BYD hot-hatch revealed and Ocean M make it to Australia

The BYD Ocean M electric hatch has been revealed at the Beijing Auto Show and is set to challenge the MG4 when it goes into production later this year.

While not yet confirmed for Australian showrooms it would give BYD a direct rival to the MG4 and Volkswagen ID.3, with the unveiling of the Ocean M in hot-hatch spec suggesting it could also serve not only as a rival to the MG4 X-Power but also as a cut-price alternative to the BMW i4 and electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 EVs.

While conventional sedans are still popular in China, with several car makers revealing fresh models at the Beijing show, BYD’s presentation of a performance Ocean M suggests it is targeting Europe – the home of the hot hatch.

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The Ocean M will sit between the Dolphin hatch and the Seal sedan in the BYD range, with the performance-oriented show car confirmed to be rear-wheel drive in a concerted effort to appeal to drivers seeking heightened driver engagement.

Built on a new BYD platform – using the latest Blade 2 battery technology announced earlier this year – the Ocean M was presented in head-turning orange paintwork with an aggressive aero package, contrasting dark-finish alloy wheels, black roof and twin-hatch mounted rear wings.

The bulked-up concept car’s body featured cameras in place of the external rear-vision mirrors as well as flush door handles, but the interior has not been revealed.

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Nor have technical details of the Ocean M’s powertrain, although the use of the new Blade 2 battery technology does give some insight into potential capability.

Here, the Ocean M’s battery packs – which have more tightly packed cells known as ‘blades’ compared to conventional batteries – are part of the vehicle’s structure, helping weight efficiency, packaging and driving dynamics.

Blade 2 technology is also claimed to offer up to 1000km of range between charges, with energy density 25 per cent better than BYD’s first-generation Blade batteries in the Seal, Dolphin and Atto 3 in Australian showrooms.

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That means a smaller battery for the same range – or an extended range for the same size battery, depending on vehicle demands.

Production of the Blade 2 batteries is set to start in August, with the Ocean M set to follow ahead of a planned on-sale in China shortly after.

Priced at between ¥150,000 to ¥200,000 ($A32,000 to $A42,000) in China, if the Ocean M does make it to Australia, it’s expected to cost around $55,000 – with the MG4 ranging from $39k to $60k.

BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s largest producer of EVs in 2023 and is the second-largest battery supplier behind market leader CATL.