BYD are one of the new Chinese kids on the motoring block and they are rapidly making a big impression on Irish forecourts. BYD stands for ‘Build Your Dreams’ and the brand is imported into Ireland by the long-established Motor Distributors Ltd (MDL).
The first model we got from BYD in June 2023 was the Atto 3, then came the Dolphin, but very quickly BYD’s third model the Seal overtook the Atto 3 and Dolphin in terms of sales.
While the first two cars from BYD got much attention for their value for money, the Seal is a rival for other electric sports saloons like the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.
Last year I drove the small electric version of the Seal. Then came the larger Seal U Super Hybrid, which was named Continental Irish Large Car of the year in November
Now BYD has introduced a fifth model to the Irish market, their classy-looking all-electric Sealion 7 SUV where prices start at €45,335 for the entry level rear-wheel drive Comfort edition. The all-wheel-drive Design version will cost you €52,390 and the top of the range all-wheel-drive Excellence is €56,490.
I have given you the prices and the next question is always the range. The official range is around 500km, but when I picked up the car last week the range with a full charge said 464km, but with press cars much depends on the driving habits of the previous driver. If it’s speed you are after you can get from zero to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds.
The Sealion 7 is part of BYD’s ‘Ocean Series’ and features a design that is 160mm taller and 30mm longer than the BYD Seal saloon.
BYD are calling this car a mid-sized SUV, with coupe-like styling similar to other electric cars like the Volkswagen ID.5, Ford Capri and Tesla Model Y. The measurements are 4.830mm long and 2.930mm wheelbase.
It has plenty of boot space with 520 litres available with all seats in use, and up to 1,789 litres when the 60:40 split-folding rear seats are folded down. Plenty of room for a spare wheel in that massive boot, but none is provided.
I drove a blue version and inside the colour of the luxurious seats matched the exterior colour. That lovely shade of light blue is also used on the inside of the doors and makes for a very bright interior that compensates for a very dark roofline.
I loved the Oceanic Crystal gear stick, which is similar to ones used by Volvo.
There is plenty of head and leg room for five well-built adults and the person that sits in the middle of the back seat won’t have a foot on either side of the tunnel, as it’s a flat floor.
As usual with most new cars the infotainment screen on the dash dominated the dash. This time it’s a 15.6-inch rotating screen. A rotating screen has been described as a gimmick by some people, but I notice that the rotating screen seems to impress people who want a quick look at the interior of the latest car from the Chinese market.
When introducing the BYD brand to Ireland two years back Ciaran Allen, Sales Director at MDL, said that BYD was the biggest car brand we had never heard of. He was correct, but thanks to some good marketing and word of mouth recommendations most people I talk to are now well aware of the Chinese brand.
In a word, luxurious.
