BYD Qin Max: price, range and specs ahead of the August 13 launch

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The first BYD Qin Max units have started arriving at Chinese dealerships ahead of the model’s launch on August 13. The new sedan will slot between the Qin L and the Han, and will be offered as both a battery-electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid. The headline numbers are already known: up to 630 km of CLTC range, 322 hp and a battery that charges from 10% to 97% in nine minutes.

Photos of a showroom Qin Max DM-i were published by Lu Tian, general manager of BYD’s Dynasty lineup sales. The August 13 launch date is confirmed by Chinese industry sources, though it remains unclear whether the electric and hybrid versions will go on sale at the same time.

The sedan measures 4,866 mm long, 1,880 mm wide and 1,495 mm tall, with a 2,820 mm wheelbase. Chinese regulatory filings also confirm the option of a roof-mounted lidar and an electric motor rated at up to 240 kW. The model seats five and, in its top electric trim, weighs around 1.8 tonnes.

The same 630 km figure is claimed for the new BYD Yuan Plus with its second-generation Blade battery, but the Qin Max delivers that range in a larger sedan body. CLTC figures tend to be more optimistic than the European WLTP cycle, so real-world highway and winter range will likely come in lower than the rated numbers.

For the electric Qin Max, BYD claims its Flash Charging system can take the battery from 10% to 70% in five minutes and from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. That figure is only achievable on a compatible ultra-high-power charger and at the right battery temperature — a regular city charging point won’t deliver the claimed speed.

The technology has already been tested on other models from the group: SPEEDME.RU reported how the Denza Z9GT charged from 20% to 97% in 12 minutes after sitting for a full day at −30 °C. The Qin Max relies on the same fast-charging concept, though its real-world production results are still to be verified.

The Qin Max DM-i hybrid pairs a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter gasoline engine producing 74 kW (101 hp) with a traction motor rated at 175 kW (238 hp). These figures can’t simply be added together — BYD hasn’t yet disclosed the system’s official combined output.

Standard equipment includes the DiPilot 300 suite, known as God’s Eye B, with a roof-mounted lidar. Inside, the cabin gets a digital instrument cluster, a central touchscreen, a column-mounted gear selector and a wireless charging pad.

Dealer documents previously pointed to preliminary price ranges of 115,000–145,000 yuan (about $16,000–$20,300) for four hybrid trims and 125,000–155,000 yuan (about $17,500–$21,700) for five electric trims. These figures aren’t official retail prices — BYD is expected to reveal the final pricing on August 13.

Two key questions remain ahead of the launch: the final pricing and the rollout schedule for the two powertrains. Until then, the Qin Max can only be compared with rivals on size, power and charging speed.