BYD starts exports of its $A36,000 electric sedan

In March this year, Chinese car giant BYD officially launched a new low-priced electric sedan, called the Qin L EV, with a starting price in China equivalent to $A26,300. It was one of the first cars to feature the company’s latest smart driving tech, which it calls God’s Eye.

Now, the same car is ready for export markets, launching in a key right-hand-drive market of Malaysia with the name Seal 6. This was first reported by BYD Malaysia on X, with photos from the launch event shared, marking this market as the first for the Qin L EV to launch in. 

The latest model’s price in Malaysia starts at $A36,000 and comes equipped with many of the features seen in BYD’s other vehicle lineup.

The new sedan is powered by 95 kW or 160 kW motors, depending on the model. These are less powerful than the one found on the Seal, which delivers 230 kW in the entry-level rear-wheel drive version.

Torque on the two motors comes in at 220 Nm and 330 Nm, respectively. These also provide 0-100 km/h acceleration times of 10.9 seconds for the smaller motor, while the 160 kW larger motor reduces that time to 7.5 seconds. 

In Malaysia, the Qin L comes in a 56.6 kWh BYD’s lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) blade battery pack. Although in China, a smaller 46.1 kWh pack is also available.

The smaller pack delivers around 470 km in CLTC range, while the larger battery is rated at 545 km of CLTC range. These can be expected to have a WLTP range of between 400 and 450 km.

According to the Malaysian specs, the larger pack will deliver a combined range of 485 km on the NEDC cycle.

According to BYD, official energy consumption is expected to be around 10.8 kWh for every 100 km on the CLTC, making it one of the more efficient vehicles in its class.

Charging these batteries from 30-80% will take around 24 minutes, which is fairly respectable for an affordable sedan. 

Peak DC charging speeds of up to 100 kW are on offer, as well as an  AC charging speed of 7 kW, which is in line with BYD’s Atto 3 and Seal’s AC charging speeds in Australia.

When it comes to weight, the Seal 6 in Malaysia comes in at 1,800 kg for the more powerful variant, while the entry-level variant has a kerb weight of 1,780 kg. 

That’s lighter than the Seal sedan available in our market. This increased weight in the Seal is likely due to the heavier battery pack that has a higher capacity across single and dual-motor powertrains.

One other comparison worth noting is that the Qin L is slightly smaller in length compared to the Seal, coming in at 4.7 m.

When it comes to the design of the Seal 6, the mid-sized sedan has sleek styling across the profile of the car, making it quite nice to look at in person, having seen it at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year.

The door handles appear more conventional but are more flush with the door for improved aerodynamics.

One detail worth noting is the availability of a drink, coming in at 65 litres. This will be appreciated by many buyers who look for extra storage at the front.

On the inside, it features a smaller 12.8-inch BYD rotatable infotainment screen, similar to the one found in the early-generation Australian-delivered BYD Atto 3.

A more affordable model in the electric sedan space, without many of the bells and whistles, could do quite well, especially among ride-share and fleet buyers looking to transition from Toyota Corolla and Camry sedans locally.

Having it now launch in Malaysia is a key step to the model launching in other parts of the world, too, hinting at the company’s rapid global expansion plans.