Two years on, it’s clear that BYD, the Chinese EV brand, has had an impressive debut in the UK. It has gone from nowhere to a five-model range since March 2023. The first was the Atto 3, which made an impact with its tidy and competent drive, standard equipment, and spacious interior. This was quickly followed by the Dolphin supermini, with its excellent performance and roomy cabin. Then the Seal, BYD’s halo model and UK range-topper, and most recently the Seal U DM-i, which offers BYD buyers a plug-in hybrid SUV option.
The latest model, the Sealion 7, is probably its most important addition to the range. An SUV version of the Seal, its most obvious rival is the Tesla Model Y, and it also takes on the slightly smaller Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6.
Design and interior
Outside, in our opinion, the Sealion 7 almost looks like a Seal on stilts – which it effectively is. The only obvious Sealion 7 changes over the Seal’s European-influenced shape are that raised ride height, plastic trim around the arches, new front and rear aprons, and the subtle rear spoiler.
Inside, you sit higher in the Sealion 7 than the Seal – slightly awkwardly considering the angle of the steering wheel. The new car also gets a more conventionally designed dashboard, and centre console. Oddly, despite quality generally impressing, the Seal’s interior feels more special, with higher quality feel than the Sealion 7. The supportive seats, which are heated and cooled on selected models, are trimmed in real leather on the range-topping Excellence. The other models make do with convincing faux leather trim instead. As with all BYD models, the centre console is dominated by the 15.6in rotating infotainment screen. There’s also a smaller screen in the dashboard in front of you.
There is lots of space in the back, although the curvy roof line leaves tall passengers’ heads perilously close to the roof. With 520 litres, the BYD’s boot matches the Hyundai Ioniq 5, although it’s bigger than the Kia EV6 at 490 litres. However, there is a 58-litre ‘frunk’ at the front for the charging cables.
It is not quite perfect, though. The stalks are the same as those fitted to the rest of the BYD range – they felt cheap in those and feel just as bad in the Sealion. The touchscreen has a new operating system, but has even more annoying ADAS features, plus confusing menus!
Performance and drive
Under the body and interior is the same e-Platform 3.0 scalable platform as in the Atto 3. However, the 82.5kWh lithium-ion ‘Blade’ battery is a structural part of the car, with the top being part of the Sealion’s floor. There are three Sealion 7 versions, the first being a 308hp Comfort, single-motor, rear-wheel drive version, which boasts 300 miles of range, and acceleration to 62mph in 6.7 seconds. Then there are the AWD Design and Excellence, with an impressive 523hp, with all-wheel drive. Go for the range-topping Excellence, and the battery size jumps to 91.3kWh, and the range jumps from 298, to 311 miles.
Probably more important than performance is the charging. And again, the range-topping Excellence is best, with up to 230kW charging – with the others making do with up to 150kW. The result of this is a 10-80% charge could take just 24 minutes – if you can find a charger to do this!
We got the chance to drive the all-wheel drive version of the Sealion 7, in Design spec, briefly on the road. It’s not as good to drive as the Seal, as the steering lacks feel and precision. The taller ride height, soft suspension, and 20in wheels equal an unsettled driving experience, too. There is no doubting it’s fast, but the Sealion 7 isn’t as much fun, or as frugal as you might expect. It will be interesting to try the single-motor Comfort version, to see if things are any better.
Specifications are identical for rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, with plenty of standard kit as you’d expect. Demand fleet-wise is expected to be evenly split between the two versions.
The BYD Seal is a practical, easy-to-drive, and high-value EV package. However, the Sealion 7 is an oddly backwards step in terms of the drive and efficiency, when compared to the Seal.
Positive: Comfortable and supportive front seats, impressive rear legroom, well-built, all models are well-equipped, impressive performance.
Negative: Soft set-up struggles with the Sealion 7’s weight, overcomplicated infotainment, ADAS systems annoy, unimpressive efficiency, Excellence range-topper is expensive.
Standard equipment: LED head and taillights, panoramic roof, 19in alloy wheels, power adjustable and folding wing mirrors, vegan leather trim, eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, six-way power adjustable passenger seat, heated rear seats, dual-zone climate control, 10.25in LCD instrument panel, 15.6in rotatable infotainment touchscreen, 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, head-up display.
Engines: Electric: 308hp, 523hp
Equipment grades: Comfort, Design, Excellence
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
| Model | BYD Sealion 82.5kWh Design |
| P11D | £51,935 |
| Residual value | TBC |
| Depreciation | TBC |
| Fuel | TBC |
| Service, maintenance and repair | TBC |
| Cost per mile | TBC |
| Range | 298 miles |
| CO2 (BIK%) | 0g/km (2%) |
| BIK 20/40% a month | £17/£34 |
| Luggage capacity | 520 litres |
| Battery size/power | 82.5kWh/523hp |
| Score | 8/10 |
