BYD has launched the new Song Ultra DM-i in China at RMB 129,900-159,900 ($17,900-$22,000 approx.), using the model to showcase not just another high-volume plug-in hybrid SUV, but a much broader technology strategy. Announced alongside BYD’s latest intelligent driving roadmap, the new SUV brings up to 310 km CLTC pure-electric range, 1,845 km combined range, optional DiPilot 300 urban navigation assist, and a newly unveiled 4nm Xuanji A3 intelligent driving chip that BYD says is already entering mass production. In short, this is more than a new Song variant: it is a signal that BYD wants to compete on price, scale, software, and autonomous-driving hardware all at once.
BYD Song Ultra DM-i: Pricing, Positioning, and Core Specs
The Song Ultra DM-i went on sale on May 28 with five variants priced from RMB 129,900 to RMB 159,900. In China’s fiercely contested midsize family SUV market, that places it directly in the heart of the mass-market new energy vehicle segment, where value, range, cabin tech, and driver-assistance features increasingly matter as much as badge recognition.
BYD is clearly positioning the Song Ultra DM-i as a practical long-range family SUV with premium tech cues rather than a bare-bones PHEV.
Key specifications
| Item | BYD Song Ultra DM-i |
|---|---|
| Price range | RMB 129,900-159,900 |
| Number of variants | 5 |
| Powertrain | 1.5L engine + electric motor PHEV |
| Engine output | 74 kW |
| Motor output | 175 kW |
| CLTC pure EV range | 205 km / 310 km |
| Max combined range | 1,845 km |
| Dimensions (L/W/H) | 4,850 / 1,910 / 1,670 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,840 mm |
| Wheels | 19-inch standard |
| Cargo capacity | 680L to 1,659L |
Those numbers matter. A 310 km CLTC electric-only range is unusually strong for a mainstream PHEV SUV, and the quoted 1,845 km total range gives BYD a highly marketable headline in a Chinese market where charging access is improving but long-distance flexibility still sells.
Design and Cabin: Familiar BYD Formula, More Premium Execution
Visually, the Song Ultra DM-i keeps close to BYD’s modern family design language, with a clean front fascia, slim lighting elements, and a full-width daytime running light treatment. The side profile uses a floating-roof effect and semi-hidden door handles, while the rear gets a full-width taillight bar.
Available exterior colors include:
- Fire Rock Gray
- Snow Mountain White
- Mist Purple
- Galaxy Beige
- Palm Green
Inside, BYD leans heavily into screen-centric packaging and comfort features.
Interior highlights
- 15.6-inch adaptive rotating center screen
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 26-inch W-HUD
- Two cabin themes: Sea Salt Gray and Twilight Cloud Gray
- First use of BYD’s new Didi Xia “super intelligent agent”
Higher trims add a noticeably more premium equipment list:
- Front-seat ventilation and heating
- Seat memory
- 10-point massage seats
- “Queen seat” for the front passenger
- Heated steering wheel
- In-car cooling/heating box
- Fragrance system
- 16-speaker DiSound audio system
This is increasingly BYD’s playbook: offer the dimensions and utility expected of a family SUV, then add comfort and digital features that make the vehicle feel a class above its sticker price.
Intelligent Driving Is the Bigger Story
The more important news is not the sheet metal. It is the technology stack behind the launch.
The Song Ultra DM-i comes standard with God’s Eye C driver assistance, while buyers can optionally upgrade to God’s Eye B laser-assisted version (DiPilot 300) for RMB 12,000. With that package, the SUV supports features including City Navigation On Autopilot (CNOA).
BYD also announced a one-year city navigation safety guarantee for vehicles equipped with God’s Eye A or God’s Eye B, covering losses in full with no upper compensation limit. That is a striking confidence signal in a market where brands are increasingly using warranty-like promises to reduce consumer anxiety around advanced driver-assistance systems.
BYD’s latest intelligent-driving upgrades
- New Xuanji Architecture 2.0
- Central computing “brain” integrating cockpit, driving, and electric systems
- Sensor, algorithm, and data upgrades across the stack
- Over-1,000-line lidar with claimed 600-meter detection range
- “Flash” camera with up to 1,000 fps and under 1 ms latency
- Dual infrared cameras for better perception in extreme conditions
- End-to-end mapless OTA rollout for God’s Eye C scheduled from December
If BYD can deliver even most of these claims in real-world use, it would strengthen the company’s transition from cost leader to full-stack automotive tech player.
Xuanji A3 Chip: BYD Wants More Vertical Control
At the same event, BYD unveiled its self-developed Xuanji A3 intelligent driving chip, built on a 4nm process. According to the company, the chip offers:
- 273 GB/s memory bandwidth
- Three-chip compute setup exceeding 2,100 TOPS
- 20% lower power consumption per unit of compute versus comparable products
- 16-core CPU with 420K DMIPS
- Support for L3/L4 autonomous driving
- Mass-production readiness already underway
That matters because China’s leading EV makers are all moving toward tighter vertical integration in software and semiconductors. Tesla set the template globally; in China, brands such as BYD, NIO, XPeng, and Huawei-backed automakers are all trying to control more of the value chain in order to optimize costs, shorten iteration cycles, and better integrate perception, planning, and cockpit systems.
BYD’s chip claims should still be treated cautiously until independent validation and broader deployment arrive. But the strategic message is unmistakable: BYD no longer wants to be seen only as the battery-and-scale champion. It wants recognition as a serious autonomous-driving hardware and software developer too.
A Quick Market Comparison
The Song Ultra DM-i enters a Chinese market where buyers increasingly compare vehicles across powertrain categories, not just within PHEV segments. That means it must compete not only with other BYD models, but also with range-extended SUVs, pure EV crossovers, and tech-forward rivals from brands such as Li Auto, Aito, XPeng, and Geely-owned Zeekr.
Where the Song Ultra DM-i stands
| Metric | Song Ultra DM-i | Market Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | RMB 129,900 | Aggressive for a midsize tech-heavy SUV |
| EV-only range | Up to 310 km CLTC | Strong selling point versus many PHEVs |
| Combined range | 1,845 km | Appeals to long-distance and mixed-use buyers |
| ADAS option | DiPilot 300 / CNOA | Helps close perception gap with tech-focused rivals |
| In-house chip strategy | Yes | Supports BYD’s vertical integration push |
In other words, BYD is attacking the market with a familiar formula—competitive pricing and strong specs—but with a more advanced intelligent-driving narrative layered on top.
Why This Matters
The Song Ultra DM-i launch reflects three larger trends in the Chinese EV market.
1. PHEVs remain strategically important
Despite the global spotlight on battery-electric vehicles, China’s plug-in hybrid and range-extended segments remain crucial for volume growth. Consumers still value:
- Long total range
- Lower charging dependence
- Better cost-to-performance ratios
- Easier adoption in lower-tier cities and long-distance use cases
BYD has been one of the clearest winners of that trend, and the Song Ultra DM-i reinforces that advantage.
2. ADAS is becoming a mainstream battleground
Features once reserved for premium EVs are moving into far more affordable models. A RMB 129,900 starting price paired with a pathway to urban assisted driving shows how quickly China’s intelligent-driving arms race is filtering downmarket.
3. Vertical integration is the next phase of competition
BYD’s new chip, sensor stack, and system architecture reveal an ambition to own more of the vehicle technology stack—from battery to powertrain to assisted driving compute. That approach can improve margins, reduce supplier dependence, and accelerate software updates if executed well.
The AI Angle: Chinese Tech’s New Product Logic
There is also a broader China tech backdrop worth noting. Recent comments from Tencent executives, reported by 36Kr, suggest that major Chinese technology firms are reorganizing around AI-product integration, emphasizing real-world product feedback, context-rich data, and engineering deployment over benchmark chasing. Tencent executives said the company now sees competition shifting from raw model capability to real scenarios, user feedback loops, context networks, and agent-style implementation. The company also disclosed that most of Tencent’s code this year has been generated by AI, while Tencent Cloud’s TokenHub platform has reached 5 trillion daily tokens after just three months of operation.
Why mention that in an automotive story? Because Chinese carmakers are increasingly following the same logic. Vehicles are no longer just hardware products; they are AI-defined terminals that depend on data collection, software iteration, and product-model co-design. BYD’s introduction of the Didi Xia intelligent agent, plus its integrated chip-and-sensor strategy, fits neatly into that shift.
At the same time, the market is showing that monetization must be handled carefully. Separate reporting cited by 36Kr said ByteDance’s AI assistant Doubao lost 6.1 million monthly active users after launching a paid subscription option in May, suggesting China’s mass-market AI users remain highly price sensitive. That lesson is relevant for automakers too: advanced software features may be desirable, but charging extra for them has to be balanced against fierce competition and consumers’ expectation of value.
Global Implications
For overseas observers, the Song Ultra DM-i is another example of how quickly Chinese automakers are compressing the traditional automotive development cycle.
What stands out is the combination of:
- Mass-market pricing
- Long-range electrified powertrains
- Rapid ADAS feature rollout
- In-house semiconductor development
- AI-based cockpit and software integration
This combination is increasingly difficult for legacy global automakers to match at speed, especially in mainstream price bands. Chinese brands are no longer competing only on EV cost or battery supply—they are competing on the pace of full-stack product iteration.
For BYD specifically, the Song Ultra DM-i reinforces the company’s ability to use its enormous scale to push new technology into high-volume segments. If its intelligent-driving systems prove reliable in real-world usage, BYD could become even harder to challenge both at home and eventually in export markets.
What Comes Next
BYD says its broader R&D investment will exceed RMB 100 billion, with goals over the next three to five years that include zero traffic accidents, a super driver, and a super secretary. Those are ambitious claims, and as always, the real test will be execution rather than presentation slides.
Still, the Song Ultra DM-i launch shows BYD’s direction clearly. The company is not content with being China’s biggest NEV manufacturer. It wants to define the next phase of the market by combining PHEV efficiency, mass-market affordability, intelligent-driving hardware, and AI-enhanced in-car software in one product stack.
For competitors, that is a warning. For buyers, it may be one of the most significant mainstream Chinese SUV launches of the year.
