Voyah Passion S crossover: pre-orders open and a frenzy ensues

The new Voyah SUV has made its debut in a single top-of-the-range trim. The line-up is expected to be expanded later.

The sporty electric SUV from Voyah was officially announced in May. The Chinese name of the model is Chasing Light S, while the international name is Passion S. The latter name – minus the letter S – is also used for the saloon from the Dongfeng-owned brand, although the crossover shares little in common with the four-door. Today, pre-orders for the electric crossover have opened in its home market. However, the manufacturer has not yet revealed all the specifications. Only a single top-spec Ultra+ trim is currently available to order.

The Voyah Passion S SUV features muscular flanks, frameless doors with semi-concealed handles, a glass roof, two-tier headlights and a full-width rear light bar. The lower section of the bumper houses active air shutters, while the bonnet and front wings feature additional air vents. Carbon fibre parts, including a rear spoiler, are available as an optional extra. The crossover sits on 21-inch alloy wheels.

The Passion S measures 5,050 mm in length, 1,998 mm in width, 1,636 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Boot capacity stands at 584 litres, expanding to 1,744 litres with the second-row seats folded flat. There is also an additional front storage compartment with an 80-litre capacity.

Inside, there is a slim digital instrument cluster and a vast infotainment display comprising two screens (each measuring 15.6 inches diagonally). The multimedia system runs on Huawei's operating system. A box with heating and cooling functions is concealed within the central armrest. The seats are almost certainly equipped with heating, ventilation and massage functions. The equipment list also includes an augmented reality head-up display, a 27-speaker audio system and the ADS 5 autonomous driving system from the aforementioned Huawei (incorporating four lidar sensors, including a 896-line unit above the windscreen). What's more, the Voyah Passion S Ultra+ is capable of 'growling' like a supercar.

The top-spec SUV features an 800-volt architecture, air suspension, adaptive dampers and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. Combined output stands at 646 bhp. Chinese media report that the Voyah Passion S Ultra+ is fitted with a 98.1 kWh battery. Range is rated at 740 km on the CLTC cycle. It has been officially announced that this SUV will sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.

Incidentally, a certification document for the new model was previously leaked online. According to it, the SUV may also be offered in rear-wheel-drive guise with a 408 bhp electric motor. Local media suggest that the 'simpler' versions will be equipped with an 81.6 kWh battery (630 km of range).

The Voyah Passion S Ultra+ is priced at 309,900 yuan in pre-sale, equivalent to around 3.6 million roubles at the current exchange rate. As a benchmark for the new Voyah model, the Xiaomi YU7 SUV was evidently used. The most affordable all-wheel-drive version of the Xiaomi model (496 bhp) currently costs 279,900 yuan (3.2 million roubles). The top-spec Xiaomi YU7 GT (1,003 bhp) will set you back 389,900 yuan (4.5 million roubles). Meanwhile, even the not-yet-fully-revealed Voyah Passion S has already caught the eye of Chinese buyers: within just one hour, the SUV had garnered approximately 10,300 orders.