Image: BYD
BYD has launched its most anticipated EV of the year with the Sealion 7 electric SUV, with a price offering that undercuts the electric vehicle market leader by thousands.
The latest model will be offered in two variants, Premium and Performance, with prices starting at $54,990 for the entry-level model, while the top-spec Performance jumps up to $63,990 before on-road costs.
The prices come under those of the refreshed Tesla Model Y RWD Launch Series by $8,410, while the pricing of the Sealion 7 Performance is $9,410 under the dual-motor Model Y Long Range.
Both variants of the Sealion 7 will come equipped with an 82.56 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) BYD blade battery pack with range figures of 482 km on the Premium model, while the Performance sees the range cut to 456 km.
This battery can be DC charged at speeds of 150 kW on the correct DC charger, while 11 kW AC is available for three-phase charging. The AC charging is a step up over other BYD models in the market, which are limited to single-phase 7 kW single phase charging.
Another key feature of the car is a vehicle-to-load (V2L) to help owners power other devices when the vehicle isn’t being used.
The Sealion 7 Premium will be powered by a 230 kW rear-mounted motor delivering up to 380 Nm of torque and helping get the car from 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds.
Moving up to the Performance variant comes with 390 kW of power thanks to a 230 kW rear motor and a 160 kW front motor.
This powertrain setup will allow a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.5 seconds. It also can reach a top speed of 215 km/h, which exceeds BYD Seal, which is capped at 180 km/h.
On the Premium variant, the Sealion 7 comes with 19-inch wheels while the Performance has 20-inch as standard.
Inside, there is a 15.6-inch infotainment screen, which also features Andriod Auto and Apple Carplay as standard.
Regarding the audio system, a premium 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system is available for an immersive sound experience.
Staying on the inside, there is also a panoramic sunroof on offer, making the interior more roomier.
This model will arrive locally in four colours: Aurora White, Atlantis Grey, Cosmos Black, and Shark Grey.
With the launch of this model, others considering an EV would also compare it to the similarly priced Xpeng G6 or best-seller, the Tesla Model Y.
The Sealion 7 appears to be quite well equipped, and if the Seal sedan is anything to go by, it’d be hard for some to choose anything else, especially given a starting price of under $55,000.
Orders for the new model will open today, with deliveries to start in the coming months.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
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