BYD or Build Your Dreams, the EV-only brand from China, will be showcasing the all-new Seal sedan for the first time in India at the Auto Expo. The BYD Seal is the brand’s answer to the popular Tesla Model 3 in markets like Europe and China, and is a born-electric sedan.
- BYD Seal competes with Tesla Model 3
- It features BYD’s trademark rotating infotainment display
- Has an 82.5kWh battery with range of up to 800km (CLTC cycle)
BYD Seal design inspired by the ocean
The Seal measures 4,800mm long, 1875mm wide and 1460mm tall, which is 106mm longer, 58mm narrower and 17mm taller than the Model 3. The Tesla’s wheelbase measures 2875mm, which is 45mm shorter than the Seal's 2,920mm.
In terms of design, the Seal inherits cues from the Ocean X concept from 2021 and follows BYD’s “ocean aesthetics” design language. It also continues the ocean-themed nomenclature in BYD’s EV range, like the Dolphin.
The Seal features radical details like a coupe-like all-glass roof, flush-fitting door handles, four boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights, split headlamp design and a full-width LED light bar at the rear.
BYD Seal features rotating touchscreen like siblings
Like the Atto 3 and e6, the BYD Seal also gets a rotating, 15.6-inch infotainment display in the centre console, with the driver getting a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display. The floating touchscreen is flanked by the central AC vents, with the drive selector and a scroll wheel to select the various drive modes below it. The centre console also houses basic controls for functions like heated windscreen, volume control for the audio system as well as two wireless charging pads.
BYD Seal to get up to 700km range
The Seal uses BYD’s Blade battery tech, which will be seen in more EVs in India – in Maruti Suzuki and Toyota – and overseas. The Seal is based on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 and comes with two battery packs – a 61.4kWh unit and an 82.5kWh unit. The former has a range of 550km on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC-cycle), while the latter has a range of 700km on the same. The smaller battery can be charged at rates of up to 110kW, while the latter is capable of speeds of up to 150kW.
The sedan also gets a choice of single-motor and dual-motor powertrains, and while the single motor can be paired to both batteries, the latter can only be had with the larger battery. The rear-wheel drive, single-motor-equipped Seal produces 204hp, and with the smaller battery it is capable of a 0-100kph time of 5.7sec (claimed). The set-up with the bigger battery produces 312hp and is capable of a 0-100kph time of 5.9sec (claimed).
The dual-motor variant gets an all-wheel drive set-up where the motor mounted at the front produces 218hp and the on the rear produces 312hp. Combined, they produce 530hp and is capable of a claimed 0-100kph time of 3.8sec. The 82.5kWh battery with this set-up is capable of a range of 650km (CLTC-cycle).
What else will BYD display at Auto Expo 2023?
Apart from the Seal, BYD will display the Atto 3, which is priced from Rs 33.99 lakh in India, and the e6 MPV, which is priced from Rs 29.15 lakh (both prices ex-showroom, India).
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