The fifth model from BAIC brand Arcfox will go on sale soon and more details are emerging about the Alpha S5 electric sedan which will be a BYD Seal competitor.
Overall the new Arcfox Alpha S5 looks quite sporty. This is obviously aided by the use of black on the roof, mirrors and wheels but it is also down to the car’s actual lines. There is a closed front face and the headlights flow into the front surround giving the impression of a smiling mouth. Although fastback style the car seems to be a genuine sedan rather than a hatchback.
The length, width and height of the Alpha S5 are 4820/1930/1480 mm, respectively, and the wheelbase is 2900 mm. For wheels there’s a choice between 18 and 19 inch.
There will be both single and dual motor versions of the car. Power for the single motor version comes from a 200 kW unit which gives the car a top speed of 180 km/h. On the dual motor version a 190 kW motor is added at the rear.
Lower spec versions use lithium iron phosphate batteries whereas higher versions gain ternary lithium batteries (NCM) all supplied by CATL.
Previously seen spy shots indicate that the Arcfox Alpha S5 will purely display driving information through a head up display. There is also a 14.6-inch centrally mounted display screen. Many of the cockpit functions and self-driving functions are likely to be based around Huawei Inside (HI) technology. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 processor controls cockpit functions.
Prices are expected to start around 200,000 yuan.
Arcfox was created in 2017 and currently sell the small Lite city car, Alpha T SUV, Alpha S crossover, and Kaola small MPV. All models are fully electric. So far the brand has not been particularly successful with 2023 sales of just 30,016. As well as the Alpha S5 the brand should soon launch the Alpha T5 SUV.
Editor’s note:
BAIC New Energy initially did quite well with EVs thanks to a range of cheap cars like the EV160 many of which found use as taxis and ride hailing cars. However, in recent years the company has failed to capitalize on the shift to EVs among private consumers. The company last year only managed to sell 92,172 including the contribution from Arcfox.
