BYD Seal U becomes BYD Sealion 6
Chinese brand’s plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV gets another name change ahead of its release next weekThe 2024 BYD Seal U will officially be known as the BYD Sealion 6 when the all-new plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV is officially launched in Australia next week (May 16).
And its new name should not be mistaken with the battery-electric BYD Sea Lion 7 sold in China. Yes, the former is one word, the latter split into two.
This will be the second name change for the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV rival before it enters local showrooms, given it’s badged and sold as the BYD Song Plus in China, with Seal U being the European designation.
The news comes via the model’s local Australian Design Rule certification documents, which have been updated to reflect the new nameplate after they were first published in early April, when plans for a two-pronged line-up comprising Dynamic and Premium trim levels were outed.
Both versions of the Sealion 6 will come with 1.5-litre petrol-electric powertrains, however, they’ll each have different power outputs for the four-cylinder combustion engine and a differing number of motors.
The entry-level Dynamic pairs a 70kW petrol engine with a 145kW electric motor for a combined output of 160kW, while the Premium combines a 96kW petrol mill with a 150kW front motor and a 120kW rear motor to provide a total system output of 238kW – plus all-wheel drive.
A single-speed automatic transmission is listed for both Sealion 6 variants, pointing to the fitment of a transaxle given continuously variable transmissions are listed as such – CVTs.
Two battery sizes are offered overseas (18.3kWh and 26.6kWh) and they’re claimed to deliver between 110km and 150km of range against the more lenient NEDC efficiency standard, though neither unit is mentioned in the certification data.
carsales has it on good authority the Sealion 6 could be joined in our market by the slinkier, battery-electric Sea Lion 7, giving BYD a unique two-pronged attack on the mainstream mid-size SUV market, in which the Sealion 6 will compete with electrified models like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Nissan X-TRAIL e-Power and Outlander PHEV, while the Sea Lion 7 tackles the top-selling Tesla Model Y.
Related: 2024 BYD Seal U details emerge
Related: BYD Seal U confirmed for release by mid-2024
Related: GUANGZHOU MOTOR SHOW: BYD Sea Lion 07 revealed
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