BYD releases its Sealion premium EV-challenger on Belgian roads

Chinese EV giant BYD, almost on par with Tesla as the biggest in the world, has officially released its Sealion 7 SUV on Belgian roads. It comes in three flavors: Comfort (€48,990), with a range of 482 km; Design (€51,990), a four-wheel version with a range of 456 km; and Excellence (€56,490), also all-wheel drive but with a bigger 91.3 kWh battery for a range of 502 km.

The Sealion 07 EV was launched in May of this year in China. It is the first built on BYD’s new e-Platform 3.0 Evo, which integrates a minimum-height battery pack into the car’s chassis. In China, retail starts at 189,800 yuan (€24,500), half the price in Europe.

Ocean series

The Sealion 7 bears the signature of BYD’s Global Design Director, the German Wolfgang Egger (59), who joined the Chinese manufacturer in 2017 after earning his wings at Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Audi, and Lamborghini. The Sealion 7 was the first of a new Ocean-array SUV model line.

Modeled to the Ocean X concept, the Sealion inherits the same dimensions: 4,830 mm long, 1,925 mm wide, and 1,620 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,930 mm. For comparison, the Seal U is 4,785 mm long and has a 2,765 mm wheelbase.

Beefed-up for Europe

BYD has adjusted the Chinese Sealion specs somewhat to bring it to Europe. The base version here is already a ‘beefed-up’ version compared to the cheapest in China, as it gets a 230 kW (308 hp) engine and an 82.5 kW blade battery instead of the 170 kW (227 hp) electric motor and a 71.8-kWh blade battery, providing a range of 550 km (CLTC).

As the Chinese CLTC-norm is, on average, 20 to 25% ‘too optimistic’ compared to the European WLTP, that would be only around 415 km of range, while the European BYD Sealion 7 Comfort promises 482 km.

Not so energy-efficient?

However, with a consumption of 199 Wh/km, comparable to the Seal U, this is not the most energy-efficient EV in its segment. A Tesla Y, for instance, consumes 164 Wh/km, a Hyundai Ioniq 6 even 149 Wh/km, and the Tesla Model 3, which is the most efficient at 137 Wh/km.

However, you can fully charge the Sealion at 11 kW AC at home for 8.6 hours or in 32 minutes for 10 to 80% at a 150 kW DC fast charger.

The all-wheel drive versions get more power (390 kW or 522 hp), which translates into a better 0-100 km/hour acceleration of 4.5 instead of 6.7 seconds. They offer the same 215 km/hour top speed but require 214 kW/km and 219 energy, which translates into 30 km less range (456 km) with the same 82.5 kWh battery as the FWD version and 482 km with the 91.3 kWh battery of the Excellence.

Taking on the premium guys

BYD makes no secret of its ambition to target European premium D-segment EVs like the Audi A6 e-tron, the Volkswagen ID.5, or the BMW iX3 with this Sealion. You always will get a ‘full option,’ even for the base model, as the only difference in trim options between Comfort, Design, and Excellence are different aluminum rims or a Head-up Display (HUD).

That means the options list is limited to colors. All the rest comes without asking, including a panoramic roof with an electrically adjustable sunshade, heated Vegan leather seats in the front and back, a Dynaudio® sound system with 12 speakers, front and rear parking radars, and a 360° view camera, heat pump, or V2L (vehicle-to-load) capabilities. And the whole list of modern driver aids (ADAS).

At 48,990 euros, even with EU import taxes on Chinese EVs, that’s still quite competitive compared to the 64.900 euros of the basic Audi A6 e-tron Sportback or 72.450 euros for a BMW iX3. Only the very basic Volkswagen ID.5 Pure (52 kWh 170pk) comes near with a list price of €46.490.