BYD Sealion 7 review – a smooth SUV with BYD’s best interior yet

Verdict – is the BYD Sealion 7 a good car?

We’ll explain BYD’s novel naming below, but to keep things brief, the Sealion 7 is a new Tesla Model Y rival from a Chinese manufacturer looking to make big waves in Britain. It’s well equipped and has the best interior we’ve seen from BYD yet, with lots of space and equipment. It’s pretty quick too, but the rest of the driving experience isn’t quite as polished as some rivals, and its range of around 300 miles is also only average.

BYD Sealion 7 models, specs and alternatives

You’ve probably heard of BYD by now – and if you watched any of the Euro 2024 you’ll have seen its advertising – but its latest Sealion 7 model could still do with a bit of scene setting.

BYD has embraced its aquatic-themed naming system, so from now on if you see a BYD Dolphin it will be a small hatchback, while its Seal naming will apply to its saloon cars and Sealion will be given to its SUVs – apart from the BYD Atto 3, which is another SUV that launched here first, and is now the odd one out.

Top 10 best electric SUVs – the ones to buy in 2024

If you’re wondering why it’s the Sealion 7, well that’s because there’s a smaller Sealion 5 sold elsewhere. Confused? We don’t blame you, but what’s really important to know is that the Sealion 7 is a Tesla Model Y rival. In other words, it’s going up against the world’s best-selling car of 2023. Let’s just hope it can do more than clap and balance a ball on its nose.

A sea lion can’t sprint from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds can it? Well, the Sealion 7 can if you see ‘AWD’ in its badge. That stands for ‘all-wheel drive’, which means it gets two motors and a dizzying 522bhp. In our opinion, though, that’s not actually the one to buy. With 308bhp and rear-wheel drive the Comfort version is plenty quick enough, and as you’ll read later, this SUV is far more comfortable when cruising than it is tackling a set of sharp bends.

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Is the Chinese Sealion 7 far cheaper than all its rivals then? Not really, it costs from around £45,000 with one motor and increases to £55,000 for the top whack Excellence version. BYD isn’t a cut-price brand, and the Sealion 7 does have the brand’s best interior yet and loads of tech. It’s a bold strategy, though, because it puts the BYD right in the ballpark of the well-established Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq Coupe, along with the likes of the Ford Capri.

Read on to find out if there’s a reason to bet on BYD and pick the Sealion 7 over its rivals… 

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Pick up the entry-level Sealion 7 in Comfort trim and you can drive for a nice round figure of up to 300 miles, while the four-wheel drive Design trim sees this figure shrink slightly to 283 miles. Those are pretty decent figures that should suit plenty of drivers, but with the entry-level Tesla Model Y now able to manage 373 miles, the BYD is hardly class-leading.

There is a version with a bigger battery, but because it’s also the flagship Excellence trim with the most kit and heaviest weight, it only extends its range to 311 miles – not by as much as you might think, in other words.

When the smaller battery is fitted, the charging speed is capped at 150kW at public rapid chargers, for a 10-80% charge in 32 minutes. The range-topper sees this boosted to 230kW, for a reduced 10-80% time of 24 minutes, despite its larger capacity.
 

How efficient is the BYD Sealion 7 in the real world

Working backwards from the size of the car’s battery and BYD’s projected range figures, its efficiency figure would need to be around 3.4 miles/kWh to hit the same target. However, during our time driving the Sealion 7 it averaged 2 miles/kWh. This was affected by driving along a few stretches of high-speed German autobahn, but in any case that’s still disappointing.

What will the BYD Sealion 7 cost to insure?

The Sealion 7 looks likely to be expensive to insure. While its official groups haven’t been confirmed yet, the BYD Seal sits in groups 48 to 50 out of 50.

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Sealions might look ungainly on dry land, but they can move at a ferocious pace once back in the water, and while the Sealion 7 may be a heavy SUV, it’s no slouch either. BYD is certainly proud of its performance, and even the entry-level version with a 308bhp rear-mounted motor can keep up with most hot hatches.

Step up to the Design AWD and there’s an extra motor and four-wheel drive traction, cutting its 0-62mph dash to just 4.5 seconds. That makes it quicker than a Skoda Enyaq Coupe or Kia EV6 GT-Line, and the BYD certainly feels like it has lots of power and a smooth response to the accelerator pedal.

Is the BYD Sealion 7 good to drive in town?

Despite its strong performance level, the BYD has suspension that deals with sharp bumps pretty well, which is a good thing when tackling potholes and speed humps in town. The steering is light, making it easy to twirl in car parks, but the brakes are a bit sharp and tricky to apply smoothly.

Is the BYD Sealion 7 good to drive on long journeys?

This is actually one of the Sealion 7’s strengths, because all cars come with noise-reducing double-glazed glass and suspension that remains pretty smooth on most faster roads. There’s some whine from the electric motors as the car accelerates, but this fades into the background at higher speeds. There is some wind noise around the windscreen pillars and door mirrors, but the EV-specific tyres stay pretty quiet.

Is the BYD Sealion 7 good to drive on B-roads?

This is where the BYD’s sporty personality falls apart somewhat, because the suspension isn’t as good at resisting body lean as most of its European and Korean rivals. While the steering feels rather sensitive as you start to turn, it also lacks feel and doesn’t feel quite as confidence-inspiring as the Enyaq.

Carbuyer notes

“Hit a bump and the Sealion 7 will deal with the initial shock well, but over undulating tarmac the suspension struggles to contain its near-2.5 ton kerbweight.” Jordan Katsianis, Senior staff writer

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Like a growing number of SUVs – and particularly electric ones – the Sealion 7 has a coupe-style roof and shallow rear window with a set of rear spoilers on its boot. This not only gives it a sleek appearance, but it also helps it carve through the air more easily, boosting that all important range figure.

While it doesn’t share its name, the Sealion 7 shares a lot of its ‘X face’ design cues with the BYD Seal, getting a similar set of headlights and large air intakes at either side of a smooth nose. There’s also a trendy full-width light bar at the rear, and overall the Sealion 7 has a modern, cohesive design.

We reckon it’s BYD’s best interior so far, too. You feel a bit higher up than in rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, in a driving position that should suit most buyers and gives a clear view of the screen ahead. 

The quality of finishes and materials impresses too, with a step up in build quality and a large fixed glass roof that bathes the interior with light. Fear not, there’s also a sun shade for hot summer days so it won’t turn into an oven.

Is the BYD Sealion 7 infotainment and navigation system easy to use?

You’ve probably already seen the party trick where the central 15.4-inch display in BYD models can rotate to accommodate buyers who prefer portrait or landscape screens. That’s still the case here, but there’s also a second 10.25-inch screen behind the steering wheel dedicated to driver information and Excellence trim also gets a head-up display. That main central display is sharp and responds well to inputs, while its user interface is also fairly simple and easy to learn.

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We did still find that too many features are buried in submenus, though, and while you can set up shortcuts, these take you to the menu where it’s found instead of simply turning it on or off. Want to turn heated seats on or off? You’ll be stabbing the screen a handful of times, and there are a few ways to do it. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included, while the car’s own search feature is also Google-powered.

Is the BYD Sealion 7 well equipped?

Chinese consumers love technology, so it follows that Chinese cars tend to come loaded with kit – it’s fast becoming one of their strongest selling points versus rivals. The Sealion 7 is no exception, with its twirling infotainment screen and neat features like a cooled high-speed wireless phone charger, loads of USB-C charging points and even a solid-sounding 12-speaker Dynaudio stereo.

What options should you choose on the BYD Sealion 7?

Chinese brands also seem to be following the trend set by South Korean brands, specifically that of not offering many optional extras. Instead, you just pick the trim level with the kit you want, and even the entry-level Comfort trim is pretty well appointed.

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Chinese buyers might love technology, but they also love loads of rear legroom, so you might get a shock when you sit in the back of the Sealion 7 – in a good way. Not only is there an opulent amount of space for back-seat passengers, they can also recline and gaze up at the clouds or stars thanks to that big glass roof. 

There are plenty of storage cubbies, large door bins and two cupholders in the centre console. The latter have novel adjustable bases, too, so you can fit in a really deep coffee cup.

Does the BYD Sealion 7 have a big boot?

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Pop open the electric boot and there’s a nicely-square cargo area, and like lots of its EV rivals, there’s also a false floor hiding a hidden space for the cables or some spare shoes, first aid kit or whatever you fancy keeping hidden. There’s also a small (58-litre) storage space under the bonnet that can fit a few shopping bags or even a small travel bag.

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BYD is still a relatively new force in the UK’s car market, but it has a quickly growing range of models. It’s also no stranger to battery technology, having become one of the world’s major players in batteries and supplying millions to prominent manufacturers across various tech industries over the years.

So, while it’s a bit early to say how reliable BYD cars will be, we haven’t heard of any horror stories yet, and will be surprised if they crop up.

How safe is the BYD Sealion 7?

There are positive signs here too, because both the BYD Seal that the Sealion 7 shares lots of parts with, and the older BYD Atto 3 scored the full five stars at the hands of Euro NCAP crash testers.

The Sealion 7 certainly comes packed with safety kit, with just about every kind of collision warning and driving assistance aid you can shake a stick at. That’s positive, but we did find some of them rather irritating and we suspect their calibration for European roads may need some fine-tuning. It’s also not ideal that switching them off requires digging into an on-screen menu, unlike Renault’s ‘My Perso’ physical button that can quickly recall settings to your liking.

What is the warranty on the BYD Sealion 7?

As standard you’ll get a long cover period of six years or 93,750 miles for the car, while this is upped by two years for the motor and lasts for eight years or 125,000 miles for the battery.

Should you buy a BYD Sealion 7?

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If you haven’t driven the latest and greatest electric SUVs, you’d likely be very impressed with the BYD Sealion 7. It certainly has its strengths – it looks good inside and out, comes with lots of kit, it’s spacious and drives smoothly and quietly if you take it easy.

Unfortunately for BYD, the Sealion 7 is dipping its flippers into the hottest market in the world right now. Last year, the Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car and contenders like the Skoda Enyaq Coupe, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 have already benefitted from updates and mid-life facelifts to make them even better than before. New arrivals like the Renault Scenic and Peugeot E-3008 boast impressive features, range figures and family-friendly features too.

For the BYD Sealion 7 to triumph in some esteemed company its suspension and safety systems will need to go to finishing school, and we’ll also need to see that its efficiency is a lot better than 2 miles/kWh when driven more gently.

What is the best Sealion 7 for families?

While it might be a nice party trick to launch from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds on a private track, for the vast majority of drivers the still-powerful rear-wheel drive Comfort version will be plenty quick enough.

What is the best Sealion 7 for keen drivers?

Both the AWD versions get twin motors for 522bhp, which is enough to pin you and passengers into your seats with a flex of your right foot. That’s where most of the fun ends, though, because the Sealion 7 never really encourages fast driving along a twisting road, feeling like much more of a cruiser.

What is the Carbuyer pick of the BYD Sealion 7 range?

We might be Carbuyer and not Evo, but we still like to let our hair down sometimes. In this case though, we really do think the entry-level Comfort is the one to go for. If you like going fast, use the money you’ve saved to buy a track experience – or even a cheap hot hatch or Mazda MX-5.

BYD Sealion 7 alternatives

We’ve already given the game away above, but needless to say there are lots of alternatives to pick from. Electric mid-size SUVs range from the seriously posh Audi Q6 e-tron to more family-friendly models like the Renault Scenic.

• Tesla Model Y
• Kia EV6
• Skoda Enyaq Coupe
• Peugeot E-3008
• Renault Scenic

How we tested the BYD Sealion 7

We tested the BYD Sealion 7 in Germany in November 2024 on a mixture of urban and rural roads, as well as a few high-speed sections of the Autobahn.