.
BYD saw a sharp drop in its first-quarter net profit due to a fierce price war and soaring supply chain costs.
($1 = 6.7626 yuan)
