New BYD Sealion 7 all-electric coupé-SUV arrives at Paris Motor Show
BYD has added a new car to its European line-up, the BYD Sealion 7. It continues the Chinese giant’s nautical naming strategy following the Dolphin, Seal and upcoming Seagull, and will provide fresh competition in the all-electric coupé-SUV market.
Taking on the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Peugeot E-3008 and Skoda Enyaq Coupe, the Sealion 7 will go on sale later this month according to BYD, with first deliveries expected before the end of 2024.
Pricing is yet to be announced, although given that the Seal saloon starts at just over £45,000, the larger Sealion 7 – which utilises the same e-Platform 3.0 architecture as the Seal – could sit nearer the £50,000 mark.
Two battery sizes have been available in the car in other markets: 71.8kWh and 80.6kWh. Under the more lenient CLTC testing scheme in China – where confusingly, the model is badged slightly differently as Sea Lion 07 – the smaller battery is good for 341 miles of range, while the larger one tops out at 380 miles. Range figures and battery sizes are yet to be confirmed for the European-market Sealion 7 however.
The larger 80.6kWh battery can hold a 230kW charge and we know the European Sealion 7 will be able to match this figure, suggesting we’ll get this battery option. In the Chinese market, the smaller battery is offered with two different single motors – one that produces 227bhp and the other 308bhp. This allows for 0-62mph times of 7.3 seconds and 6.7 seconds respectively.
A new ‘Intelligent Torque Adaption Control’ (iTAC) system has been developed for the car. BYD says this will be available on the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model and will be able to allocate torque to minimise skidding and improve safety. The firm also claims the suspension is “tailored for excellent handling” and “secure vehicle control”.
BYD claims the Sealion 7 takes the Ocean Series design language that we’ve seen on the Dolphin hatchback and Seal saloon and “adapts it to a sporty SUV body style”. An overall length of 4,830mm makes it 10mm longer than a Seal, although the Sealion 7’s coupé-SUV styling endows it with a rakish look.
The angular front features BYD’s ‘X face’ with floating LED headlights, while the sloping roofline flows into a subtle ducktail rear spoiler and beneath it there’s a full-width rear light bar.
The interior of the Sealion 7 will be very similar to what’s on offer in the upcoming facelifted Seal. There’s a huge 15.6-inch touchscreen dominating the dash with rotating functionality providing portrait and landscape layouts. There’s also a new steering wheel, and two wireless smartphone charging pads in the centre console.
The Chinese-market Sea Lion 07 features a head-up display mimicking a virtual 50-inch screen for the driver, along with front and rear heated and ventilated seats and a 2.1-square-metre panoramic glass roof.
