Showcased at the 16th iteration of the Auto Expo last year, the Seal EV will be the third model in BYD's line-up in India after the Atto 3 SUV and the e6 MPV.
By Kanika Sachdeva
The BYD Seal, the Chinese company's third all-electric offering for India, will be launched on March 5, 2024. The manufacturer has opened bookings for the upcoming electric sedan, while also providing the opportunity to witness a match at the UEFA Euro 2024. Customers making reservations for the BYD Seal by April 30 will stand a chance to win match tickets through a scheme organised by BYD, together with round-trip flight tickets from India to the match city. The winners will be announced in May this year.
However, select dealers had already begun accepting bookings unofficially early this month. Subsequently, the details about the India-spec sedan's battery and powertrain specifications were revealed, and according to which, the upcoming BYD sedan will be equipped with an 82.5kWh battery pack paired with a rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (227bhp/360Nm). Meanwhile, the battery will yield a claimed range of 570 kilometres (WLTP) and can be charged in 37 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent using a 150kW charger. According to BYD, a sprint from 0 to 100km/h takes 5.9 seconds. Besides, a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant with a claimed range of 520km of the BYD Seal is also on the cards.
The all-new Seal sedan follows the brand's 'Ocean Aesthetics' design philosophy and has a design inspired by the Ocean X concept unveiled in 2021. It comes with a coupe-like roofline, split headlamps with boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights, a full-width LED light bar at the rear, and flush door handles. In terms of dimensions, the sedan is 4,800mm long, 1,875mm wide, and 1,460mm tall.
Inside, the Seal gets a 15.6-inch rotatable touchscreen in the centre, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, a heads-up display, and leather upholstery. Other bits are automatic climate control, two wireless charging pads, a drive selector, and basic controls for the heated windshield.
The BYD Seal will be imported to the country through a CBU (completely built-up unit) route. Showcased at the 16th iteration of the Auto Expo last year, the Seal EV will be the third model in the brand's line-up in India after the Atto 3 SUV and the e6 MPV. Price-wise, it could set you back by around Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom). Once launched, the new EV will rival the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Volvo C40 Recharge, and the Kia EV6 in the segment.