Chinese automaker BYD has introduced the Sealion 7 electric SUV in Hungary, reinforcing its presence in international markets as part of its global expansion strategy.
The company announced the launch on Monday, stating that the high-performance electric SUV is designed to meet the diverse needs of Hungarian consumers. The model, known as the Sealion 07 in China, has been rebranded as the Sealion 7 for overseas markets, following a similar naming approach in other regions.
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BYD is offering three versions of the Sealion 7 in Hungary—Comfort, Design AWD, and Excellence AWD—with a starting price of 20,040,000 Hungarian forints ($51,260). The SUV is based on BYD’s latest battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform, the e-Platform 3.0 Evo, which was introduced in China on May 10, 2024.
Since its domestic debut, the Sealion 07 has been positioned as a competitor to Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Model Y, with a starting price of RMB 189,800 ($26,090) in China. Deliveries began shortly after the launch. The model has since been introduced in several international markets, including Norway, Thailand, and India. In India, BYD offers the Sealion 07 in Premium and Performance variants, with the former featuring a single-motor rear-wheel-drive configuration and the latter equipped with dual-motor all-wheel drive.
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BYD’s lineup in Hungary includes the Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal, Seal U, and Tang. The Atto 3 is sold as the Yuan Plus in China, while the Seal U corresponds to the Song Plus EV. Currently, BYD exports all vehicles sold in Hungary from China, but the company is constructing a passenger car plant in the country to support its European operations.
On January 30, 2024, BYD signed a land pre-purchase agreement with the local government in Szeged to establish its first European passenger car manufacturing facility. The company stated that the plant, expected to be operational within three years, will primarily produce vehicles for the European market.
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