BYD Seal is all-electric four-door sedan is a follow-up to last year’s Ocean-X concept and is based on BYD’s new architecture called e-platform 3.0.
Seal continues the ocean-themed nomenclature in the BYD lineup, where names are used for EVs like Dolphin and warship names for PHEVs like Destroyer.
In terms of appearance, the Seal is an evolution of the futuristic concept with similar dynamic lines and slightly refined features including LED light units and conventional wheels.
Overall this model is a testament to a significant improvement in the design standards of Chinese automakers.
According to leaked documents, the BYD Seal measures 4,800 mm (189 inches) long, 1,875 mm (73.8 inches) wide and 1,460 mm (57.5 inches) high, with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm (115 inches).
Those dimensions make it slightly larger than the Tesla Model 3 and more in line with the Nio ET5 and BMW i3 eDrive35L. A similar trail is also expected from the upcoming Toyota bZ SDN which is planned to use BYD technology.
The BYD Seal comes with one rear-mounted electric motor that produces 150 kW or 230 kW (201 or 308 hp).
It combines a 160 kW (214 hp) motor up front and a 230 kW (308 hp) motor at the rear which enables acceleration from 0-100 km/h or about 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds.
BYD’s 800V Blade battery allows a range of up to 700 km or approximately 435 miles. BYD Seals weigh from 1,885 kg to 2,150 kg.
For the price, the BYD Seal is priced between 220,000 and 280,000 yuan, or about 34,500 to 44,000 US dollars, which makes it significantly cheaper than the Tesla Model 3, which costs 339,900 yuan, or about 53,400 US dollars in China.