BYD has finally unveiled the production version of its new electric hot hatch, the Seal 06 GT at the Chengdu auto show with faster charging and a focus on performance.
The leading NEV maker held a presentation highlighting the key technologies that have been included in this latest model, which will start in China at the equivalent of less than $A32,000.
These include the company’s latest e-Platform 3.0 Evo which features faster motors and charging speed improvements, thanks to its 800 Volt architecture. It uses a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry BYD blade battery pack.
On its Weibo page, the company also shared a post covering these technologies with the translated version stating:
“e-platform 3.0 Evo creates more than 13 world-first hard-core technologies to enjoy high-value new energy travel experience”.
This same platform has already debuted in the company’s upcoming electric SUV, the Sealion 7 and a recent video showcases the charging speeds of 10-80% in just 25 minutes.
It can be further charged to 100% in 18 more minutes, bringing the 10-100% charging time to under 45 minutes.
Looking at the performance of this new Seal 06 GT model, the entry-level rear-wheel-drive base variant will be powered by two variations of a rear-mounted motor. The first is a 160 kW rear motor while the slightly more powerful motor has 165 kW of output on offer.
A dual-motor version of the car will also be offered with 310 kW of power. This is broken down by a 200 kW rear motor along with a 110 kW front-mounted motor.
For comparison, this is less powerful than the MG4 X-Power which has been in the Australian market for just over 9 months and delivers 320 kW of power, helping it accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.
Having said that, the BYD Seal 06 GT is a bigger, more spacious car, thanks to its length of 4,630 mm, making it considerably longer than the MG4 which comes in a 4,287 mm.
Pricing of the new Seal 06 GT has not yet been confirmed but a price range of $A31,300 to $A41,800 for the dual-motor variant.
This model was originally unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2024 under the Ocean-M concept. The production version looks quite close to what was shown which will generate strong interest from buyers.
Speaking of buyers, BYD expects to target younger EV buyers with this model. The production of Seal 06 GT hatch will begin in the coming months with customer deliveries soon to follow.
Given the success of the MG4 in our local market, a new electric hatchback at the right price will find many new buyers who have traditionally purchased ICE hatchbacks. We look forward to keeping a close eye on the production and deliveries of this car as it could one day land in Australia.
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.