BYD India, which commenced bookings for its all-electric Seal sedan on February 29, has already garnered over 500 bookings as of now. The Chinese EV maker launched its third electric vehicle in India on March 5 at an ex-showroom price of Rs 41 lakh and within a week since its price announcement, the Seal EV surpassed the 200-unit booking mark. This consistent rise in bookings is credited to the growing demand for ‘technologically packed, high-performance, competitively priced luxury EVs’. Apart from the Seal sedan, the company offers the e6 MPV (Rs 29.15 lakh) and the Atto 3 SUV (Rs 33.99 lakh) in the country.
The new Seal sits on BYD’s e-platform 3.0 that underpins the Atto 3 and the Dolphin; however, it uses an 800V electrical architecture. The batteries, which are available in two sizes, get BYD’s patented blade technology. The smaller 61.44kWh battery pack comes mated to a rear-axle-mounted electric motor. The motor makes 201bhp and 310Nm of torque, while the battery offers a claimed range of 510km. Meanwhile, the larger 82.5kWh battery pack claims a maximum range of 650km. But, this applies to the variants with a rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (308bhp). The (523bhp) dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variants promise a 580km range.
BYD Seal: Exterior
The all-new Seal sedan follows the brand’s ‘Ocean Aesthetics’ design philosophy and has a design inspired by the Ocean X concept unveiled in 2021. It comes with a coupe-like roofline, split headlamps with boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights, a full-width LED light bar at the rear, flush door handles, and 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. In terms of dimensions, the sedan is 4,800mm long, 1,875mm wide, and 1,460mm tall.
BYD Seal: Interior
Inside, the Seal gets a 15.6-inch rotatable touchscreen in the centre, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a heads-up display, and leather upholstery. Other bits are automatic climate control, two wireless charging pads, a drive selector, an 8-way electronically adjustable driver’s seat, and basic controls for the heated windshield. Safety-wise, you get 10 airbags, a 360-degree camera, ADAS tech, and more.
BYD Seal: Price, Rivals
The BYD Seal will go on sale in the country through a CBU (completely built-up unit) route. Showcased at the 16th iteration of the Auto Expo last year, the Seal EV is the third model in the brand’s line-up in India after the Atto 3 SUV and the e6 MPV. Priced at Rs 41 lakh (ex-showroom), the BYD Seal is a close competitor to the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 – which received an update for 2024.
