2025 BYD Sealion 7 review: Electric newcomer brings tech, space to fight Tesla, Zeekr, Xpeng, Deepal and Leapmotor

October 20, 2024October 19, 2024 Toby Hagon 12229 Views BYD, Sealion 7

BYD is the only brand currently giving Tesla some serious competition in the EV market.

Between the two brands they account for more than 60 percent of EV sales in Australia.

And the upcoming BYD Sealion 7 is the car that goes for the jugular of Tesla: the Model Y.

The mid-sized SUV that’s due in Australia in 2025 is an all-electric sibling to the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid EV.

Like that car it has five seats and five doors in a stylish SUV shape.

But running on electricity only means it can focus solely on the EV game.

2025 BYD Sealion 7 price and equipment

Underneath, the Sealion 7 shares plenty with the BYD Seal, the mid-sized sedan that takes the fight to the Tesla Model 3.

Pricing hasn’t been set yet for the BYD Sealion 7, but it’s a fair bet it’ll undercut the Tesla Model Y.

That’s important, because the Model Y is still the big seller in the EV market, topping the sales charts – in part because of the value it offers.

For the best idea of what the Sealion 7 could cost it’s worth looking at the BYD Seal.

That’s because beneath the very different skin the Sealion 7 and Seal share the same underpinnings and electrical architecture.

While specifications are yet to be announced for Australia, the Sealion 7 is also likely to have a similarly high level of equipment as the Seal.

The Seal sells from $49,888 for the single-motor Dynamic, $55,798 for the Premium – also with one motor but a larger battery – and $65,748 or the dual-motor Performance (all prices exclude on-road costs)

Even if it floats north by a grand or two, the Sealion 7 should still undercut the Tesla Model Y, which starts at $55,900 plus on-roads.

Expect the level of equipment to include a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot warning, two wireless phone chargers, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, power adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats and the ability to use your phone as the key. There’s also a 15.6-inch central infotainment screen, which like those on other BYDs can rotate through 90 degrees, allowing a portrait or landscape configuration.

The entry-level Sealion 7 Dynamic should get 170kW of power (20kW up on the Seal) from a circa 72kWh battery.

The Premium will get a larger battery – about 81kWh – and make 230kW from its single rear motor.

The Performance steps up the power enormously with a second motor boosting the combined outputs to 390kW.

2025 BYD Sealion 7: what we think

The BYD Sealion 7 is a surprisingly spacious beast.

Up front there’s an airy feel courtesy of the vast glass roof. A floating centre console also caters for phones up top and bags down below.

And it’s nicely presented, with quilting on the seats, satin metallic finishes and enough buttons to work with the virtual controls embedded in the infotainment screen.

But it’s the back seat that really delivers on space, with loads of knee room and adult-friendly headroom.

A 60/40 split-folding back seat is handy for loading larger items and there’s some additional storage beneath the boot floor. A useful binnacle beneath the bonnet creates some frunk space.

We only sampled the Sealion 7 briefly on flat bitumen in China.

It was rushed but enough to learn the basics are there.

Performance is also acceptable although we were struggling to work out exactly what we were driving. The car we sampled first was a single motor variant that we think was running the 230kW tune with the longer range battery (which provides up to 610km of claimed range).

As with all EVs the Sealion 7 had easily-accessibly performance.

Even in single-motor guise it pulls cleanly and with the sort of thrust that’ll work just fine around town.

The dual-motor model ramps it up with more firepower off the line. Brisk without being ferocious.

2025 BYD Sealion 7: Verdict

The BYD Sealion 7 is shaping up to be a sharp competitor to the Tesla Model Y – and a car that could tempt people out of petrol alternatives (as the Tesla is doing).

But a lot will depend on pricing. If it can get closer to $50K it’ll be a tempting electric SUV.

While we need to spend more time with the Sealion 7 to see what it’s like on regular roads, first impressions are of a car that has the potential to be popular.

Score: 7.5/10

2025 BYD Sealion 7 specifications

Price: About $55,000
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, RWD
Range: 550-610km (depending on the model)
Battery capacity: 72-81kWh
Battery warranty: TBA
Energy consumption: TBA
Motors: 1 rear 170kW/Nm
AC charging: TBA
DC charging: TBA
0-100km/h: NA