Daimler joint venture with BYD yields this five-door hatchback for China, but it's not fast or refined enough to compete on European turf The new Denza hatchback, a practical and (with Chinese government subsidies) relatively affordable electric vehicle developed in a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and the automotive arm of Chinese industrial giant BYD.Although initially conceived on the same underpinnings as the superseded first-generation Mercedes-Benz B-class, the first in what is expected to grow into a limited range of Denza models has ultimately been engineered in China around what is described by Daimler-BYD Auto officials as a “totally unique platform”.That platform features a longer wheelbase, wider tracks and increased overhangs than its German sibling – measures that provide it with interior space approaching that of the existing E-class saloon, including a commodious 460 litre boot complete with a full-sized spare wheel.Power for the weighty 2090kg steel bodied hatchback, which was styled under a team headed by Olivier Boulay at Daimler’s Beijing based design studio, hails from a front mounted electric motor provided by BYD Auto.With a peak output of 115bhp and 214lb ft of torque, it propels the new car from 0-62mph in a claimed 14.0sec and to a top speed limited to 93mph.Energy for the electric motor is provided by a relatively large 47.5kW/h lithium iron phosphate battery consisting of 144 individual cells and produced by BYD Auto parent company, BYD Company.Encased in a cast aluminium cradle and mounted within the floor, it is claimed to provide the Denza with an overall range of up to 208 miles at an average speed of 37mph.from Autocar RSS Feed http://ift.tt/1qKdzBE
via AGYA
