BYD Sealion 7 review: quiet, fast and comfortable, but Tesla shouldn't be too concerned yet

Telegraph

17-04-2025

BYD Auto, the 22-year-old Chinese carmaker, is nothing if not remorseless. It built its first passenger car in 2005 and, in 2023, overtook Tesla as the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) maker and Volkswagen as China's best-selling car brand. Last year, it sold more than 4.7 million new vehicles.
Look under the bonnet of a BYD and you'll not see a litany of tier-one suppliers' labels; this company makes virtually every part of its cars, including computer chips and its patented blade-structure lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries. As I commented on my first acquaintance with the brand: 'BYD seems terrifyingly plausible.'
These days, the company enjoys the talents of former Audi designer Wolfgang Egger and has a high-end luxury brand, Yangwang, and a new-energy brand, Denza. Wang Chuanfu, BYD chairman and founder, recently announced that during testing the company's forthcoming Han L saloon has proved capable of recharging at a rate of 292 miles of range in only five minutes.
In the UK, BYD has gone from nowhere to having 65 UK dealers (or at least sales points) in a couple of years. Last year, it sold 8,788 vehicles in the UK, an increase of 658 per cent on the 1,158 it sold in 2023.
BYD is clearly going places and is fond of telling everyone so, but despite the spin, the earliest cars lacked credibility and the quality feel of the best in the market. Will the Sealion 7 change all that?
Under the skin
It's a D-segment large family SUV (4,830mm long and 2,189mm wide with mirrors extended), based on the Seal saloon, which goes on sale in April pitched against, among others, the Tesla Model Y which, despite a little local difficulty for Elon Musk, is one of the world's best-selling cars. Yet the Sealion 7's launch has been something of a fiasco. This is the third attempt since last autumn after cancellations and shortages of test cars. The pinniped-inspired name, incidentally, will now be attached to all BYD SUVs, with a number denoting its size; saloons will be called Seal and hatchbacks Dolphin. So now you know.
Fearing the worst, I turned up the day before the official launch to get the time to closely study and drive this new car closely without the razzle dazzle. And there's no question, it's a looker in this class and much more pleasing than the fussy style of other BYD models. It's sleeker, lower and more shapely than the ungainly Model Y, and there's a premium feel and heft to the appearance, although the motorised door handles feel cheap and flimsy.
The powered boot lid reveals 520 litres of shallow space augmented by a 58-litre front space and a cubby hole under the floor for the charging cables. Fold the rear seat backs, and there's a maximum of 1,789 litres and the load floor is almost flat so that long loads can be slid in.
The Excellence trim provides real leather seats, lots of soft-touch plastics and a pleasingly non-wacky design compared with other BYD models. It's comfortable and ostensibly simple, although that proves rather less so in use. There's an enormous central touchscreen, which can be rotated through a quarter turn into a portrait – or landscape-format display – spoiler alert, it's a pointless feature. At the bottom of the screen is a row of permanent tiles for regularly used functions; however, switching off the super-irritating, strident and potentially dangerous driver aids is not the work of the moment; this car desperately needs a single button for this function and BYD needs to get a grip on its safety department.
There's also a feel of work-in-progress to the interior. The high floor means that while rear-seat passengers have lots of space, their knees are almost higher than their hips, the centre console feels flimsy, and all the storage spaces appear to have been attacked by a maniac with a flock sprayer rather than having proper linings.
The range
Offered with four and two-wheel drive with two battery sizes; 82.5kWh and 91.3kWh gross/net. Range for the rear-drive models is 300 miles, with 283 miles for the twin-motor 4x4 models. The top model AWD Excellence, with the largest battery tested here, has a range of 312 miles; a heat pump is standard.
Recharging is via a standard on-board 11kW AC unit or, on a DC fast charger, up to 230kW for the top model, which means (assuming you can get that level of charge) a 10-80 per cent charge in 24 minutes. Prices start at £46,990 for the base rear-drive Sealion 7, rising to £58,990 for the Excellence big-battery 4x4.
The twin motor set-up is a popular configuration, with a 214bhp induction motor at the front, which is a cost-effective, robust and high torque-dense motor with no rare earth magnets. At the rear is a 308bhp permanent magnet motor with high efficiency and power density. To give flexibility across the motor speed range and avoid the need for a heavy and expensive two-speed gearbox, they have been designed to spin to a peak of 23,000 rpm.
Peak power is 530bhp, the most powerful BYD yet made, with 509lb ft of torque giving a 133mph top speed and 0-62mph in 4.5sec. Efficiency is quoted at 2.84 miles per kWh, which is far from a class high, although the LFP batteries are robust and will accept repeated fast charging. They also leave a smaller environmental footprint and are much cheaper than the lithium-ion nickel manganese and cobalt alternative.
Suspension is all independent via upper and lower wishbones at the front with a multi-link system at the rear, with frequency-selective (two-speed valve) dampers all round. The Excellence weighs 2,435kg and will tow up to 1.5 tonnes.
On the road
Enough of the figures; what's it like to drive? In a word, fast. The motor power is instant and strong, borderline disconcerting. Acceleration is seamless up to highly illegal speeds, and frankly, it's probably a bit too fast for the chassis. Much is made of the Sealion 7's 0-62mph acceleration in 4.5sec; there's a badge proclaiming it on the boot lid, along with an acceleration timer in the facia. Using all a road tester's brutality, I achieved 4.3sec, though frankly, I doubt many owners will try to match either figure.
And remember that sort of thing is done in a straight line. Even then, on anything outside of a slate-bottomed billiard-table surface, this softly sprung car is pitching and wallowing, with the steering displaying a disarming amount of lost movement and vagueness, together with strong self-centring. I didn't feel at all confident turning the Sealion 7 into a corner at speed, especially with the intrusive lane-centring system trying to drive the car into the verge.
Despite the soft suspension, there's a lot of roll resistance built into the chassis, so this high-mounted vehicle pitches from side to side, tossing passengers' heads around. On any road other than a ruler-straight motorway, the Sealion 7 feels uncertain and wavering, with a mismatch in suspension behaviour, which means the back wheels feel as though they're encountering an entirely different road surface from those at the front.
On the plus side, it's comfortable and cossetting on smooth A-roads and motorways, while the body insulation makes the interior feel quiet and calm. Another plus are the brakes which, despite a lack of pedal feel, are strong and progressive.
The Telegraph verdict
According to the dashboard readout, I achieved an efficiency of 2.84 miles per kWh against an official WLTP claim of 2.84 m/kWh. Pure coincidence? Maybe. But it's still not a particularly efficient electric car nor, towards the top end of the brochure, is it particularly good value. All these large battery SUVs are expensive, but Tesla's new Model Y (I'll be testing that soon) will be cheaper, as are the Ford Capri, Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
As it stands the Sealion 7 is quiet and fast with a comfortable interior. It doesn't sparkle, however, has a relatively poor range and it exudes an impression that there's rather too much 'that'll do' in its driving dynamics.
The facts
On test: BYD Sealion 7 Excellence 4x4
Body style: large five-seat EV SUV
How much: from £46,990 (£58,990 as tested)
How fast: 133mph, 0-62mph 4.5sec
How efficient: 2.84 miles per kWh (WLTP Combined), 2.84 m/kWh on test.
Range: 312 miles (WLTP Combined), 312 miles on test
Drivetrain: 91.3kWh LFP battery in blade formation, powering a front 214bhp induction motor and a rear 308bhp permanent magnet motor, both with single-speed transmissions. Heat pump as standard. Four-wheel drive
Charging: on-board 11kW AC unit, up to 230kW DC fast charging, with 10-80 per cent in 24 minutes
Maximum power/torque: 530bhp/509lb ft
CO2 emissions: zero at tailpipe, but 37.7g/km including UK charging
VED: £10 first year, £605 next five years, then £195
Warranty: 6 years/93,750 miles on car, 8 years/125,000 miles on battery
The rivals
Tesla Model Y, from £46,990
One of the world's most popular cars, but starting to show its age; a major revamp is due in June, when starter prices drop to £44,990 with a more comprehensive equipment list. No one said Tesla prices or residual values were forever… This high-riding version of the Model 3 has a lumpy ride and some build quality issues, but it's fast, with a range of 319-373 miles. The popularity of Tesla (along with its share price) has plummeted, so caveat emptor.
Kia EV6, from £45,575
The 2022 European Car of the Year, the EV6 crossover, has four-door coupé styling and a range of power choices. The starter model is the 84kWh rear-drive 225bhp Air with a range of 361 miles; the 84kWh 320bhp four-wheel-drive GT-Line with a range of 324 miles costs £58,125. Good to drive, with a decent ride quality and a pleasantly intuitive dashboard layout.