China’s Tesla Model 3 Performance fighter arrives in Australia: AWD BYD Seal preps for launch in Sydney

August 22, 2023November 6, 2023 Stephen Corby 4084 Views australia, BYD Seal

BYD’s Tesla Model 3 Performance fighter is edging closer to its local launch, with what appears to be a top-spec model built to rival the fastest Tesla spied at a BYD dealership in Sydney.

Dressed all in black, the Seal appears to be wearing 19-inch alloys (albeit while riding on jacks to make moving the stationary vehicle easier), which suggests we’re looking at a top-spec model, either the RWD or AWD edition fitted with an 82kWh ‘Blade’ Battery.

While either model is rapid – the 230kW RWD will clip 100km/h in just 5.9s – it’s the AWD version that will steal the headlines, with its 390kW dual-motor setup capable of knocking off the sprint to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

Range promises to be impressive, too. BYD says the RWD model will deliver 570kms on the WLTP cycle, while the AWD trims that slightly to 520kms.

When it does come time to charge, 150kW DC fast charging should see you go from 30-80 percent charged in 26 minutes, with the Seal also set up for three-phase 11kW charging at home.

While we can’t see inside the cabin in these pics, we know the top-spec Seal will also arrive with heated and ventilated front seats, and a 15.6-inch rotating screen.

Order books for the Seal are expected to open within weeks after the brand fast-tracked the launch in Australia, and with pricing that promises to be “extremely competitive”. That said, it will obviously be priced well ahead of the BYD Dolphin, which wears the tag of Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle.

Stephen Corby

Stephen is a former editor of both Wheels and Top Gear Australia magazines and has been writing about cars since Henry Ford was a boy. Initially an EV sceptic, he has performed a 180-degree handbrake turn and is now a keen advocate for electrification and may even buy a Porsche Taycan one day, if he wins the lottery. Twice.