Byton hopes it will become a household name by pulling you in via its tech and efficiency. The Chinese EV startup company just showed off its M-Byte electric SUV at CES, and it's got more screens than a sports bar, only fancier. Now it's out there in full regalia for all the car-buying world to see. The number of screens now stands at five and includes a massive 48-inch wraparound screen across the dash, as well as the world's first steering wheel-mounted screen.
New additions to the interior are an 8-inch touchpad on the center console between the leg compartments of the front row occupants. Why this is necessary, we can't even comprehend. We're hoping that the controls are for redundant operations that can be handled on the larger 48-inch screen. The total now comes to five screens and includes two independent rear-seat entertainment touchscreens for rear occupants.
The numerous screens are all supported by what's known as Byton Life, syncing apps and devices together. Individual facial recognition on each monitor will provide personalized data, calendar, and entertainment preferences. There's even health information that should be available at release. They're also working with Amazon Alexa for voice commands. What will they think of next?
The production version of the M-Byte will use the rotating front seats from the concept that bowed earlier last year. Seats should angle in 12 degrees in order to allow occupants to interact with one another. The seats won't rotate unless the car is parked, probably a very good idea. It's not an autonomous vehicle, so this feature is interesting. It will have Level 2 autonomous tech, where driving duties are largely a human undertaking.