BYD Updates Yuan Up: RMB 74,800 Entry, 501-Kilometer Range, Driver-Assist Tradeoff

BYD’s updated Yuan Up presents three attractive specifications that do not converge in one vehicle: a low China-market entry price, a new maximum-range battery and the lineup’s most capable driver-assistance package. The Feichi Edition starts at RMB 74,800 and adds a version rated for 501 kilometers, but maximum range and DiPilot C with highway navigation assistance are separated by the trim structure.

The refreshed compact electric crossover, sold internationally as the Atto 2, is offered in China in five variants priced from RMB 74,800 to RMB 104,800, according to the disclosed pricing and specifications. A temporary RMB 5,000 trade-in incentive lowers the entry figure to RMB 69,800 for eligible customers. These are domestic Chinese prices and should not be treated as prices available in Europe, North America or other export markets.

A larger battery delivers the headline range

The principal engineering change is a 51.13-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate Blade Battery supplied by BYD’s FinDreams division. It raises the Yuan Up’s maximum stated range from 401 to 501 kilometers under China’s CLTC test cycle, an increase of 100 kilometers, or approximately 25%.

That figure is a laboratory-cycle rating, not a verified real-world result. Actual distance between charges will depend on speed, temperature, climate-control use, traffic, terrain, payload and driving behavior. It also should not be compared directly with ratings produced under other regulatory test procedures without accounting for their different duty cycles.

The other battery choices remain 32 kilowatt-hours for the 301-kilometer version and 45.12 kilowatt-hours for the 401-kilometer versions. This creates a conventional product ladder in which additional battery capacity purchases more rated range, while the common vehicle platform and powertrain help limit configuration complexity.

One motor now serves every Feichi Edition trim

Every updated variant uses a front-mounted permanent-magnet motor producing 70 kilowatts and 180 newton-meters. BYD no longer includes the 130-kilowatt motor previously available in higher-end editions of the Yuan Up.

Standardizing the motor can reduce the number of powertrain combinations that must be manufactured, calibrated and supported. It may also allow more of the price difference among trims to be concentrated in battery capacity and equipment. The corresponding cost is straightforward: moving up the Feichi Edition range no longer provides the substantially higher motor output offered by the earlier 130-kilowatt configuration.

Charging information remains less complete than the range data. The stated DC charging time is 30 minutes from 30% to 80% battery state of charge, but no peak charging power or charging curve has been provided. A single time interval cannot show how quickly the vehicle charges from a low state, how long it sustains its maximum rate or how temperature affects a charging stop.

Range and driver assistance remain separate choices

The most consequential packaging decision concerns DiPilot C. The 501-kilometer configuration and the suite with Highway Navigation on Autopilot are not offered together on the same trim. The assistance package includes functions such as adaptive cruise control, highway and urban-expressway navigation assistance, automated valet parking and remote parking assistance on the applicable variant.

Those are driver-assistance functions rather than a substitute for an attentive driver. More importantly for this lineup, the trim separation means the highest battery capacity does not automatically bring the broadest assistance package. The low starting price, longest rated range and most capable driver assistance therefore represent different purchasing priorities rather than a single flagship specification.

The Yuan Up remains a compact vehicle at 4,310 millimeters long, 1,830 millimeters wide and 1,675 millimeters tall, with a 2,620-millimeter wheelbase. Cabin equipment includes a 12.8-inch rotating central touchscreen, an 8.8-inch driver display and four-zone voice recognition. Folding the 60:40 rear bench expands stated cargo capacity to as much as 1,320 liters.

BYD has extended the Yuan Up’s rated operating envelope without increasing motor output across the refreshed range. The resulting proposition is less about one fully loaded model than a controlled allocation of cost: buyers can prioritize price, battery range or advanced assistance, but the 501-kilometer rating and top driver-assistance suite do not arrive together.

By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.