Look out, Tesla Model 3! The 2024 BYD Seal is here: New electric car previewed ahead of Australian release before the end of the year

The emerging wave of Chinese carmakers challenging established players in the Australian new-vehicle market continues to roll on with EV specialist BYD today previewing its new Seal sedan.

The latest instalment in the brand’s Ocean Series, which kicked off here with the Dolphin compact EV hatch (available for order now and delivery prior to year-end), the Seal is a sleek mid-size sedan set to challenge the dominance of Tesla’s Model 3.

CEO of local BYD importer/distributor EVDirect, Luke Todd, told CarsGuide: “Seal is our premium vehicle, but it will be a premium vehicle at a very attractive price point. Can’t quite tell you the price yet, but it will be well-received when we release it.” 

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For reference, the entry-level Tesla Model 3 RWD lists at $57,400, the Long Range at $70,400 and the flagship Performance at $83,400.  

Designed by a team led by BYD design chief (and former head of Audi design), Wolfgang Egger, the sleek four-door boasts a super-slick drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.22, while retaining a generous 402-litre boot and 53L ‘frunk’.

To be offered in rear- and all-wheel-drive form, the new flagship packs a “cobalt-free” 82.5kWh lithium ion phosphate ‘Blade’ battery delivering a 570km (WLTP combined cycle) range for the single motor version and 520km for the more powerful dual-motor model.

The Seal will join the Dolphin compact EV hatch, which is available for order now and delivery prior to year-end.

BYD says the car is capable of accepting a 150kW fill rate on a DC fast charger for a 30 to 80 per cent charge in a claimed 26 minutes.

In terms of performance, the RWD Seal produces 230kW and is capable of surging from 0-100km/h in an impressively rapid 5.9 seconds, while the 390kW AWD version lowers that to a supercar-challenging 3.8 seconds.

The BYD Seal’s standard features list includes a rotatable 15.6-inch central multimedia screen, a configurable digital dash, a panoramic sunroof, a 12-speaker Dynaudio Premium sound, heated sports front seats and the iTAC (intelligence Torque Adaption Control) system which manages torque delivery to maximise drive effectiveness and minimise traction loss.