To the eMAX 7

As a carmaker, BYD has come a long way indeed. Its sales in its domestic market are through the roof, its presence is increasing globally, and its Indian operations aren’t slow, either. The company started in India with the E6, an all-electric MPV, that didn’t just offer a respectable range but also came at a fairly decent price. Of the total sales, about 70 per cent of the E6s in India were sold to fleet operators, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the E6 offered great comfort, too. Now, BYD has decided to up its game, with the launch of the new eMAX 7. The model range starts at ₹26.9 lakh, ex-showroom, which doesn’t just put it exactly where the E6 was but also exposes it to well-established, although conventionally powered rivals, like the Innova. We take the BYD eMAX 7 out for a spin to see how well the company understands the undeniably challenging playing field it’s got into, and more importantly, if it has learnt anything about the Indian customer in the last 17-plus years it has spent in India, the majority of which were as a battery supplier to mobile phone companies.

Classy colours

It’s evident that with the eMAX 7, BYD doesn’t want to alienate any of its customers. The increased features and listening to customer feedback clearly point out that BYD wants as much interest from personal buyers as fleet operators. On the outside, there’s not much that says it’s an EV apart from its badge. The overall design is fairly conventional (for an MPV), but a closer look reveals the lack of a conventional grill up front. The headlamps are sleek, the profile is typically that of an MPV, while the rear is defined by a distinct lack of loud badging. Colour choices include Quartz Blue, Harbour Grey, Crystal White and Cosmos Black, and no matter which of these you choose, the eMAX 7 appears fairly classy, a bit understated even, but never brash. Many carmakers can take a leaf out of BYD’s book on how to style cars without making them unnecessarily gaudy.

The large 12.8-inch touchscreen display can be rotated from the usual landscape to portrait orientation at the mere press of a button

Visually appealing cabin

The cabin isn’t just premium-looking, it’s built well, too. There aren’t too many buttons on the dashboard, so, visually, it’s a pleasant experience. The large 12.8-inch touchscreen display can be rotated from the usual landscape to portrait orientation at the mere press of a button. To those new to this, it might feel gimmicky, but with nearly all features accessible through the touchscreen, it’s nice to be able to choose the display orientation that you’re most comfortable with. If you’re the one to connect Android Auto or Apple CarPlay as soon as you enter the car, the eMAX 7 won’t disappoint, as both connectivity suites are present.

As mentioned earlier, what this all-electric MPV lacks is the presence of physical buttons, hence moving some major controls to the touchscreen. This, while for the most part, doesn’t seem like a chore to operate, but features like the fan speed or ventilated seats are nestled deep within menus, which can be a user-experience disaster. On the plus side, unlike on modern EVs where gear selector duties are usually handled by small buttons or rotary knobs, the eMAX 7 benefits from one with a high level of tactility.

From the passengers’ perspective, the MPV doesn’t score badly either. There are three rows of seats, and the six-seat model (like the one we had on test) is equipped with captain seats for the second row. If you’re going to spend most of your time in the second row, the eMAX 7 has a lot to offer, especially in terms of space and comfort. Accessing the third row isn’t difficult at all, but those seats seem good only for short drives, or if you aren’t too tall, for slightly longer drives, too. The panoramic roof allows a lot of light into the cabin, making it seem more spacious, while the inclusion of soft-touch plastics furthers the liveability quotient of this interior. It wouldn’t have hurt BYD to include blinds for the rear windows and maybe an opening frunk, which could store essentials like the charging cable.

The ‘frunk’ space is taken by the motor, which produces 201 bhp and 31.61 kg-m. Supporting those rather respectable numbers is a 71.8 kWh battery, which comes with BYD’s Blade Battery tech. There’s also a 55.4 kWh battery pack available, although our test car was fitted with the former. That gives the eMAX 7 a claimed range of 530 km, while the performance figures are equally unmissable. The car is claimed to achieve 0-100 km/h in about 8.6 seconds. There are three driving modes, namely Eco, Normal, and Sport. You can also choose between two levels of regenerative braking, with neither of the two suffering from as aggressive off-throttle deceleration as in some EVs.

While the ‘Normal’ mode balances quickness and frugality, if you select ‘Sport’, you’ll also be greeted by a 0-100 km/h timer. The BYD eMAX 7 has, as one would expect from an EV with a floor-mounted battery, a low centre of gravity. This ensures that its body roll is well contained, and even on winding roads with the MPV being pushed a little more than usual, it retains composure. Having said that, its suspension is clearly tuned to provide comfort more than anything else, and in that regard, too, the BYD doesn’t fare too badly, either.

Coming from the E6, it’s clear that BYD has taken into consideration the customer feedback it received, and thus ended up creating a solid alternative to cars like the Innova

Ride quality

It seems to be engineered well, and regardless of where you’re driving it — from negotiating the infamous urban traffic or stretching its legs out on the highway — it offers a confident yet comfortable drive. It might lack the agility of something like a small hatchback, but it impresses with its ride quality and overall pace. The other bit worth noting has to be the car’s battery calibration. The range prediction turned out to be quite accurate, which is something many modern EVs haven’t been able to get right. While we will like to test the eMAX 7 for a little longer to see how well it stacks up with regards to the claimed range, in the little time we spent driving the car — on a variety of roads, in varying traffic conditions — it appears that the company’s range estimate of 530 km on a full charge might actually be achievable.

As is the case with other modern EVs, the eMAX 7 accepts a multitude of charging solutions: from the standard-speed charging setup at home to fast charging at public stations. Add that to a system which displays range estimates accurately and the pretty promising range itself, and you have an EV experience which doesn’t hamper progress by range anxiety or slow charging speeds. It can effectively help you move away from conventionally powered MPVs without compromising on space, comfort, overall speed, or even liveability. While doing so, the BYD will quite possibly help reduce both your monthly fuel bills and impact on the environment.

There are two variants available for the BYD eMAX 7, namely Premium and Superior, with the choice between a six-seat or a seven-seat version. Coming from the E6, it’s clear that BYD has taken into consideration the customer feedback it received, and thus ended up creating a solid alternative to cars like the Innova. The eMAX 7 sure looks like a compelling package, despite only a handful of negatives — like the lack of a frunk, some controls accessible only through the touchscreen system, etc. It presents a chance for new MPV buyers, regardless of whether they want to run it as their personal eco-friendly family car or turn it into a commercial vehicle, to make a conscious choice. With prices starting at ₹26.9 lakh, ex-showroom, it’s clear that the impact on their pocket isn’t going to be terrible, either.