BYD launches Sealion 7 SUV as eighth model for Europe

BYD, which originated in battery manufacturing and is now China’s biggest carmaker, is launching an eighth European model at the Paris Motor Show, the Sealion 7. This coupé-like crossover, again targeted to compete with the best-selling Tesla Y, will arrive during Q4 of 2024.

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. Exact specs and prices for Europe will be released in November. In China, it retails at 189,800 yuan (€24,500); in Europe, it will be double.

German design chief

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.

In its homeland, the Sealion 7 has four options: three single-motor rear-wheel-drive versions and one dual-motor four-wheel-drive. The most expensive one retails for 239,800 yuan ($30,960). For Europe, no prices have been mentioned yet, but the Sealion will probably be priced just above the Seal SUV, which retails in Belgium for €39,000 to €46,340.

Charging EU tariffs to the customer?

BYD still has to decide whether to charge the customer for the European tariffs on EVs, in this case 17%, on top of an existing import tariff of 10%. However, BYD’s Executive Vice President Stella Li told Reuters in an interview at the Paris car show that the company plans to make almost all the cars it sells in Europe locally.

This means producing components in Europe and assembling battery packs at its plants in Hungary and Turkey, importing only the battery cells from China. Li told Reuters she did not expect BYD to be able to sell cars in Europe for under 30,000 euros anyway.

Stella Li disagreed with the calculations regarding the tariffs Europe will impose. “It’s not a fair judgment. Politicians should avoid tariffs, which add more cost to auto manufacturing and confuse the auto industry.”

Different specs?

BYD says it has made some adjustments to the Chinese version of the Sealion to come over to Europe, but scarce details other than referring to electric motors that can rev up to 23.000 rpm, a top speed of 215 km/hour, and a battery up to 91.3 kWh were released.

Looking at the Chinese models gives you an idea of what to expect. The entry-level version gets a 170 kW (227 hp) electric motor and a 71.8-kWh blade battery, providing a range of 550 km (CLTC). Two mid-priced variants have a 230 kW (308 hp) single motor and an 80.64 kWh battery, allowing a (CLTC) range of 610 km.

The top version has dual motors with a peak power of 390 kW (522 hp) and sprints from 0 to 100 km/hour in 4.2 seconds. That comes at a price with the same 80.64 kWh battery, resulting in a CLTC range of 550 kilometers. However, be aware that Chinese CLTC figures are up to 20-25% more favorable than the European WLTP range figures.