Byton Brings M-Byte And K-Byte Concepts To CES 2019

With car development accelerating towards a fully autonomous and all-electric future, it’s no wonder that so many automotive concepts present at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show have featured loads of future tech.

Byton’s two concepts, the M-Byte and the K-Byte are actually perfect examples, as they not only look like they’re from a time period which hasn’t come to pass, but they also tick all the right boxes when it comes to powertrain and driver assistance systems.

It’s like Tesla and Mercedes had a baby

The image below was taken inside the M-Byte, which as you can see, boasts a gigantic landscape-oriented infotainment display, across its dashboard. Actually, gigantic doesn’t even do it justice. It’s a 48-inch full-length screen that runs, pretty much, from pillar to pillar.

According to the EV startup firm, this screen will actually make it into the production vehicle, unlike the steering wheel display, which will probably have to take a step back in favor of an airbag. The system also comes with a customized version of Amazon Alexa, and can help monitor the heart rate and blood pressure of the occupants.

As for exterior features, even though both concepts come with “invisible” door handles and side-view cameras, we know that the production version of the M-Byte will be more traditional in that sense, ditching both.

While the K-Byte was designed to preview a 2021 production EV sedan, the M-Byte crossover is the one that will reach markets sooner, with production said to commence this year and U.S. and European sales slated to begin in 2020.

In entry-level spec, the production version of the M-Byte will be rear-wheel drive and come with a single electric motor, good for 272 PS (268 HP) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. It will also have a 71 kWh battery pack, allowing for a range of up to 400 km (248 miles). The four-wheel drive variant on the other hand will feature two electric motors, with a combined output of 475 PS (469 HP) and 710 Nm (523 lb-ft) of torque, its 95 kWh battery pack allowing it to travel 520 km (323 miles) on a single charge.

Initially, buyers will get Level 3 semi-autonomous tech on-board the M-Byte, although Level 4 capabilities will arrive later on via software update.