Chinese new energy vehicle maker BYD (Build Your Dreams) has opened bookings for its much-awaited electric sedan – Seal. BYD Seal will be launched in the Indian market on March 5 and will be the company’s third electric vehicle in the country, following the all-electric e6 and Atto 3.
Not many people are aware of the fact that China’s top-selling EV maker BYD has been around for almost two decades in India (16 years). BYD primarily focused on the commercial vehicles, including e-buses, e-trucks, and e-forklifts. But with its third Electric Vehicle set to launch in India, the company is clearly targeting the EV sector in India as the demand for such vehicles is steadily increasing in the country.
Being the official e-mobility partner of the UEFA EURO 2024, the Chinese brand is attracting customers by offering UEFA match tickets and even round-trip flights to the matches. However, this exclusive scheme will be available to those who will book the BYD Seal by April 30. Details about the winners will be provided on BYD’s official social media account.
BYD Seal: Battery and Range
In the global market, the Seal comes in two battery options: 61.4kWh and 82.5KWh. Indian market will get the latter battery pack with an electric motor installed on the rear axle. The electric sedan will offer a range of 570km on the WLTP cycle and generate 230 horsepower and 360Nm of torque, helping the sedan EV to reach 100 kmph in just 5.9 seconds.
BYD claims that with a 150KW charger, the Seal EV can be charged from 10% to 80% in only 37 minutes. However, charging it with a regular 11kW AC charger will take around 8.5 hours to go from 0-100%.
BYD Seal: Design and Features
With dimensions of 4,800 mm (length), 1,875 mm (width), and 1,460 mm (height), the Seal EV design is based on BYD’s Ocean-X concept. It has a wheelbase of 2920mm and offers a boot space of 320 litres. Moreover, the car has a sleek design and boasts an impressive aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.219Cd. On the outside, the car features crystal LED headlights with boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights (DRLs).
Inside the cabin, the customers will get to see an impressive 15.6-inch rotatable touch screen and a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display. Other featured highlights are – a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, a heads-up display, and two wireless charging pads.
BYD Seal: Safety
BYD Seal EV received an impressive 5-star safety rating in EURO NCAP crash tests. The standout feature was the EV’s high score in various categories, including 89% for adult occupants, 87% for child occupants, 82% for Vulnerable Road Users, and 76% for Safety Assist.
Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Assist System, and Fatigue/Distraction Detection are some of the notable safety features in the BYD Seal electric sedan.
Although the final price of BYD’s new car has not been announced yet, the expected price of Seal EV is around Rs 55 lakh and Rs 65 lakh (ex-showroom). That means it will compete with cars like BMW i4 (Rs 72.50-77.50 lakh, ex-showroom) and Kia EV6 (Rs 60.95-65.95 lakh, ex-showroom).
