Buyers seeking an electric family ferry now have the M6 to check out, following its launch yesterday at Floral Fantasy in Gardens by the Bay. The seven-seater MPV is the latest addition to BYD's local lineup, which includes the Dolphin hatchback, Seal sedan, and the Atto 3 SUV.

BYD says the M6 is the industry's first electric seven-seater MPV in the Cat A COE segment. Its arrival is timely, too, as the brand's e6 model is no longer in stock.

Anthony Teo, Managing Director of Vantage Automotive, speaks to members of the media during the M6's launch

The e6, which is utilised by both taxi and ride-hailing firms, was BYD's previous MPV offering. However, the e6 is a five-seater MPV with fixed rear backrests, which limits its versatility as a load-hauler.

The M6 does not have the same limitations. Its dimensions are similar to the e6's, measuring 4,710mm long 1,810mm wide, and standing 1,690mm tall. That means it can easily enter most multi-storey carparks.

Apart from the analogue gauges, the rest of the cockpit is as high-tech as expected

Inside, the M6 has a 12.8-inch Intelligent Rotating Infotainment Display that lets choosers use either a tablet or landscape orientation for the screen. Interestingly, the instrument panel isn't all-digital. Instead, it features analogue meters with a five-inch LCD display between them.

The second-row seats can be split-folded 60:40, while the third-row seats have 50:50 split-folding capability. According to BYD, boot capacity is 180 litres with all seats up, and 580 litres with the rearmost backrests folded.

BYD says the M6 averages up to 18.7km/100kWh, with a quoted WLTP range of 440km

The M6's electric motor is capable of 134bhp and 250Nm, figures that are enough for a century sprint time of 11.9 seconds. Feeding the M6's electric motor is a 71.8kWh lithium-iron phosphate Blade Battery, which is good for a driving range (WLTP) of 440km.

In terms of safety features, the M6's long list of standard items includes Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), and Predictive Collision Warning (PCW). Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and Rear Cross Traffic Brake (RCTB) are part of said list, too.

The foldable rear seats enable users to adapt the interior to various passenger and cargo needs

In addition, BYD also announced that all models sold here are bundled with a six-year vehicle warranty, a 10-year battery warranty, and 10 years of free servicing.

These, along with the M6's price which starts from $169,888 (with non-guaranteed COE), likely contributed to the approximately 400 orders that the brand has racked up for this model.