Yesterday, it was announced that Sime Darby Motors (SDM) had signed a distributorship agreement with China’s BYD to sell the latter’s electric vehicles (EVs) in Malaysia. In an official release, SDM confirmed two models that will be coming to our market, namely the Atto 3 and e6.
We’ve already prepared a separate post if you’d like to know more about the Atto 3, which you can check out here. In this post, we’re focusing on the e6, which is a fully electric MPV currently in its second generation (the first-generation model made an appearance here back in 2017) that is based on the Song Max, albeit equipped with the Chinese carmaker’s in-house Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
In Singapore and India, the e6’s battery has an energy capacity of 71.7 kWh that is good for a range of between 520-522 km (WLTC city) or 415 km (WLTC combined). The MPV is also sold in Thailand, where it is listed to have a 70-kWh battery for 500 km of range (NEDC) or an estimated 450 km according to the WLTP cycle – the WLTP figure is preferred as it more closely reflects real world driving.
The difference in battery capacities could be due to the local distributor’s decision to list the gross or usable energy capacity, with the former being the higher figure. Regardless, the Blade battery juices an identical front-mounted electric motor rated at 95 PS (94 hp or 70 kW) and 180 Nm of torque, which allows for a top speed of 130 km/h.
As for charging, the Singapore spec sheet lists two options, with the e6 capable of handing an AC input (Type 2 connection) of 40 kW – a full charge takes 1.8 hours. There’s also support for DC fast charging (CCS2 connection) at 60 kW, which sees a shorter charging time of 1.5 hours.
Meanwhile, the e6 sold in Thailand and India both support the same DC input mentioned above, but the AC charging rate is just 6.6 kW, with a full charge taking 12 hours instead. In India, the e6 can be optioned with the more powerful 40-kW AC onboard charger for the higher-spec GLX.
If you’re curious about the MPV’s size, it measures 4,695 mm long, 1,810 mm wide, 1,670 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,800 mm. For context, the e6 occupies a slightly larger footprint than the current Proton Exora that is 4,615 mm long, 1,809 mm wide, 1,691 mm and with a wheelbase of 2,730 mm.
BYD says the e6 is five-seater with a turning radius of 5.65 metres and a boot space of 580 litres when the rear bench is not folded down. The MPV’s chassis gets MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link rear setup, and in the markets mentioned, 17-inch wheels are standard (paired with 215/55 profile tyres). Compared to the Song Max, the e6 has a closed off grille instead of a slatted one for differentiation.
In terms of equipment, available for the e6 are halogen projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED taillights, a powered tailgate, leather upholstery, a five-inch TFT instrument display, a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, keyless entry and start, automatic air-conditioning with rear vents, an electronic parking brake and electric power steering.
For safety, the spec sheets reveal four airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system and an array of passive safety systems (ESP, VDC, traction control, hill start assist, ABS, EBD and brake assist). There’s no mention of any active safety systems like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) in any of the three markets.
On the matter of pricing, the e6 retails for 1.39 million baht (RM170,855) in Thailand, inclusive of the country’s 7% value-added tax (VAT), while over in India, the MPV starts from 2.915 million rupees (RM166,104 or 29.15 lakh rupees). As for Singapore, the e6 meets the country’s A1 band of the Vehicle Emissions Scheme (VES), so it qualifies for a SGD25,000 rebate (RM80,906), bringing its price down to SGD156,000 (RM504,678) inclusive of certificate of entitlement (COE).
If we consider Thailand and India’s pricing, the e6 could be priced around the RM160,000 mark when it is launched here. Of course, that’s just our speculation and we’ll have to wait for the model be launched here to see what SDM is charging for it – hopefully it arrives in time to take advantage of current EV incentives.
For now, the company has not indicated when the e6 will go on sale in Malaysia and if there will be more than one variant. Based on the specifications of the MPV in other markets, are you looking forward to its arrival? Let us know in the comments below.
GALLERY: Second-generation BYD e6 (Singapore market)
GALLERY: Second-generation BYD e6 (Thailand market)
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Beauty
Song Max without the Dragon face and Minus 2 seats.
What to do? Some arrogant P2 owners said Bolehland ppl are poor, not afford to buy the extra 2 seats, if offer 7 seats the arrogant P2 owners will say too expensive…haaa
lol an old model which has been obsolete since 2020 now market as new model in Malaysia and people actually excited for it.
What do you consider as new model? Those that are less than 3 months old model then come in to Malaysia?
Most model reach bolehland after 1 year. So using your definition and logic, we are getting quite old models (not old yet) “new” cars in Malaysia.
How about those cars that are still in the market after so many years? (EG Benz GLC, Exora)??
Meanwhile the Japanese brands are sitting idle watching what to do next. Like their aging population problem, Japanese brands are really showing the effect.
Especially for honda that gives outdated technology while cutting specs
130 km/h top speed??! Hahahaha
Nissan C22 panel van can tapao this junk!
This junk is for city use… not for some idiots like you to drive in NS highway.. no wonder Sohai..