19/04/2025 The Sealion 7 is yet another well-priced, highly equipped BYD that is set to rattle established brands and make them consider if they are offering true value for money to customers!
The five-seat EV crossover’s exterior design is instantly likeable. Like the BYD Seal, it is a handsome executive car but with that much-loved higher semi-SUV-like stance. Look closer and you will see hints of Porsche and other premium European brands in its bodywork. At 4.83 metres long the Sealion 7 is the same length as the spacious Hyundai Santa Fe. At 1.925m wide, it’s very slightly wider too (+25mm). Sealion 7 has a lower roofline than the Hyundai SUV and this reflects the current design trend toward delivering more aerodynamic crossovers.
Inside thanks to a long wheelbase (2930mm) there is tons of room in the cabin. You can see multiple elements that pay homage to Tesla and the latest big tablet display cabins. Car designers are currently obsessed with huge digital displays and for many buyers ‘night class’ are needed to fully understand how to operate them. BYD is relatively easy to get to grips with once you factor a bit of study into the process. We love the twin high-speed induction phone charges and the cooling system that stops the phone heating up. We’re less fond of the cruise control gremlin that can flicker between numbers when set (e.g. 120/119 displaying). The boot holds an impressive 520 litres of cargo.
Electric range is excellent with the 82.5kWh “Blade” battery (LFP) delivering 482km (WLTP) from a full charge in the rear wheel drive Comfort model. Charging speed is 11kW A/C and up to 150kW DC. Three grades are offered with the entry point ‘Comfort’ coming with vegan leather and a huge panoramic roof as standard among a long list of goodies. ‘Design’ AWD and ‘Excellence’ AWD both are dual motor all wheel drive variants. They have more power too with 0-100km/h taking as little as 4.5 seconds. The ‘Excellence’ can travel the longest distance from a full battery – 502km. Both can charge quicker on DC (up to 230kW).
On the road the Sealion 7 is easy to use and cruise in. It has a weighty feel coupled with sporty geared steering and impressive power on demand. As you’d expect the Sealion 7 has brisk acceleration with 0-100km/h dispatch in 6.7 seconds in the 230hp, 380nm standard version. The car is fun to drive enthusiastically.
BYD is an astonishing company and its scale is simply outrageous. In a very short passage of time the Chinese battery firm has become the global leader in EVs. Irish buyers are always up for value for money buys – we embraced Japanese and then Korean brands much quicker than our European cousins and it is safe to say BYD represents the cutting edge of what China has to offer the motorist. Warranty cover is impressive too with a 6 year basic and 8 years or 200,000km battery warranty (SOC 70%). The drive motor and controller cover is 8 years or 150,000km. As for dealing with tariffs it has factories around the globe and the one being built in Hungary is almost complete and about to start delivering product. 2023 saw BYD launch Atto 3 followed by Dolphin, then in 2024 – Seal, Seal U and now in 25 the Sealion 7. What’s clear is with each new model the brand is getting better and better and Sealion 7 proves that. Michael Sheridan