As BYD gears up to launch its third product, the Seal EV, in India on March 5, we have exclusive details about the specification it is going to be offered in. The Seal will be brought in as a full import and dealers have already begun accepting unofficial bookings. The Seal was first showcased in India at the 2023 Auto Expo.
- Seal EV to come in entry-level RWD guise
- Has a claimed range of 570km on the WLTP cycle
- Launch slated for March 5
India-spec BYD Seal powertrain, specs and range
In India, the Seal will be offered with an 82.5kWh battery pack with rear-wheel drive that returns a claimed range of 570km on the WLTP cycle. The permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted on the rear axle can produce 230hp and 360Nm of torque. BYD claims a 0-100kph time of 5.9 seconds in this specification, which weighs 2,055kg.
The battery gets BYD’s patented blade technology, similar to other BYD cars, and is capable of charging at speeds of up to 150kW where 10-80 percent charge comes up in 37 minutes. Using a regular 11kW AC charger, it takes 8.6 hours to charge from 0-100 percent. While these specs are of the entry-level RWD variant, sources say the dual-motor AWD variant with 530hp and 520km of claimed range could also be on offer.
BYD Seal exterior, interior and features
The Seal inherits design cues from the Ocean X concept from 2021, and follows BYD’s “ocean aesthetics” design language and ocean-themed nomenclature. The Seal features interesting details like a coupe-like all-glass roof, flush-fitting door handles, four boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights, split headlamp design and a full-width LED light bar at the rear.
On the inside, the BYD Seal gets a rotating, 15.6-inch infotainment in the centre console, with the driver getting a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a heads-up display. The floating touchscreen is flanked by the central AC vents, with the drive selector and a scroll wheel to select the various drive modes below it. The centre console also houses basic controls for functions like heated windscreen, volume control for the audio system as well as two wireless charging pads.
BYD Seal expected price, rivals
The Seal is expected to be priced at around Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom), which means it will be a close competitor to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that’s priced at Rs 45.95 lakh (ex-showroom). In fact, the Ioniq 5 closely matches the BYD Seal in terms of specs as it too gets a RWD motor with 217hp and has a 72.6kWh battery pack for a claimed range of 630km.
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