BYD M6 DM with PHEV technology: Minimum RON 92 fuel octane required

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — BYD has disclosed the recommended fuel specifications for the M6 DM, the family seven-seater plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that was officially unveiled in Indonesia on Monday, 18 May 2026. Bobby Bharata, Head of Product at PT BYD Motor Indonesia, said the seven‑seater is advised to use a fuel with an octane rating of at least RON 92 to keep engine performance and efficiency optimal. ‘Although the compression is fairly high, the car already has adequate cooling and the car itself will specify the minimum RON,’ he said on Monday. With that high compression, higher-octane petrol is needed to ensure complete combustion and to protect engine durability. The M6 DM itself features DM-i 5.0 or Dual Mode Intelligent, BYD’s latest hybrid system which prioritises the electric motor as the primary source of propulsion. Unlike conventional hybrids that still rely on the petrol engine to drive the wheels, in the DM-i system the engine mainly functions as a power supplier for electricity and as a means to boost efficiency when the car is cruising at certain speeds. Bobby describes the concept as ‘electric first’ because the driving character is made to resemble that of a pure electric car. ‘The result is instant acceleration, a quieter cabin, and more fuel-efficient operation,’ he said. Then at moderate speeds, the system will switch to a series hybrid mode, where the engine works to generate electricity for the electric motor. While cruising on the highway, the engine can be connected directly to the wheels to improve fuel efficiency. For high-powered needs such as overtaking or climbing gradients, the engine and electric motor will work together in parallel hybrid mode. On paper, the BYD M6 DM is equipped with a 1.5-litre engine producing 72 kW or about 96.5 hp and a torque of 125 Nm. The car also uses an EHS 5.0 motor with speeds up to 15,000 rpm. BYD also includes a 7-in-1 integrated control system with chip computing capacity increased by up to 146 per cent. Regarding efficiency, BYD claims the M6 DM can achieve an average fuel consumption of 65 kilometres per litre.