New BYD Seal is Europe-bound Tesla Model 3 rival
BYD Seal will be offered with either RWD or 4WD drivetrain
Compact saloon from leading Chinese EV maker to go on sale on continent by end of 2022
The new BYD Seal electric saloon has gone on sale in China, with BYD confirming that initial deliveries are planned to begin by the end of the month.
Revealed in May, the Tesla Model 3 rival is claimed to have attracted up to 60,000 pre-orders from Chinese customers.
Prices for the Seal in its home market start at ¥222,274 (£27,292) and extend to ¥298,140 (£36,648).
The exterior styling of the EV inherits cues first revealed on the Ocean X concept car and what BYD calls its “ocean aesthetics” design lineage.
At 4800mm long, 1875mm wide and 1460mm tall, it's 106mm longer, 58mm narrower and 17mm taller than the Model 3. Its wheelbase is 45mm longer than its Tesla rival's, at 2920mm.
The Seal is based on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 structure, making it the third BYD car to do so after the Dolphin and Yuan Plus, and comes with the choice of two different BYD Blade batteries, 61.4kWh and 82.5kWh units.
Both feature BYD’s lithium ion phosphate (LFP) battery cell technology and uses cell-to-body (CTB) construction, meaning the battery module is integrated into the body structure – a first for BYD.
The new construction process is claimed to provide the body of the four-door Seal with high torsional rigidity of up to 40,000Nm/deg.
The base rear-wheel-drive model receives a rear-mounted 201bhp electric motor and 61.4kWh battery, giving it a claimed 0-62mph time of 5.7sec and a range of 550km (342 miles) on the Chinese CLTC test cycle.
A long-range rear-wheel-drive model occupies the middle of the Seal line-up. Its 308bhp rear-mounted electric motor is combined with the 82.5kWh battery, giving a 0-62mph time of 5.9sec and a 150km (93-mile) increase in the CLTC range over its less powerful sibling at 700km (435 miles).
The range-topping performance model features a dual-motor drivetrain with 215bhp at the front and 308bhp at the rear for a combined system output of 523bhp, along with the 82.5kWh battery for a claimed 0-62mph time of 3.8sec and a CLTC range of 650km (404 miles).
Seals featuring the 62.4kWh battery can be charged at rates of up to 110kW, while those with the 82.5kWh unit have been engineered to handle a charging rate of up to 150kW.
The Seal is underpinned by a double wishbone (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension. BYD claims a 50:50 weight distribution for the dual-motor model, which receives the company’s Intelligent Torque Adaptation Control (ITAC) system to apportion drive between the front and rear axles.
BYD has confirmed the Seal will go on sale in Germany and Sweden during the fourth quarter of 2022 through European dealer group Hedin Mobility and says it expects to begin deliveries to other European countries shortly afterwards.