China’s BYD brand has quickly become a serious player in the local electric vehicle (EV) market since arriving with the Atto 3 late last year. That vehicle has sold well, snapping third place in the all-EV sector behind Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, and has solid reviews – including from MTA Queensland’s own Scott Gehrke, who has been driving the Atto 3 for the past few months and whose user reports can be read in many of this year’s Motor Trader editions.
In June, BYD launched the Dolphin model, a small EV hatchback pitched as Australia’s cheapest EV at $38,990, and now the company – which sells its models in Australia through distributor EV Direct – has launched the Seal, a handsome-looking five-door sedan which, like the brand’s other models, comes fully stocked with top-notch tech. It also has an appealing price tag which starts at $49,888 for the entry-level version.
To be available in three grades – Dynamic, Premium, and Performance – all of them use BYD’s Blade battery cell-to-body technology that integrates the battery into the car’s body structure and which the company says offers greater safety. There’s also double wishbone suspension up front and multi-link at the rear, vehicle-to-load functionality, and a massive list of driver assistance and safety (ADAS) features. Standard inclusions are nine airbags, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Driver fatigue Monitoring, Rear-Cross Traffic Alert and Braking, Adaptive Cruise-Control and Lane Keeping Assistance, and Child Presence Detection.
Power and energy for the Dynamic model comes via 61.4kWh Blade battery pack and a 150kW/310Nm motor powering the rear wheels. BYD claims the Dynamic can reach 100km/h in 7.5 seconds and has a combined cycle range (WLTP) of 460km. Charging can be done at up to 110kW at a DC fast charger.
The Premium has an 82.56kWh blade battery set-up and a 230kW/360Nm motor powering the rear wheels. It can reach the 100km/h mark in 5.9 seconds and has a claimed combined cycle range (WLTP) OF 570km. DC fast charging at up to 150kW is available.
The top-of-the-range Performance model is just that – with some pretty eye-catching performance figures being achieved via a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive set-up. Fitted with the 82.56kWh battery delivering a range of 520km (WLTP) as well as Intelligent Torque Adaption Control (ITAC), the Performance model’s two motors – 160kW/310Nm up front and 230kW/360Nm at the rear – means maximum output of 390kW/670Nm is on hand and 100km/h can be reached in a very swift 3.8 seconds. As with the Premium model, charging can be done at up to 150kW at a DC fast charger.
Styling and design is, as we have come to expect from almost all EVs, sleek and slippery, with the Seal boasting a drag coefficient of 0.219. The Dynamic sits on 18-inch alloy wheels, while the Premium and Performance models have 19-inch wheels.
Inside, the premium-looking interior offers full connectivity including Bluetooth, Android Auto, wired Apple CarPlay, sat-nav and two wireless phone charging docks. Functions are controlled by a 15.6-inch infotainment touch screen which can also be electrically rotated to either landscape or portrait orientation. There’s a 10.25-inch LCD instrumentation display, and a Head-Up Display in the Premium and Performance models too. BYD’s specification sheet claims all models will have Over-The-Air update functionality.
The BYD Seal also features a large silver-plated panoramic glass roof with an attachable sunshade, voice-recognition and plenty of USB and charging ports throughout the cabin.
Luke Todd, EVDirect CEO was very upbeat about the launch of the Seal. “This really is a significant moment in the Australian automotive industry,” he said in a media release. “When I first founded EVDirect the objective was to bring the world’s best electric vehicle technology to Australia and do so in an affordable manner. I’m confident we have delivered. With the launch of the Seal from just $49,888 drive away. This truly is beyond what even I believed we could achieve. This now means that BYD has three of the highest-quality electric vehicles on sale in Australia for under $50,000. This is many years ahead of where most pundits and automotive experts predicted the Australian EV market would be in and I’m very proud of BYD and our team to have been able to achieve this for the Australian public.”
The BYD Seal can be ordered now from the BYD website, with first deliveries expected in December 2023/January 2024. Pricing is currently marked as $49,888
for the Dynamic model, $58,798 for the Premium, and $68,748 for the Performance.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (November 2023)
13 November 2023
