I've tested the BYD Sealion 7 and it strikes me as the most recommendable electric SUV coupé at this price

What’s going on with BYD is becoming truly mind-blowing. The frenetic pace of launches the Chinese giant maintains is practically impossible for any competitor to keep up with, and there are already seven models it sells in our market: Dolphin, Atto 3, Seal, Seal U, Han, Tang and the newly arrived Sealion 7. And the eighth is just around the corner, the Atto 2, which will be presented in January at the Brussels Motor Show. All of them are one hundred percent battery-electric, except for the Seal U, which also comes with a plug-in hybrid variant, the Seal U DM-i, which has quickly risen to the top of the sales rankings for vehicles with this technology.

And it isn’t going to stop there… Developing platforms compatible with both fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains is one more competitive advantage over manufacturers such as Tesla, which are betting everything on electric.

It’s no wonder that BYD is the world’s largest manufacturer of plug-in vehicles, and has already accumulated more than 10 million units sold, which is saying something. One in every four electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles sold worldwide today carries the BYD logo. Clearly its more than 900,000 employees, of whom around 100,000 are engineers, aren’t resting… But talking about BYD isn’t only about quantity, it’s also about quality. Every single BYD I’ve driven so far has pleasantly surprised me.

Range and prices of the BYD Sealion 7: I’ll spare you the suspense

And with the new Sealion 7, BYD makes it clear once again that they know how to build cars… and that they can sell them at a very competitive price. To get straight to the point: there are three versions, depending on equipment, motors and battery. The entry variant is the Sealion 7 Comfort, with a 230 kW (313 hp) motor on the rear axle, an 82.5 kWh battery and a WLTP range of 482 km, priced at 46,780 euros. Next is the Design AWD, now with two motors -one per axle-, a system output of 390 kW (530 hp) and the same battery as the Comfort, in this case with a range of 456 km, and a price starting at 50,290 euros. The top of the range is the Excellence, also with two motors and 530 hp, but with a 91.3 kWh battery, which takes the range to 502 km. Its price is 53,180 euros.

And although I’m getting ahead of myself, I honestly don’t quite understand the intermediate version, which at BYD they could have simply skipped, offering instead a second rear-wheel-drive variant with the larger, longer-range battery. Let me explain in more detail, so that if you plan to visit the dealership you can rule out the Design version straight away.

Because for just 3,000 euros more, the Excellence not only offers a bigger battery and more range, but this larger battery can charge at up to 230 kW, compared with the 150 kW maximum accepted by the “small” battery in the Comfort and Design versions. If you add to this that the Excellence adds to the Design’s equipment real leather upholstery instead of vegan, and a head-up display, the Excellence seems much more interesting to me with the “large” battery, all the more so since range isn’t exactly the Sealion 7’s standout feature.

By the way, and while we’re at it: the Sealion 7 Comfort comes in below 40,000 euros with the maximum MOVES Plan subsidies. A “stonking” price, considering what you get and the standard equipment. Because between a Comfort and a Design the only difference in equipment is the wheels and tyres. Curiously, the Comfort versions use different sizes front (235/50) and rear (255/45), always on 19-inch wheels, while both AWD versions fit 20-inch wheels with four identical tyres in 245/45 size.

Otherwise, even from the entry version you get a car with very complete equipment, including a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting system, heated and ventilated seats, 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, V2L bidirectional charging, keyless entry, heat pump and absolutely all the driver assistance systems that BYD offers, as none is left out as an option. That said, some, like the driver distraction warning, are so intrusive that in the end you opt to keep them permanently switched off.

A SUV with coupé design, spacious… and premium?

At 4.83 metres long -just 3 cm more than the BYD Seal saloon, which it outclasses in height by 16 cm- the Sealion 7 squarely enters the D-segment, where it competes with SUVs such as the Tesla Model Y or the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron. Its coupé-silhouette bodywork is very well proportioned and attractive, with details such as the flush-retracting door handles, the roof spoiler and the small rear lip spoiler on the boot lid below the rear window, the pronounced shoulder line or the teardrop-shaped tail lights. The wheels can be 19 or 20 inches, and sit in wheel arches with a trapezoidal design that, at least for me, is the only thing I don’t like about the car. Well, that… and the limited rear visibility through the interior rear-view mirror. But being a coupé, it can be forgiven.

Inside, the Sealion repeats and amplifies the impressions given by other models from the brand, such as the Seal or the Seal U: a perceived quality above what you’d expect for its price, in my view superior to that of the Tesla Model Y, which is also cheaper, but without reaching the refinement the Q6 e-tron flaunts, which is clearly more expensive. But above all, the spaciousness is surprising. For an SUV coupé, the Sealion 7 is even more comfortable and practical for travelling than other SUVs with a more family-oriented shape. And it is for several reasons. Firstly, because the wheelbase is very long, almost 3 metres, which together with the flat floor leaves plenty of room in the rear seats. In addition, the seats in the back have some backrest recline adjustment, and the cabin is generally very well insulated.

As for luggage space, the 520-litre boot capacity places the Sealion 7 among the best in its category in this respect. With the rear seats folded it reaches almost 1,800 litres, and under the front bonnet there is an additional 58-litre compartment that is very practical for carrying charging cables or even a small travel bag.

Some details I like when I’m behind the wheel of this BYD are the comfort and support offered by the seats, or the already familiar rotating touchscreen multimedia system, not for the rotation mechanism itself, but for its size -15.6 inches-, the definition it offers and how it works, which now incorporates new software with features such as a virtual 3D representation of the car, which you can tap to open the bonnet or lower the windows, for example. The integration with Apple CarPlay, from what I’ve been able to test, is flawless.

There is also an evolution of the voice control system, which works in four zones and recognises who is giving the commands; for example, if a passenger asks the system to lower the window, it does so in that very seat. The digital instrument cluster uses a 10.2-inch screen, larger than in other models from the brand, but the way it displays information -disorganised and sometimes with small text- still seems improvable to me. Other welcome details are the dual wireless charger with an output of up to 50 W, the four charging ports (two Type A at 18 W and two Type C at 60 W) or the multiple cubbies for emptying your pockets.

Behind the wheel of the BYD Sealion 7: more powerful than sporty

So far I’ve only been able to drive the most powerful version of the Sealion, with figures that on paper are impressive… but which in practice aren’t that much. I say this because with 530 hp and a 0-100 km/h time of 4.5 seconds, you might think you’re behind the wheel of a sporty SUV, on a level with an Audi SQ6 or an Porsche Macan, which for me would be the benchmark in terms of dynamism. And in reality that’s true, at least in terms of performance. But setting the figures aside, the Sealion 7 is a long way from delivering the sensations behind the wheel that the SQ6 and the Macan provide on winding roads when it comes to exploiting all that horsepower. And it isn’t simply a matter of these two models -cousins, by the way- costing twice as much as the Sealion 7, although that probably has something to do with it.

Simply put, I’d like to think that at BYD they understand sportiness in this way, and that if their customers demanded it, there are those more than 100,000 engineers ready to do anything. Because the foundation is excellent, with a very rigid body, well-engineered suspension –overlapping wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear axle, with adaptive dampers-, an intelligent torque distribution system -only on the all-wheel-drive versions- that gives prominence to the rear axle, and “premium” tyres Michelin Pilot Sport EV.

What does this top-of-the-range Sealion 7 lack to reach, or at least approach, that point of dynamism, agility and precision that the best sporty SUVs in its class have? For me, first and foremost, a different damper tuning. BYD has done something that is common among electric car manufacturers, which is opting for a firm setting to contain body movements and keep the more than 2.4 tonnes of weight well controlled… which in the end takes its toll in the form of bouncing as soon as the tarmac isn’t perfect or when you drive aggressively on very tight winding roads. It also lacks a more precise steering feel and brakes with greater initial bite, in which the transition between regenerative braking and the engagement of the hydraulic brakes isn’t so noticeable.

The fact that the Sealion 7 doesn’t stand out for especially sporty handling doesn’t tarnish the car’s overall rating if you’re clear about what you’re looking for. Because apart from range, which just scrapes by, in everything else it earns at least a good grade, which makes the BYD SUV one of the most recommendable purchases in its category. After all, how many of us really use “sport” mode day to day? By the way, are you already picturing a Sealion 7 at BYD prices and with plug-in hybrid technology too?

BYD Sealion 7 – Image gallery