BYD is adding another model to its Seal range. Following the launch last year of the Seal electric saloon, and the addition - due in Ireland this autumn - of the Seal-U plug-in hybrid SUV, we have now seen the unveiling of the Sea Lion.
Extra space and versatility
Technically, this is the Sea Lion 7, but we suspect that the 7 bit will be dropped by the time the car comes to Europe. No, it won’t balance a beachball on its nose for a circus act, but it will add some extra space and versatility to the Seal lineup.
It clearly draws on the existing BYD Seal saloon in design terms, essaying much of the same sleekness and the same low-slung nose with its C-shaped headlights. Behind though, much has changed. There are chunky wheel arches finished in a glossy black, and of course there’s more ride height.
500-litre boot
Out the back, there’s a fastback SUV-coupe body style which improves on the practicality of the Seal saloon by providing a 500-litre boot (the Seal saloon can manage a mere 400 litres, plus a 53-litre frunk) expanding to 1,769 litres with the back seats folded. There should also be more space in those back seats, thanks to a lengthy 2.9-metre wheelbase.
So far, we haven’t seen the car’s interior, because the version with which we were presented at an event in China on the fringes of the Beijing motor show was a styling buck, and didn’t have a finished cabin, but we’d expect it to broadly follow the look and feel of the existing Seal saloon. BYD has confirmed that it will have the same rotating 15.6-inch touchscreen.
Underneath, the Sea Lion uses the same ‘Blade’ lithium-iron phosphate battery as the Seal saloon, although this one is slightly larger at 91kWh capacity (compared to the saloon’s 83kWh pack). The quoted range, for now, is 500km on a full charge, but that is based on preliminary figures for the Chinese market, and that may change once the car reaches Europe. A rear-wheel-drive version, with less power but more range, will follow along in due course. The battery will be much faster to charge, at up to 230kW on DC power, whereas the existing Seal saloon will take a maximum charge of 150kW.
530hp power
The two-motor layout gives the Sea Lion the same 530hp power output as the Seal Excellence saloon, but it’s slower to get to 100km/h, taking 4.5 seconds, most likely down to the hefty 2.4-tonne kerb weight.
Irish specs and prices have not yet been set, but then the Sea Lion won’t arrive here until early 2025.