BYD Seal EV previewed in Malaysia – three variants expected, Q1 2024 launch, est. RM180k to RM220k
Exactly a year to the day it was first shown in the country, the BYD Seal has been previewed again, going on display at the BYD 1st Anniversary: Beyond Dreams Celebration event at Bukit Kiara Indoor Arena this weekend. This time, however, the showcase is very much a precursor to the EV’s market debut in Malaysia, with the car slated to make its market debut sometime in the first quarter of 2024.
Designed as a premium segment competitor that will take the fight to cars like the BMW i4 and the Tesla Model 3, the Seal is a four-door coupe-styled sedan with a sloping roofline and short rear deck. Measuring in at 4,800 mm long, 1,875 mm wide and 1,460 mm tall, with a 2,920 mm-long wheelbase, it is built on the automaker’s e-platform 3.0, which also underpins the Atto 3 and Dolphin EVs.
Unlike its siblings, the Seal uses an 800V electrical architecture platform like higher-end EVs such as the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT. In terms of variants, three are expected for Malaysia, mirroring that seen in nearby markets such as Singapore, Thailand and Australia, where the Seal has already gone on sale.
The base version will be the Dynamic Standard Range rear-wheel drive, which features a single electric motor offering 201 hp (204 PS or 150 kW) and 310 Nm of torque, which gets the car to 100 km/h from standstill in 7.5 seconds. A 61.4 kWh Blade lithium-iron phospate (LFP) battery offers up to 460 km of travel (WLTP cycle )on a single charge.
Sitting in the middle is the Premium Extended Range, which also has a single-motor rear-wheel drive configuration, but with a higher output and battery capacity. Here, the electric motor dishes out 308 hp (313 PS or 230 kW) and 360 Nm, with a higher capacity 82.5 kWh LFP battery providing the car with up to 570 km of range.
The range-topping variant is the Performance AWD. As its suffix suggests, it has a dual-motor powertrain with a 215 hp/310 Nm front motor being added on to the 308 hp/360 Nm rear unit to offer it a total output of 523 hp (530 PS or 390 kW) and 670 Nm. It has the same 82.5 kWh battery seen on the Premium ER, although the bump in performance means that its effective range is lower, with a quoted 520 km of WLTP-rated travel on a single charge.
In terms of charging, the Seal in its base Dynamic form supports AC Type 2 charging at up to 7 kW – with 8.6 hours to get the battery charged from 0-100% – and DC charging (CCS2) at up to 110 kW. Both the Premium ER and Performance AWD also feature 7 kw AC Type 2 charging, with a 0-100% charging time of 15.2 hours, but the DC charging capability on both is uprated to 150 kW, with 37 minutes needed to get the battery from a 10 to 80% state of charge (SoC)
The right-hand drive preview unit is shod with 19-inch wheels, which are wrapped with 235/45 profile Continental EcoContact 6 Q rubbers, and the absence of Performance-specific badging on the rear suggests it to be a Premium ER variant. The Dynamic SR rides on 18-inch units and 225/50 tyres. Incidentally, the unit was locked, so the photos of the interior you see here were snapped from outside the car.
Final pricing for the BYD Seal hasn’t been indicated, but sales advisors at the event have suggested that estimated pricing of the EV will start from around RM180k for the Dynamic, with the Premium ER expected to be priced at around RM200k, and the Performance, in the region of RM220k. What do you think? Can the Seal take the fight to the Tesla Model 3 Highland here?
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with myTukar.
