BYD Qin Plus DM-i

Most plug-in hybrids are built around the assumption that the owner will charge every night. The 2027 Qin Plus DM-i is built the other way round: it carries a 65-litre fuel tank, and the electric side is there to cut consumption rather than to replace the engine. That difference decides whether the car is usable in a market where charging points are concentrated in one or two cities.

The car is a four-door, five-seat saloon measuring 4,840 mm long, 1,900 mm wide and 1,498 mm tall on a 2,800 mm wheelbase, with 1,620 mm tracks front and rear. Minimum turning radius is 5.5 metres, approach and departure angles are 13 and 14 degrees. Three versions are offered for 2027: 140 km Leading, 220 km Beyond and 220 km Excellence, all using the same 1.5-litre engine and the same front-mounted motor.

1,900 mm Wide on a 2,800 mm Wheelbase

 

The width is the number worth noticing. At 1,900 mm the body is broader than most saloons in this class, and the 1,620 mm tracks at both ends are what make that width useful rather than merely decorative: the wheels sit close to the body edges, so the car tracks flat and the cabin gains shoulder room. A 2,800 mm wheelbase on a 4,840 mm body keeps the overhangs short, which matters for kerb clearance and for the turning circle in dense traffic.

Build Your Dreams: The Nameplate on the Tailgate

 

The full BYD wordmark is spelled out across the rear panel rather than reduced to a badge, and a single character for Qin sits on the boot lid. For importers this is worth pointing out to buyers: the car is sold in China under the Qin name, and the lettering is what identifies the model in photographs and in parts catalogues. Confirm with us which badge configuration and model designation the destination market requires before the order is placed.

The front end carries a wide grille and slim lamp units with LED daytime running lights on all three versions, plus automatic headlights, manual height adjustment and a follow-me-home delay. Adaptive high and low beam is reserved for the Excellence version. The body is a three-box saloon with a relatively low roofline, and the door handles are body-coloured rather than chrome.

Front and rear electric windows with anti-pinch are standard throughout, as are central locking, keyless start and an engine immobiliser. The car uses a swing-door body, and both charging inlets are grouped on the rear right quarter, which keeps cables away from the traffic side when the car is parked nose-in.

Front Face and Lighting

 

LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, height adjustment and a delay function are fitted to all three versions, so the lighting baseline does not change with trim. Only the Excellence version adds adaptive high and low beam, which alters the beam pattern instead of asking the driver to dip manually. On unlit intercity routes that is the one lighting function worth paying for, and it is the only lighting difference between the entry car and the top car.

Roof, Glass and Rear Treatment

 

The sunroof with an electric sunshade is listed on the Excellence version only, which is a visible difference inside the cabin on a hot day. The rear screen is raked into a short boot lid, and the tail lamp units wrap into the rear quarter panels. Access to the boot is by a conventional lid rather than a hatch, so the load area is separated from the cabin, which reduces noise transfer from luggage on long runs.

The engine is a BYD472QC: 1,498 cc, four cylinders, double overhead camshaft, naturally aspirated with multi-point port injection, aluminium head and block, rated at 101 Ps, 74 kW and 126 N·m at 4,500 rpm on 92-octane fuel. It is not the primary drive unit for most journeys. The front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor produces 120 kW, 163 Ps and 210 N·m on its own, and with a single drive motor the car completes 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds on the 140 km version and 7.7 seconds on the two 220 km versions. Top speed is limited to 180 km/h on all three.

Battery capacity is 16.2 kWh on the 140 km version and 24.3 kWh on the two 220 km cars, using BYD's Blade Battery construction with direct cooling. CLTC electric range is 140 km and 220 km, which corresponds to 107 km and 160 km on the WLTC cycle, and consumption is quoted at 12.4 and 13.8 kWh per 100 km. DC fast charging is supported on all three: 23 kW on the entry car, taking 23 minutes for 30 to 80 per cent, and 48 kW on the other two, taking 20 minutes for the same window.

The fuel figures are where the argument sits. WLTC combined consumption is 1.04 L/100 km on the entry version and 0.85 on the other two, which only holds if the battery is kept charged. The honest number for a buyer without reliable charging is the low-state-of-charge figure: 3.60 and 3.70 L/100 km. Against a 65-litre tank, that implies roughly 1,800 km between fuel stops before any electric range is counted. Battery preheating and 3.3 kW external discharge are fitted as standard across the range.

Engine Bay: 1.5 Litres Plus a Front Motor

 

The engine is small by plug-in hybrid standards, and it is sized to hold a steady cruising load rather than to provide peak acceleration. Torque for standing starts and overtaking comes from the motor, which is why a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit delivers 7.5-second acceleration. For a distributor, the practical consequence is that the engine bay layout is simpler than a turbocharged equivalent: no turbocharger, no intercooler, and a port-injection fuel system that is tolerant of fuel quality.

Charging on the Rear Right Quarter

 

Both the AC and DC inlets sit together on the rear right side, which keeps charging cables away from traffic when the car is parked nose-in. The DC figures are modest by battery-electric standards and that is by design: this car is not expected to depend on public charging, so 20 or 23 minutes for a 30-80 per cent top-up is enough to make an overnight stop useful. The 3.3 kW discharge output runs tools or a small appliance from the pack, and battery preheating is standard rather than optional.

Passive safety is the same on all three versions: driver and passenger airbags, front side airbags and front and rear curtain airbags, with anti-lock braking, brake force distribution, brake assist, traction control, electronic stability control and ISOFIX anchorages. Rear side airbags are not listed on any version, which is worth knowing if the buyer is comparing against a competitor that fits them. A low-speed driving warning is fitted across the range, as required for a vehicle that can move on electric power alone.

The driver assistance content is where the three versions separate sharply. The Leading and Beyond cars carry rear parking radar, auto hold, hill start assist, energy recovery, satellite navigation with traffic information, and the connectivity set including an app store, car networking, over-the-air updates and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Beyond version adds a tyre blowout stability system. Nothing more.

The Excellence version adds the whole assistance package at once: lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, forward and rear collision warning, door-opening warning, lane keeping assist, lane centring, traffic sign recognition, hands-off detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change assist and assisted on and off-ramp driving, plus assisted and remote parking, a built-in dash cam and a sentry mode. Traffic light recognition is offered as an option on this version. Buyers who need a car compliant with a fleet safety policy should be steered to the Excellence, because the two lower versions will not meet a requirement for autonomous braking.

Inside, the Excellence version also adds the full LCD instrument panel, power adjustment for both front seats, a rear centre armrest with cupholders, multi-zone climate control and an in-car karaoke function. Rear air vents and a PM2.5 filter are fitted to all three.

Sensors and Assistance on the Top Version

 

The camera module sits behind the top of the windscreen, and hands-off detection is listed on the Excellence version, so the system checks that the driver is holding the wheel rather than assuming it. That function matters in tenders where the buyer compares against competitors quoting lane keeping without driver monitoring. If a destination market requires autonomous emergency braking for registration or insurance, this is the version to specify, since the two lower trims do not carry it.

Wheels, Doors and Trim Detail

 

Wheel and tyre specification is not published for these versions, so we have left it out of the parameter table rather than quote a size that may not match the production batch. Body-coloured door handles and mirrors are common to all three, and the visual differences between versions are concentrated inside the car rather than outside. For a buyer ordering a mixed fleet, that means the three versions are hard to tell apart from the kerb, which is usually an advantage in a rental or corporate fleet.

Three practical points before an order is confirmed. First, decide the version by assistance content rather than by range: the two lower trims have no autonomous emergency braking, so a market that requires it must be supplied with the Excellence version. Second, confirm the charging inlet standard and the onboard charger rating required in the destination market, because the AC side has to match local infrastructure and this must be agreed at contract stage rather than assumed. Third, confirm the badge and model designation required for registration, since the car is sold in China under the Qin name.

Vehicle specifications, colours and equipment availability change by production batch. Please confirm the exact configuration, model year and delivery schedule with our sales team before issuing a purchase order, and treat the parameter table on this page as a reference for the versions currently listed rather than a binding offer.

For current availability of the Qin Plus DM-i, mixed-container options and documentation for your market, send your requirement through the enquiry form on this page. Please include destination port, quantity, preferred version and required model year so that we can respond with an accurate offer.