The BYD Seal U DM-i will cost from £33,205 on the road when it goes on UK sale in September.

The much anticipated SUV version of the Chinese manufacturer’s Seal performance saloon, and the brand’s first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model, will be available in two forms, with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive at a price of £39,905.

BYD claims that its system differs from other PHEV technologies by prioritising electric power with minimal reliance on the combustion engine – the system switches between electric and hybrid modes to prioritise the former and to ensure electric driving is always available to the driver.

Both cars use a 1.5-litre engine – in the front-wheel drive version, known as Boost, it produces 98hp and is matched to a 145kW electric motor, fed by an 18.3kWh version of BYD’s signature eBlade battery pack.

Combined system power is 218hp with 300Nm of torque and this proceeds an electric-only driving range of up to 49 miles and a combined range of 670 miles.

The all-wheel drive variant, dubbed Design, mounts a 150kW motor on the front axle and a second 120kW unit on the rear, with the engine uprated to 131hp for combined power of 324hp with 550Nm of torque.

While yet to provide full details of the car’s interior space, BYD says it will offer a premium level of finish and impressive standard equipment, including the rotating 15.6-inch central touchscreen familiar from models launched by the start-up brand over the last year.