BYD Qin Plus DM-i — model-year timeline & key facts
Published · Researched 2026-09-21
Compiled from the BYD Qin Plus DM-i deep-research dossier; researched 2026-09-21. UNVERIFIED flags from the source research are preserved verbatim.
Key facts
| Powertrain | PHEV (1.5L + e-motor) |
|---|---|
| Power | UNVERIFIED |
| Range | 55/120 EV km (2022); 180/210 EV km (2026) |
| Battery | 8.3/18.3 UNVERIFIED (2022) |
| 0–100 km/h | 7.3 UNVERIFIED |
| Fast charge | UNVERIFIED |
| New price US | not sold in US |
| New price EU | not sold in EU |
| New price CN | 79800-125800 (2026 model) |
| Used price signal | China used: 2022 cars trade cheap; confirm 2025 battery recall completed |
| Value call | Unbeatable new-car value in China; irrelevant everywhere else — and check the recall before buying used |
| Sweet-spot year | 2026 |
| Years to avoid | 2021-2023 builds (Dec 2025 battery-recall cohort — verify service done); non-CN buyers: whole model (never exported) |
| Reliability flag | amber — Dec 2025 battery-pack recall (~89k units); otherwise DM-i reputation is strong |
| Biggest risk | Buying used without confirming the 2025 battery recall; and for non-CN buyers, the car simply doesn't exist |
| Community verdict | China's cheapest route to electrified motoring — and a car the rest of the world can't buy |
Model-year timeline 2021–2026
| Year | Generation / changes / reliability / used prices |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Launched Jan 2021 (on sale Mar 2021) — one of first DM-i cars; 1st-gen DM-i (1.5L NA 81 kW + 132/145 kW motor; 8.32/18.32 kWh Blade, 55/120 km NEDC EV) |
| 2022 | Volume year; sister Destroyer 05 launched Mar 2022 (Ocean network); price wars begin; 1.78M cumulative sales cited |
| 2023 | Champion Edition Feb 2023: price cut to ¥99,800; pre-facelift DM-i 4.0; price-war depreciation hits early/ride-hailing buyers hardest |
| 2024 | Honor Edition Feb 2024: further cut ('electricity cheaper than oil'); pre-facelift production ended Apr 2024; export to UAE/Saudi/Qatar as Qin Plus PHEV from Feb 2024 |
| 2025 | Major facelift Jan 2025 (Qin L-inspired front, revised rear/interior); DM-i 5.0 arrives; Dec 2025: ~89,000-unit battery-pack recall (built 2021-09-26–2023-09-23, power-limitation/'loss of power' warning, free pack service) |
| 2026 | 2026 model (Sina, Sept 2026): 180/210 km CLTC EV range, 2.79 L/100km depleted, 2,110 km total, standard DC fast charging, God's Eye C + DiLink 100; ¥79,800–¥89,800 entry |
Sweet-spot year: 2026
Years to skip: 2021-2023 builds (Dec 2025 battery-recall cohort — verify service done); non-CN buyers: whole model (never exported)