After a notable delay, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) specialist Build Your Dreams (BYD) will finally expand its India portfolio with the launch of the Seal electric sedan on March 5. The Seal is the third different body style that BYD is introducing here, and will be its most expensive offering yet. carandbike can now confirm the Seal will be launched in India in both rear-wheel drive (single-motor) and all-wheel drive (dual-motor) forms, with both employing the larger 82.5 kWh ‘Blade’ battery. The Seal will be brought to India as a completely-built-up (CBU) vehicle, and BYD is keen on providing buyers powertrain choices for a vehicle seen as a brand-builder in the country.
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In the RWD Seal, the rear-mounted permanent magnet motor churns out a peak 308 bhp and 360 Nm of torque, enabling a range of up to 570 km (WLTP cycle). At the top of the lineup will sit the Performance AWD variant that has a dual motor setup (asynchronous front motor paired with a permanent magnet rear motor).
The Seal will be the first BYD model in India to employ cell-to-body (CTB) tech.
The 215 bhp and 310 Nm front motor, combined with the 308 bhp and 360 Nm rear motor, gives the Seal AWD a total system output of 523 bhp and 670 Nm of torque. It’s this variant that will go from 0-100 kmph in a scant 3.8 seconds, making this the quickest-accelerating BYD model to go on sale in India yet. BYD is also likely to introduce the more accessible, smaller battery version of the Seal, which has a 61.4 kWh battery pack, at a later date.
Designed as a rival to the Tesla Model 3, the BYD Seal is a four-door coupe-style sedan that measures 4,800 mm in length, 1,875 mm in width, and 1,460 mm in height, with a wheelbase spanning 2,920 mm. It has a 400-litre boot, and 53 litres of storage under the bonnet. The Seal is built on BYD's e-platform 3.0, which also underpins other BYD models including the Atto 3 SUV and Dolphin hatchback. Distinguishing itself from other BYD offerings, the Seal adopts an 800V electrical architecture platform, much like other low-slung four-door EVs such as the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.
The Seal has secured five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests.
The Seal can be charged at up to 7 kW (AC), and boasts DC fast-charging capabilities of up to 150 kW, enabling the battery to go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in 37 minutes when plugged into an ultra-fast charger.
While it will be the most expensive offering from BYD in India till date, the lineup is expected to start at well below Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom), with the all-wheel drive model expected to exceed that mark. In India, the Seal’s closest comparable rival will be the BMW i4, which is priced at Rs 72.50 lakh.
