First Drive: Is the BYD Sealion 7 a stand-out electric SUV?
BYD’s Sealion 7 has numerous rivals, but can it carve out a space for itself? Jack Evans finds out.
What is it?
The curiously named Sealion 7 is currently BYD’s largest vehicle and one which goes up against cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Enyaq. Can it do enough to stand out? We’ve been driving it to see.
What’s new?
BYD also says that the rear motor on the Sealion is the ‘fastest mass production e-motor’ as it can spin at up to 23,000rpm. Essentially, that means quicker acceleration and faster responses.
What’s under the bonnet?
It’s got a decent level of performance to offer, with 0-60mph coming in 4.3 seconds. Importantly, the Excellence Sealion can charge at speeds of up to 230kW, meaning you should be able to sort a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 24 minutes. An efficiency-boosting heat pump comes as standard on all models, too.
What’s it like to drive?
That said, the Sealion 7 sits very happily on a cruise, though, in truth, there’s probably too much performance for a car like this. We’d be tempted to go for a lower-powered model – it’s just a shame that you don’t get more range in this model, given how enormous the battery fitted is.
How does it look?
Similar to other Chinese manufacturers, BYD doesn’t offer the Sealion 7 with a great range of exterior colours. You’ve only got four to choose from on most models – Atlantis Grey, Indigo Grey, Polar White and Space Black – while Excellence cars gain an exclusive Tahiti Blue shade. It would be far better if a great range of more exciting colours were offered.
What’s it like inside?
Rear-seat space is excellent, however, and there’s a flat floor back there so whoever is in the middle seat doesn’t need to feel cramped. In terms of boot space, you’ve got 520 litres on offer there but, because of the shape of the tailgate, it’s quite shallow, so you can’t load taller items in there easily. Thankfully, you’ve also got a 58-litre ‘frunk’ at the front of the car for storing the charging cables in.
What’s the spec like?
Prices for the Sealion 7 start at £47,00, rising to £59,000 for this top-spec Excellence model. Kia’s EV6 undercuts the base Sealion 7 slightly on price and can offer considerably more range, however.
Verdict
The Sealion 7 certainly has a place on the UK’s roads. It’s smartly finished and has acres of space inside, not to mention some very impressive standard equipment. It goes to show that BYD has achieved this level of finish in just a few years on sale here, too, so the future looks bright for the brand.
It’s just let down in terms of range, as with a battery as large as the one fitted to this Excellence model, we’d expect more mileage between trips to the plug, and it’s in this area where rivals will seem far more appealing.
