What changes related to its interior will make the Byton M-Byte production-ready?
Byton just unveiled its M-Byte electric SUV with a nearly production-ready interior. The company showed it at the 2019 Consumer Electronics show (CES) in Las Vegas. Fortunately, our friend from Motor1.com was on hand to see it up close. Moreover, he sat inside the M-Byte crossover with Byton VP for Intelligent Car Experience, Jeff Chung. The VP talked about how the production cabin tech will differ from the original concept, as well as what Byton must adapt to make the car compliant globally.
More On The Byton M-Byte:
The M-Byte concept featured an 8-inch steering-wheel-mounted screen, along with a whopping 48-inch dashboard display. Byton calls this behemoth an SED (Shared Experience Display). According to Chung, last year's display model was about 80-percent production intent. Now, the model has been updated to be more like an actual production vehicle, but there's more to come.
To make room for the airbag, the steering-wheel-mounted screen will be reduced in size by about an inch. However, the 48-inch curved SED screen remains intact. In addition, Byton will add another 8-inch touch screen to the center stack. It will help with future autonomous applications.
Motor1 journalist and video production extraordinaire -- Clint Simone -- wondered if (and how) Byton will be able to pull off this ridiculous level of technology in the M-Byte. Not to mention keeping the SUV's cost within reach for electric luxury car buyers.
Chung stated that while Tesla and other EV makers are clearly focusing on performance, Byton will direct more effort toward user experience. This could be advantageous if the automaker intends to hone in on the upcoming self-driving market. Autonomous cars won't put acceleration and driving dynamics at the forefront, since that just doesn't make much sense if the driver is not engaged.
What do you think? Can Byton pull this off?
Video Description via MOTOR1US on YouTube:
Byton M-Byte Interior Demo
Byton VP, Intelligent Car Experience, Jeff Chung explained what tech is new for production and how it differs from the concept interior shown throughout last year.
