Byton Electric SUV Concept at CES looks a convincing Chinese challenge

An electric SUV Concept from Chinese startup Byton is debuting at the 2018 CES, and looks a convincing and promising offering heading for Europe and the US.

Will the Byton Electric SUV Concept – debuting at CES 2018 – make it to production, or is it just another wish list EV from an unknown Chinese car maker?

All the signs are that Byton – which has come out of the Future Mobility Corporation – has the makings of a serious competitor, with a lead in former BMW I boss Carsten Breitfeld as CEO, a chunk of expertise fleeing from Faraday Future and a presence in Silicon Valley.

In some ways, the Byton Concept is interesting because it’s almost normal, especially for a ‘Concept’, with styling which looks more like a production car than a flight of fancy, and ‘sensible’ promises on performance and range.

The promise is for rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive versions, with the entry-level RWD promising 268bhp and the 4WD version 469bhp, with a range of between 250 and 320 miles in a car about the same size as a Range Rover Sport (although a bit lower).

But the standout shout from Byton is the interior, which features a four foot wide ‘Shared Experience’ display running right across the dashboard.

It will host a plethora of information – from feedback from the ‘mirror cameras’ to Smartphone displays – which can be controlled by gesture and swipe. There’s also another screen in the steering wheel (although that looks more a flight of fancy).

There’s the promise of level 3 (with level 4 to come) autonomy, facial recognition instead of keys, seats which swivel in for social interaction when driving autonomously and big screens in the back too.

At a price pitched around $45k (no doubt £45k if the Byton reaches the UK) it’s a promising electric concept which has all the pieces in place to make its mark.

But a lot could happen between now and when the Byton is expected to be ready for launch at the end of 2019.