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With new Chinese car firms arriving on the UK shores each month, it’s all too straightforward for Brits to assume that that we obtain each model produced in China. However, with the Chinese vehicle industry producing more vehicles than anyplace else on this planet, there may be a surprising quantity of distinctive fashions which might be virtually solely out there to consumers of their native market.

This consists of the nation’s best-seller – the BYD Qin. According to figures from Car Industry Analysis, no fewer than 487,934 examples had been bought in China all through 2024. A traditional-looking four-door saloon, the Qin affords a related quantity of energy and space as a Toyota Corolla or Skoda Octavia, albeit at a fraction of the price.

With a beginning price of 89,900 yuan (£9,595), the BYD Qin comfortably undercuts the associated fee of the most affordable full-size car bought within the UK, the Dacia Sandero at £14,200, and is just a little bit more costly than the a lot more restricted Citroen Ami electric quadricycle, which prices £7,695.

Introduced in March 2021, the newest model of the BYD Qin options a pretty trendy look, with a massive trapezoidal entrance grille and set of glossy entrance headlights with chrome trim.

The rear finish makes use of a single-piece rear tail mild, spanning the width of the bootlid, and sculpted vents within the bumper that help it to look considerably much like the newest Audi A5 govt saloon.

The Qin’s inside is equally trendy, if a little undistinctive, with a massive floating touchscreen being the centrepiece of the dashboard and a hefty centre console that includes a storage compartment and a few tactile buttons.

Despite costing the average Chinese driver much less than £10,000, the BYD Qin comes geared up with a honest quantity of luxuries as commonplace. Features embrace dual-zone climate control, a 10.1-inch rotating touchscreen, keyless entry, and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels.

The model additionally options a plug-in hybrid powertrain, that includes a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a single electric motor, which mix to supply 170bhp. Mated with a six-speed gearbox, and the Qin will speed up from 0-62mph in beneath six seconds and return an spectacular 74mpg.

Unfortunately, BYD UK has not introduced any plans to deliver the Qin to the UK market, as an alternative placing a bigger deal with crossovers and SUVs, such because the Atto 2 and Seal U.