New BYD Sealion 7 EV undercuts Tesla Model Y at £44,990

• All-new electric coupe-SUV from BYD
• Up to 523bhp and 311 miles of range
• Costs from £44,990

UK pricing has been confirmed for the new BYD Sealion 7, dealing a blow to Tesla and its best-selling Model Y. Prices for China’s latest swoopy electric SUV will start from £44,990, undercutting the Tesla by exactly £2,000.

It’s not due to arrive in showrooms until early 2025, but it will have plenty of competition to shake off when it does. Of course, there’s the popular Model Y, but this year has seen the release of several new electric coupe-SUVs. The Peugeot E-3008, Cupra Tavascan and the Ford Capri are the new kids on the block, while there are older models like the Skoda Enyaq Coupe and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron to contend with. BYD hopes that its unique ‘Blade’ battery tech and focus on performance will be enough to win over UK buyers.

What is the new BYD Sealion 7?

It seems like the Tesla Model Y can’t catch a break at the moment – there are new electric SUVs popping up left, right and centre, and the BYD Sealion 7 is the latest challenger. A teaser from BYD earlier this year suggested that the Chinese-market Sea Lion 07 would be making its way to Europe, and its unveiling at the 2024 Paris Motor Show confirmed our suspicions – albeit with a curious naming tweak to Sealion 7.

The Sealion 7 is the largest and most upmarket car that BYD is bringing to the UK for now, sporting trendy coupe-SUV proportions and EV tech shared with the BYD Seal saloon. There’s up to 312 miles of range on offer for the most expensive models, while the screen-laden interior should pique the interest of tech aficionados.

What about range and performance?

The Sealion 7 uses BYD’s e-Platform 3.0, which is shared with its Tesla Model 3 rival, the BYD Seal. There are three different battery and motor combinations to pick from, starting with the cheapest Comfort model. This gets an 83kWh battery hooked up to a 308bhp motor, giving it a range of 300 miles.

16

Above this sits the Design AWD, those initials standing for ‘all-wheel drive’. It uses two motors to drive the front and rear wheels, putting out a combined 522bhp. That’s enough shove to launch the SUV from 0 to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds – that’s quicker than a BMW X3 M50. Range does take a hit though, dropping to 283 miles.

If you want that sports car performance without sacrificing range, you’ll want the Sealion 7 Excellence AWD. It uses the same motor setup as the Design AWD, but gets a larger 91.3kWh battery pack. As a result, BYD estimates this model will manage 312 miles – a useful bump, but still some way off the Tesla Model Y Long Range. The Excellence model also gets faster charging speeds, enabling a 10 to 80% top up in 24 minutes.

Dual-motor all-wheel drive models get a performance-enhancing ‘Intelligent Torque Adaption Control system’. This will be able distribute torque between the front and rear wheels to “minimise skidding”, while the suspension system has been developed to deliver “excellent handling and secure vehicle control”. A heat pump is standard for all Sealion 7s, helping to make range figures more consistent in colder weather.

What about the Sealion 7’s exterior and interior?

The exterior design shares a clear family resemblance to the Seal saloon, sporting the brand’s ‘X-faced’ motif up front. There are slim U-shaped headlights, large air ducts and a silver skid plate below the bumper. A light-bar spans the width of the rear, while a small spoiler extends beyond the sloping roofline. BYD claims that the Sealion 7’s “deeply sculpted curves echo the motion of waves” – we’ll let you be the judge of that, but it’s certainly a more curvaceous design than the Skoda Enyaq Coupe or the Peugeot E-3008.

16

The nautical theme continues inside according to BYD, with a mixture of curve and flowing shapes, although it’s not quite as flamboyant as the Atto 3 SUV or Dolphin. A giant 15.6-inch touchscreen sits centrally, and features the same rotating function as the screens in the Dolphin, Seal and Atto 3. The centre console shares its gear selector control panel with the Seal U SUV, while the steering wheel is new.

How much does the BYD Sealion 7 cost and when can I buy one?

Prices for the Sealion 7 start from £44,990, undercutting the cheapest Tesla Model Y by £2,000. That gets you behind the wheel of the basic Comfort RWD model, but bear in mind that you won’t be travelling as far as the base Model Y. While the BYD can manage 300 miles of range, the Tesla will travel up to 373 miles.

Sitting above the Comfort RWD model is the much quicker Design AWD car, costing £49,290. The most lavish Sealion 7 is the Excellence AWD model, costing £57,290 and coming with practically every option in the brochure.

BYD will begin taking orders from early of 2025, with the first deliveries commencing shortly afterwards.

On the hunt for a zero-emissions SUV? Read our list of the best electric SUVs on sale today…