BYD Sealion

BYD Sealion 7 at a glance

Sealion, Seal U and Sealion 07: the names explained

The Sealion 7 belongs to BYD's Ocean Series and was the first model of its Sealion SUV family. In China the number is written with a zero, so the car is called the Sealion 07 EV there. Outside China the same car is sold as the Sealion 7.

Several related names cause confusion. The 1cars catalogue lists the Sealion 07 DM-i, a plug-in hybrid, and the smaller Sealion 05 EV as separate models. The Seal U is another separate SUV with its own catalogue entry. Some markets sell the BYD Song Pro as the Sealion 5 DM-i from 2025. In South Africa a Sealion 6 was launched together with the Sealion 7 in April 2025.

China launch and the 800-volt platform

The car was revealed at the Guangzhou motor show on 17 November 2023. Its market launch followed at the Beijing show in April 2024, and sales began in May. For China, BYD uses the e-Platform 3.0 Evo. It combines a 12-in-1 electric drive unit, motors that spin up to 23,000 rpm and an 800-volt architecture. Cell-to-body construction makes the battery part of the car's structure.

In China the 71.8 kWh battery charges at up to 180 kW and the 80.64 kWh pack at up to 240 kW. Both reach 80 per cent from 10 in 25 minutes, according to BYD. Chinese cars can also feed power back to the grid. The starting price was 189,800 yuan (about €24,400) in 2024.

Export versions and European launch

Hong Kong became the first export market at the end of September 2024. Europe followed on 14 October 2024 at the Paris Motor Show. Australia, India, Indonesia and New Zealand got the car in February 2025, and South Africa in April 2025.

Most export cars use the older e-Platform 3.0 with 400 volts and charge at up to 150 kW DC. The exception is the European 91.3 kWh all-wheel-drive version, which keeps the 800-volt Evo platform and charges at up to 230 kW. Alternating-current charging is 11 kW for all versions.

European buyers choose from three trims. The Comfort has rear-wheel drive and an 82.5 kWh battery, the Design adds all-wheel drive, and the Excellence combines AWD with the 91.3 kWh battery. AUTOHAUS gave a German starting price of €47,990 for the Comfort in December 2024. Parkers quoted British prices from £46,990 to £58,990 in 2025, roughly €55,500–69,700.

Motors, batteries and performance

The rear motor is a permanent-magnet synchronous unit with 380 Nm. AWD versions add a 160 kW front motor, for a combined 390 kW (530 PS) and 690 Nm. Singapore received a 100 kW version for its Category A vehicle class in September 2025.

CLTC figures are Chinese test values and run higher than WLTP. Wikipedia gives two different times for the AWD car sold in China, 4.2 and 4.5 seconds. AUTOHAUS quoted a top speed of 215 km/h and a WLTP consumption of 19.9 kWh per 100 km. The all-wheel-drive car weighs about 2.3 tonnes, so even the 390 kW version has about 170 kW per tonne.

Interior and practicality

The boot holds 520 litres with five seats in use and 1,789 litres with the rear seats folded. A 58-litre compartment under the bonnet adds a little more room. Parkers describes a 15.6-inch central screen that rotates and praises the passenger space. AUTOHAUS singled out the Dynaudio sound system and the good noise insulation.

In Germany BYD gives a six-year or 150,000 km vehicle warranty and eight years or 200,000 km on the battery. Service is due every two years or 30,000 km.

Driving and test impressions

AUTOHAUS found the car convincing overall and called BYD a challenger rather than a newcomer. Its tester noted that the car becomes slightly restless above 170 km/h and feels heavy in quick bends. One-pedal driving is not offered, and the driver-assistance camera warned too often.

Parkers listed generous equipment, passenger space and refinement as strengths. Its criticisms were higher prices than some rivals, distracting driver aids, numb steering and a range "well beaten by its best rivals". Parkers framed the car as a rival to the Tesla Model Y.

Safety ratings

Euro NCAP tested the left-hand-drive Comfort in 2025. It scored 87 % for adult occupants and 93 % for children. The other two areas reached 76 % (vulnerable road users) and 79 % (safety assist). ANCAP's aligned rating used nearly the same numbers. In China, C-NCAP gave the 610 Long Range an overall score of 87.3 % in 2024.

Production and sales

Production almost doubled in 2025 while sales in China fell, which points to fast export growth. In 2025 Australia registered 13,410 cars, Thailand 8,372 and Indonesia 7,461. BYD's rise from battery maker to one of the largest car makers is described in our history of BYD. All its models are in the BYD catalogue.

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