First drive: BYD Sealion 7

• Our first drive review of the BYD Sealion 7
• Electric SUV aims to compete with Tesla Model Y
• Rapid acceleration from 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds
• Build quality stands out but commands premium price

We’re apparently at the point now where an all-electric SUV doing 0-62 in 4.5 seconds is a selling point. 

That’s what BYD reckons, anyway – they’re so proud of the new Sealion 7’s performance figure, they’ve even stuck it on the boot lid of their latest model.

Such is the rate at which BYD is launching new cars in the UK, the word 'latest' won’t last for long with the new Sealion 7. It’s an important car for the Chinese brand, heading into the fiercely competitive and big selling mid-sized electric SUV sector, in which sits the world’s best-selling car, the Tesla Model Y.

It’s also a sector that other Chinese brands are targeting, with the Xpeng G6 and Changan Deepal S07 also arriving in the UK in the coming months.

So, what makes the BYD Sealion 7 different? Firstly, you’ll be disappointed if you thought this was the seventh iteration of the Sealion – it’s the first. BYD has, for some unexplainable reason, added the number 7 to this car.

It’s a car that will look great in BYD’s increasing number of showrooms. It’s handsome – if a little generic – just a bit longer than a Tesla Model Y and it certainly feels premium when you climb inside.

The build quality is top notch. There are proper soft-touch materials, a posh wave-like interior design (the Sealion 7 is part of BYD’s Ocean Series of car), and loads of thoughtful little touches. It appears well screwed together and stories we’re hearing from customers and dealers are building a reputation for quality, while the tech is bang up to date.

However, starting at £46,990 it’s also more expensive than its main rivals and doesn’t go as far on a charge.

That lovely interior may well be good enough to sell it to many, though. There’s a fantastic 15.6-inch touchscreen that rotates – just say, “Hey BYD, rotate screen,” and it’ll spin round 90 degrees. The screen is crisp, responsive, and designed with proper UK drivers in mind. You get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (although the screen stays in landscape orientation for that), a cleverly cooled wireless phone charger, and a very decent 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system.

Where so many touchscreens are a complete pain to use and take too much attention away from your driving, I loved the clever stuff like being able to swipe with three fingers to adjust temperature or fan speed without digging into menus. And the voice control will keep listening after your first command in case you have a follow up, which is both clever and slightly unnerving.

In front of the driver there’s a 10-inch digital display that’s also crystal clear, but a bit busy at times. Top-spec versions get a head-up display, which is much better. Oh, and you can use your phone as a key – just tap it near the wing mirror and you’re in.

When it comes to batteries, that’s what BYD should do best, given the company’s history building batteries for the world’s biggest tech companies. BYD has fitted their own Blade battery tech, which they say is safer – using a cell to body structure that incorporates the battery into the main body shell – and more efficient.

There are two options – an 82.5kWh battery in the Comfort and Design trims, and a bigger 91.3kWh unit in the Excellence model. You’re looking at claimed maximum official range figures of 300 miles for the entry-level Comfort, 283 miles for the all-wheel-drive Design, and a peak of 312 miles for the Excellence. The faster charging – up to 230kW – is only available with the bigger battery, but even the smaller one isn’t bad at 150kW. In the best-case scenario, a 10-80% top-up takes just 24 minutes.

So, there are lots of positives, including the straight-line performance with plenty of poke when need it. However, the overall driving experience doesn’t match up.

The Sealion 7 just feels a a bit confused, really. The suspension is firm over potholes and drain covers yet manages to lean and bounce about when you’re going through corners or over undulations. It’s not uncomfortable, but you’ll definitely know when you’ve hit a bad bit of tarmac. The steering’s a bit lifeless too – totally fine for pottering about, but if you’re expecting anything sporty to match that 0-62 time, you might need to adjust expectations.

That said, it’s quiet on board. With loads of soundproofing and double-glazed windows you won’t hear much wind or road noise, which is great. But for me, the ride just isn’t resolved enough for a car this price. It’s no disaster, but it’s not as composed as a Tesla Model Y or even something like a Kia EV6.

In terms of practicality, you’re doing alright. With the battery built into the structure of the car, it helps with safety in a crash and allows for a bit more space inside. Rear seat space is excellent – there is loads of legroom and headroom, and the view sideways, forwards and up is good with a lovely big panoramic sunroof that comes as standard. The doors open nice and wide too, so getting in and out is easy, especially for kids or grandparents.

The back seats are heated and even adjust for rake, while the front seats get warming and cooling, too. One other gripe is that rear visibility is poor. The rear window’s tiny – like looking through a letterbox – and there’s no rear wiper. In theory, clever aerodynamics are meant to keep the rear screen clear, but in practice, especially in grubby British weather, it’s not much use when you’re crawling in traffic.

The boot space is decent though; there’s 520 litres of room with a handy underfloor storage area, and you’ve got 20 little cubbies dotted around the cabin for all your odds and ends. The powered tailgate opens nice and high too, while there’s a handy 58-litre space in the frunk under the bonnet – ideal for keeping your cables tidy and out of the way.

However, it’s on price where the Sealion 7 could stumble. The entry-level Comfort version kicks off at just under £47k. That’s a good couple of grand more than a base Model Y, and about seven grand more than something like the Xpeng G6 or Changan Deepal S07. Those rivals offer more range.

The top-spec Excellence model may look and feel lovely sitting in the showroom, but it costs nearly £59k. The new Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD does 364 miles and costs £51,990. So, the BYD’s more expensive, with less range – which could be a tough sell.

The warranty’s strong: six years on the car, eight on the battery. Although 93,750 miles is an oddly specific cut-off point for the car’s cover.

So where does that leave us? Well, the Sealion 7 has plenty going for it – tech, build quality, space, clever touches. But the ride quality isn't perfect, and it’s relatively expensive when the alternatives are better to drive and go further on a charge. 

• Model tested: BYD Sealion 7 Excellence AWD
• Price to buy outright/rough cost to lease: £58,990 / TBC
• Powertrain/battery size: Dual-motor all-wheel drive / 91.3kWh battery
• Power output/torque/top speed: 523bhp / 670Nm / 112mph
• Range/charging speed if it’s electric: Up to 312 miles (WLTP) / max 230kW fast charging
• Fuel economy/CO2 emissions: N/A
• Boot space in litres: 520 litres + 58-litre frunk
• BIK/road tax: 2% BIK, £10 VED (first year)
• Standard-issue kit: 15.6” rotating touchscreen, panoramic sunroof, heated & cooled seats, Dynaudio sound system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, head-up display, wireless phone charging, full ADAS suite
• Main rivals: Tesla Model Y, Xpeng G6, Kia EV6

** Steve Fowler is one of the UK’s best-known automotive journalists and currently EV Editor of The Independent and a regular contributor to The Guardian. He’s the only person to have edited three of the UK’s biggest car titles – Auto Express, Autocar and What Car? – and has interviewed the biggest names in the car world from Tesla’s Elon Musk to Ford’s Jim Farley. Steve has also presented documentaries for BBC Radio Four and is used as a resident ‘car guru’ on TV and Radio. He’s a World Car of the Year juror and a judge on both Germany’s and India’s Car of the Year Awards. Read more of Steve's work at stevefowler.co.uk.

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