2024 BYD Seal U details emerge

Disruptive Chinese car-maker BYD has exclusively sold EVs in Australia, but that’s about to change with the upcoming 2024 BYD Seal U.

Two versions of the all-new mid-size SUV have been approval for Australian roads – both fitted with a plug-in hybrid powertrain – ahead of their local release in the second quarter of 2024.

An all-electric version of the BYD Seal U is available overseas, but at this stage it appears the Chinese brand’s answer to the Tesla Model Y is available only in left-hand drive.

Instead, two PHEV variants will be offered in Australia – the BYD Seal U ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Premium’ – and the flagship will benefit from more powerful combustion and electric motors.

Local pricing for the Toyota RAV4-size SUV has not yet been announced, but Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid vehicle is the similarly sized MG HS Plus EV, currently listed at $48,690 drive-away.

The entry-level BYD Seal U Dynamic will be the price-leader and, according to government homologation documents, is equipped with a 72kW combustion engine and a 145kW electric motor, combining for a maximum power output of 160kW.

The BYD Seal U Premium gets a considerably more powerful output of 238kW (combined), thanks to a 96kW combustion engine and dual e-motors – 150kW front and 120kW rear.

Australian certification records do not specify what sort of combustion engine/s are used in the PHEV powertrain, but it’s likely to be based around a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

Two battery sizes are offered overseas (18.3kWh and 26.6kWh) and they’re claimed to deliver between 110km and 150km of range, although that is based on the NEDC efficiency standard, which is more optimistic than the stricter and more widely used WLTP standard.

The BYD Seal U will be offered in front-drive and rear-wheel drive configurations, which is something that rivals like the all-wheel drive Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and front-drive MG HS Plus EV don’t offer.

Compared to the Outlander PHEV, the BYD Seal U is 65mm longer thanks to its sizeable 4775mm length and 2765mm wheelbase.

Equipment levels for the pair of Seal U variants has not been outlined but based on European specifications prospective buyers can expect plenty of fruit, such as a wireless phone charger, premium audio system and BYD’s signature rotating central touch-screen – most likely a large 15.6-inch display.

BYD Seal U vehicles sold in the Eurozone also come with plenty of autonomous driving tech such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assistance and, if its BYD Seal sedan sister model is anything to go by, lavish heated and cooled power-operated front seats.

BYD Australia’s first mainstream model, the BYD Atto 3 small electric SUV priced from $48,011, has found more than 12,000 buyers to date and its two smaller EVs – the Dolphin compact hatch and Seal mid-size sedan – are also finding favour with Aussie buyers.

BYD has witnessed especially strong brand awareness among Aussie buyers and has made no secret of its plans to launch three more all-new vehicles in Australia in 2024.

One of them will be the highly-anticipated (but so far nameless) plug-in hybrid dual-cab 4x4 ute, along with a large electric SUV and another vehicle – potentially a mid-size electric crossover called the Sea Lion 07. The latter has been confirmed for the New Zealand market, propping the door open for an Aussie launch.

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