BYD Sealion 7 Electric SUV UNDERCUTS Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6 | Cars UK

The BYD Sealion 7 goes on sale in the UK in the New Year with prices starting at £44,490, undercutting both the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y.

The chances of Chinese car makers making rapid inroads into sales of ICE cars across the globe when they’re competing against a century of legacy car makers’ expertise is tiny. But EVs are a different kettle of fish.

That’s because EVs are much more white goods to serve a purpose than fulfil a lust, and are tech and software-driven instead of engineering marvels to stir the soul. So legacy car makers are at a disadvantage as we’re all forced into EVs by legislation, in the process destroying key industries, supply chains and jobs in the West.

One Chinese car maker aiming to dominate the UK and Europe with EVs is BYD. Fifteen years ago, BYD was building cheap knock-off Porsche Cayenne lookalikes and clones of the Lexus RX. Now, 15 years on, BYD is at the top of the EV tree, and its latest model—the BYD Sealion 7, revealed last month – is about to go on sale in the UK.

Aimed at competition like the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6, the BYD Sealion 7 costs from a competitive – for the market in the UK – £44,990, a price that undercuts the Model Y by a couple of grand. Although in China the exact same model is £20k cheaper. Still, so is the Tesla.

The entry-level Sealion 7 Comfort gets a single 308bhp electric motor powered by an 82.5kWh battery, good for 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds, range of 300 miles and prices from £44,990, with the Sealion 7 Design getting AWD and an additional motor for a total of 523bhp, range of 283 miles and costs from £49,290.

Top of the tree is the Sealion 7 Excellence, also with AWD and the same power and performance as the Design model, but with a bigger 91.3kWh battery and range of 312 miles. It costs from £57,290.

All models come with a heat pump, V2L,  Intelligent Torque Adaption Control, 15.6″ rotating infotainment, 10.25″ driver display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, decent Sound, heated and ventilated seats, wireless phone charging and more.

BYD Executive Vice President, Stella Li, said:

We’ve noticed demand for precisely this type of vehicle in Europe, so we’re delighted to introduce the SEALION 7. We’re confident that its mix of SUV design and packaging, Blade Battery technology, range, high performance and generous specification will appeal to many customers across Europe. The SEALION 7 shows how BYD is reacting to customer demand and tastes in the region, and widening our product line-up to ensure the best possible coverage of the most important vehicle types. This will be a key factor as we continue our progress in Europe.