New Tesla Model Y rival coming soon: 2025 BYD Sealion 7 launch locked in with competitive pricing likely to challenge Kia EV5

After its Shark plug-in hybrid ute launches in late 2024, BYD is set to tackle the world’s most popular car here in Australia with its Sealion 7 electric SUV.

Already confirmed for Australia, the 2025 BYD Sealion 7 electric car is now expected to launch in Q1 2025 — around February — and is likely to have a price that makes it a tempting alternative to the popular Tesla Model Y and incoming Kia EV5.

The Model Y starts from $55,900, before on-road costs, in base rear-wheel drive, but given BYD’s approach of offering a long list of features in the cars it brings to Australia, chances are a close price will be topped off by a more competitive list of standard gear.

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A sub-$60,000 starting price is likely for the Chinese electric car, which is also available in a single-motor rear-drive or a dual-motor all-wheel drive variant.

With 170kW or 390kW, respectively, either model should offer tempting performance. Plus, a range of up to 610km (under the relatively relaxed CLTC protocol) and peak DC fast-charging of 230kW are relatively competitive figures.

The Sealion 7 sits in a segment that BYD importer EV Direct's CEO David Smitherman acknowledged would be one of the brand’s biggest opportunities before it was even confirmed for Australia when he spoke to CarsGuide in May this year.

2025 BYD Sealion 7

“The vehicle that is coming will be a real benefit to the business and the team,” he said. “It is where the market opportunities in Australia are.”

While the Atto 3 proved a relatively popular entry into the market from BYD, the larger (more than 4.8 metres long) Sealion 7 aligns closet to Australians’ penchant for big cars and utes (like the Shark 6), and has the potential to mark an uptick in the brand’s popularity as an EV offering.