The BYD Seal was very much a Tesla Model 3 rival, and soon the BYD Sealion 7 will be a Tesla Model Y rival.
The BYD Seal was very much a Tesla Model 3 rival, and soon the BYD Sealion 7 will be a Tesla Model Y rival.
Preliminary version, still collecting material, so stay tuned for updates.
BYD Sealion 7 / Sealion 07.
While called the Sea Lion 07 in China, hopefully BYD are standardising on “Sealion” with a single digit for Ocean Series SUVs in export markets. I will call it the Sealion 7, even it though in external links and quotes it will sometimes be the Sea Lion 07. (see the Sealion 6 for more on names).
Just days ago, BYD launched the new Sea Lion O7, an all-electric SUV that makes up part of the Ocean series. Maybe more important than the car itself is the new e-platform 3.0 Evo that it rides on. The e-platform 3.0 first launched in 2021 and underpins most of BYD’s latest all-electric models. Evo most likely stands for ‘evolution’ and is a comprehensive update of the existing platform to squeeze more performance from it before the launch of the new e-platform 4.0.
There is a lot of evidence the BYD Sealion will soon reach Right Hand Drive markets. It has been said to be confirmed for New Zealand in 2024, and both already exhibited and confirmed for Thailand, and confirmed for Right Hand Drive. It would be very surprising for the vehicle to be launched in New Zealand without also being launched in Australia, but dates for both could slip.
This seems almost certain to be the #3 BYD car released in Australia behind the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i and the BYD Shark, with the Sealion 7 EV giving BYD a direct competitor for the Tesla Model Y which has been #3 bestselling car in Australia.
The Sealion 7 is a pure EV aka “BEV” that is an SUV of quite similar size to the Sealion 6.
In fact, it would make sense for the Seal U to have some form of Sea Lion name rather than a Seal name, and who knows what will happen in future with BYD Names.
My comment on naming back when the Sealion 6 was called the Seal U
Size of the Seal lion 7 is 80mm (3″) longer, 35mm (1″) wider, but 50mm (2″) lower than the Sealion 6, with a rumoured high-tech suspension and at a higher price.
BYD officially launched the long-awaited Sea Lion 07, a midsize SUV, in China. It is based on the new e-platform 3.0 Evo and is the latest addition to the BYD Ocean series.
BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) has launched the e-Platform 3.0 Evo, an upgraded version of its battery electric vehicle (BEV) model platform, as well as the first model based on the new platform, the Sea Lion 07 EV.
Today BYD released official interior pictures of its Sea Lion 07, an SUV competitor to the Tesla Model Y. With an MIIT listing months ago the car must be now ready to begin sales and an announcement may well be made at this week’s Beijing Auto Show.
Having been previewed in Bangkok in March 2024, it was at that time almost certainly already being prepared for RHD markets.
We thought the sheer size of the BYD stand at the 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) was its only talking point, since the cars the company showed were already being sold in Malaysia. That turned out not to be the case – the Chinese electric vehicle expert rejigged its display today to include two never-before-seen models from the Chinese market, including this Sea Lion 07.
The Sea Lion 07’s appearance at BIMS does obviously open the door for a Thai launch sometime in the future. It’s the only SUV in the Ocean Series confirmed for right-hand-drive production, and it will open a new, more profitable market segment for BYD. Could we see the Sea Lion 07 launching in Malaysia soon?
BYD Sea Lion 07 dimensions are 4830/1925/1620 mm, and the wheelbase is 2930 mm. It will feature Disus-C, an intelligent body control system dedicated to BEVs. The price will be 200,000 – 260,000 yuan (27,600 – 35,900 USD).
Sealion 07 is positioned slightly under Song L, which is positioned under Denza N7. BYD shared no more details at Guangzhou; we will keep an eye on it.
The original name in China was just “Sea Lion” with the vehicle to be the first Ocean Series SUV. Just as the original Seal was the first Ocean series sedan and, although still known in most markets as just the Seal, appears to be being renamed the Seal 07 in China, the original Sea Lion has become the Sea Lion 07 and it appears there will a series of Ocean Series SUVs with the Ocean series vehicle derived from the Song Plus in China now being the Sea Lion 06 or Sealion 6.
Why both the “Sea Lion 06” and “Sealion 6”?
Firstly, while the name in China is translated to “Sea Lion”, that is because that is the translation of the Chinese becomes the animal’s name is two words. While the animal’s name is two words, making a single word “Sealion” is a great move as it can help in searches.
Secondly, moving from “06” to just 6, makes an already long name that much shorter, and given the leading zero does not really help, that has to be an improvement.
I expect the Sea Lion 07 to follow the same evolution and become in English the Sealion 7.
