BYD has gone on the offensive early in 2025 and announced its inbound Sealion 7 batter-electric medium SUV will be priced from less than $60,000 plus on-road costs, predictably putting it in the same realm as the best-selling Tesla Model Y.
It’s unlikely all versions of the swoopy five-seater will slip in under the $60k mark, but that’s no major loss seeing as Tesla can’t pull off the same trick either – the smaller BYD Atto3 can though, as can the Leapmotor C10 and XPeng G6.
A closer look at the media announcement’s wording suggests the Sealion 7 will be offered here in three guises as per the equivalent Seal sedan: Premium, Dynamic and Performance.
Predictably it’s the former that’s set to start in the $50,000s while the latter’s asking price will almost certainly start with a six or a seven in exchange for a dual-motor powertrain capable of launching from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds.
Finer pricing and specification details will be announced closer to the Sealion 7’s local introduction next month, however BYD Australia has thus far confirmed a 500km-plus driving range for the most efficient version, the inclusion of Nappa and vegan leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera and vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality.
EVDirect – BYD’s local distributor – CEO David Smitherman forecast the model “to be the number one selling electric vehicle in” the BYD Australia range and promised it has “the feel of a luxury car” despite its accessible pricing.
Colour options will comprise Cosmos Black, Atlantis Grey, Shark Grey and Aurora White.