If there is an EV company that probably can take on Tesla, it is definitely BYD. China’s BYD (Build Your Dreams) is one of the biggest EV makers in the world today. In India, they have two electric cars on offer currently. e6 MPV and Atto 3.
After the successful launch of their first two cars, BYD is now getting ready to launch their 3rd car. At the 2023 Auto Expo, BYD showcased the Seal electric sedan. Now BYD Seal electric has made its debut on the company’s official India website. Does this mean launch is right around the corner? Let’s take a look.
BYD’s Indian website now features Seal electric sedan alongside e6 MPV and Atto 3 SUV. There is no mention of a launch timeline or pricing. We hope it is a hint at an imminent launch. But nothing is official yet. The headline figures include 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and 700 km of range from a single charge and a holy grail 50:50 weight distribution.
This is possible with a large battery ranging from 61.4 kWh and 82.5 kWh. Motor configurations in global markets start from 204 bhp in RWD config and can be specced all the way to 530 bhp and 670 Nm in AWD config. If priced around Rs. 60 lakh (ex-sh), BYD Seal will rival Volvo XC40 Recharge and Kia EV6 GT Line.
Speaking about design BYD Seal seems to have taken inspiration from Porsche Taycan. This is visible in Seal’s LED headlight shape and an interesting air intake below it. In this air intake, we get LED DRLs which are in wire-frame form. Bonnet tapers down towards the front aggressively and features power bulges, lending it a chiseled look. There is air intake for battery cooling in the lower half of the front bumper. From the side, it comes off as a rather sporty 4-door coupe sedan with a sloping roofline.
This sloping roofline doesn’t go all the way to the rear. Instead, it ends much earlier and lends BYD Seal a 3-box design attribute. It is a very interesting detail. Rolls-Royce adamantly swears by this 3-box design and even implemented it on Cullinan SUV. Other design features include stylish alloys and sharp creases that almost make it look German.
With EV designs, it is always ‘form follows function’. This is to minimise air drag and extract as much range as possible. Speaking of air drag, BYD Seal boasts an air drag coefficient of just 0.219 Cd. It ain’t no Mercedes-Benz EQS at 0.2 Cd. But it is still impressive nonetheless. On the inside, there is minimalism of knobs and buttons.
A giant center touchscreen and a wide instrument screen dominate the interior. Seats get quilted patterns and extend to door pads as well. Windscreen and roof are separated unlike in Tesla vehicles. But BYD Seal gets a giant glass roof, which doesn’t open. BYD Seal EV features flush door handles and smart-looking LED tail lights.
This post was last modified on February 11, 2023 5:25 pm