BYD has used the Paris motor show to reveal its biggest and most practical model yet – the Sealion 7 SUV.
This new seven-seat SUV will be going up against vehicles such as the Tesla Model Y, Skoda Enyaq Coupe and Hyundai Ioniq 5 when it comes to the UK next year.
Although specifications for its powertrain have not been revealed yet, in other markets such as China, the car is available with two battery packs – 71.8kWh or 80.6kWh.
BYD claims that the Sealion 7 has a charging rate of up to 230kW and that it will come with a four-wheel-drive option that will be able to do 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds. Furthermore, the car will feature the firm’s blade battery and body-to-cell construction as well as sit on the same e-Platform 3.0 architecture as the Seal saloon.
In terms of design, this new car adopts a lot of cues from other models in the firm’s line-up with its full rear light bar and angular front end. The sloping roof line gives the car a sporty profile, too.
Inside, the interior is almost identical to the Seal saloon, meaning that there is a 15.6-inch touchscreen display which can be used in landscape or portrait guise.
Michael Shu, BYD’s European managing director, said: “Our customers have been showing great interest in high-performance SUVs, so today, the Sealion 7 comes to Paris. Besides its blade battery, cell-to-body construction and our LFP battery chemistry, it is equipped with the world’s highest-speed electric motor in mass production, with a speed of 23,000rpm and 400 revolutions every single second. We are the only company to achieve such a record.”
Prices have not been revealed yet, but given the Seal costs from around £45,000, it’s likely that the Sealion 7 will start nearer the £50,000 mark.
