BYD’s new Sea Lion 07 electrical SUV shall be produced in right-hand drive, however RHD variations of its equally sized Seal U shall be obtainable solely with plug-in hybrid energy.
A spokesperson for BYD Auto New Zealand instructed EVs & Past that the RHD Sea Lion 07 shall be launched in that market throughout 2024.
As for the Seal U, which has been spied testing in Australia, it can solely be provided in plug-in hybrid guise in RHD markets because it wasn’t developed from the bottom up as an electrical automobile.
The outlet stories BYD developed the electrical Seal U on the request of the European market.
We’ve contacted BYD Australia to substantiate whether or not it can observe its counterparts throughout the ditch in providing the Sea Lion 07.
EVs & Past stories BYD will launch 4 new autos in New Zealand in 2024: the Seal U, Sea Lion 07, an as-yet unnamed plug-in hybrid ute, and an unspecified fourth mannequin.
In distinction, BYD Australia has confirmed solely two new automobile launches for our market this yr: the ute and a mid-sized plug-in hybrid SUV, seemingly the Seal U.
It has additionally confirmed it plans to launch no less than two new autos every year from this yr, with the goal of being a top-five model in 2025.
Revealed on the Guangzhou motor present in November 2023, the Sea Lion 07 has a design closely influenced by the Ocean X idea automotive with a transparent visible kinship with the Seal sedan.
Each fashions sit inside BYD’s Ocean sequence of autos, together with the Dolphin, however BYD plans to show Sea Lion right into a sub-range.
BYD has employed this technique earlier than, providing a number of Seal-badged fashions: the electrical sedan that’s offered right here, a separate plug-in hybrid sedan, and the Seal U crossover.
The Sea Lion 07 measures 4830mm lengthy, 1925mm broad, and 1620mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2930mm.
These dimensions make the crossover simply 5mm wider however 80mm longer than the Tesla Mannequin Y.
The Sea Lion 07 battery electrical automobile (BEV) relies on BYD’s current e-platform 3.0 EV structure, which already underpins the likes of the Atto 3 crossover, Dolphin hatchback, and Seal sedan.
It incorporates Cell-to-Physique (CTB) expertise, which totally integrates BYD’s Blade battery into the automobile construction for larger rigidity and security.
The Seal U is an older mannequin, often known as the Track Plus Champion Version in China.
It’s due right here throughout the first half of 2024.
It options BYD’s DM-i plug-in hybrid system, mating an 81kW/135Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 145kW/325Nm electrical motor.
There’s a selection of 18.3kWh and 26.6kWh batteries, with 110km and 150km of NEDC vary, respectively. It may be charged at as much as 7kW utilizing AC energy and 18kW utilizing DC energy.
It measures 4775mm lengthy, 1890mm broad (2085mm together with the mirrors) and 1670mm tall on a 2765mm wheelbase.
That makes it 65mm longer, 28mm wider however 95mm decrease than a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV on a 59mm longer wheelbase. It’s additionally 320mm longer, 15mm wider and 55mm taller than an Atto 3.
Whereas the Track Plus Champion Version debuted in 2023, it’s an replace of the Track Plus that’s been on sale in China since 2020.
