BYD Sealion 7 vs Denza B8

What's the difference?

The BYD Sealion 7 Performance is well-priced and well-equipped. It more than holds its own against its mid-size electric SUV rivals. It has great motor outputs and it handles comfortably on the road. There's a lot to like here but some of the technology needs to be tweaked.

The Denza B8 is an incredibly luxurious car that has a lot going for it, including three rows of seating, a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity and an eye-popping price tag, but it's held back by its overall heft and cumbersome ride.

If you don’t absolutely need the third row of seating, the smaller B5 is arguably the better pick and while it’s also not perfect, it’s a very compelling package and you’ll be saving thousands of dollars in the process.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

It may be named after a sea lion but it doesn’t resemble the blubbery cuteness of the creature itself. However, its sleek dynamic styling and performance outputs do call forth some of the creature's water prowess. 

This prowess is hinted at by the 20-inch alloys which are fitted with Michelin tyres and red brake calipers. There’s some Porsche-like design notes in the wide swoopy nose and LED headlights. The rear is also quite handsome with its long LED band strip and narrow window giving it a sporty silhouette.

Head inside and the Performance showcases the best BYD cabin I've sampled. There are no strange accents or panelling like there are in the Atto 3. This proves that BYD can do premium well.

The quilted leather upholstery feels supple underhand and the sports seats with integrated headrests reminds you what it can achieve in a sprint.

The swoopy design is carried over inside with the door panels. The dashboard is simply styled but headlined by an enormous 15.6-inch display that can rotate between landscape or portrait mode. Some may liken it to an iPad but it works.

The panoramic sunroof keeps things bright and cheerful but there are some simplistic elements that are hard to ignore. Like the lack of buttons, minimalist mirror cover design on the sunvisors and a rather plain-looking centre console.

Everything else flows and my favourite feature inside is surprisingly the lever door handles! They're functional but cute.

There’s no way around it, the Denza B8 is a big car. It’s almost 5.2 metres long which makes it larger than a LandCruiser 300 Series and more in line with the likes of the Land Rover Defender 130.

It looks quite boxy and tough on the outside, though it doesn’t have any features that define it specifically as a Denza beyond the inconspicuous badging. There are many angles that are reminiscent of the aforementioned Defender.

The body lines look crisper than the smaller B5, as does the semi closed-off grille and LED light script that connect the big LED headlights.

Unlike the B5, the tailgate-mounted spare wheel is much more prominent in the B8 and this therefore exaggerates its heft, not in a good way.

Inside, it’s luxurious and high-end with lots of visual appeal. I particularly like the amount of soft-touch finishes around the cabin and the overall lack of glossy piano black.

While luxurious, there’s also a rugged edge to the interior. This is most present in the large grab handles which you do need to use when getting in and out.

The amount of physical buttons and switches inside is a nice touch as you don’t need to relate on the touchscreen all the time. The fact the gear shift lever rises up when you turn on the car also adds to the special, luxurious feel.

The cabin has space, space and then more space. Passenger comfort is all but guaranteed with the available leg- and headroom in each row.

The functions for the electric front seats means it's easy to find a comfortable position. Door apertures are wide for each row and despite a relatively low 140mm ground clearance, it's still an easy SUV to slide in and out of.

Technology looks great and the large 15.6-inch multimedia display is what catches your eye first. Graphics are sharply rendered and the touchscreen responsive. There's a lot of information and menus embedded into the display which means it's a system that will take you a beat to get used to.

It's not unique but the in-built voice assistant rarely works as it should and needs some work. Also, because of the lack of buttons and dials, all functions are accessed via the screen. I don't like this because it tends to draw your eyes from the road far more often than it should and some functions - like the heat and ventilation for the front seats - are buried in a few menus.

There is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but there are some gremlins that need to be ironed out. The connectivity is easy enough but the steering wheel mounted phone control didn't access Apple CarPlay. So, I couldn't hang up my phone call properly, it would instead access the Bluetooth phone menu and dial my last call. I had a few 'butt' dials this week because of it.

Storage is on par with the Performance rivals and up front the burden falls across the large glovebox and middle console but there is also a shelf underneath the centre console for bigger items, like a handbag. There are two phone cradles, although only one offers wireless charging, and two height-adjustable cupholders two drink bottle holders and small storage bins.

In the rear, you get two device pockets and a map pocket on the back of each front seat. There is a fold-down armrest with retractable cupholders and a small storage pocket (think Kindle-size) and there are storage bins in each door.

The boot capacity is a decent 500L and the floor can be adjusted to two heights, one offering a level loading space. There is also a frunk storage of 58L for any cables or random bits you don't use often. Under the boot floor there is also enough room for cables and the tyre repair kit. The powered tailgate can be access via your keyfob as well.

For a flagship grade, I would have expected a few extra amenities in the rear, like climate control and sunshades but it does have directional air vents, reading lights and a USB-A and C port.

Hopping into the B8 you need to acquaint yourself with how the flush door handles operate. Generally they pop open when you unlock the car but sometimes they can be a little delayed.

Also inside the car there are electronic door release buttons which are nowhere near as intuitive as regular door pull handles. Sure you’d likely get used to this over time but you’ll need to explain it to new passengers all the time.

The seats in Chinese cars usually look nice but aren’t that comfortable or supportive for long-distance journeys. The B8’s are the opposite, offering great support and almost limitless adjustability. Adding to this is the standard heating, ventilation and massage functions.

Ahead of the driver is a leather-wrapped steering wheel which feels nice and has plenty of physical buttons with a tactile click when pressed.

Behind this, the digital instrument cluster is clear and high-resolution and offers a number of different layouts and informative pages you can cycle through. This allows you to customise the display.

In the centre of the dashboard is the mammoth 17.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system which is the largest central screen I have seen in a car to date. It’s a big screen for a big car and Apple CarPlay satisfyingly takes up the entire screen.

Thankfully, the screen is snappy and has a native user interface that is easy to navigate around without getting lost. I particularly like the swipe-down control centre menu that allows you to change key settings without diving into sub-menus.

My only hassle with the screen is I struggle to reach the far left-hand side due to its overall size. Perhaps a trackpad would solve this.

As I noted previously, the amount of physical switchgear around the cabin makes adjusting key functions easy. Examples include physical buttons to change the drive mode, activate the surround-view camera, adjust the suspension position and switch between EV and hybrid driving.

In terms of storage up front there are two non-ventilated 50W wireless phone chargers, two cupholders with adjustable depths, a shallow storage section under the centre console, plus a fridge/hotbox under the centre armrest.

Moving to the second row and the luxury continues. The seven-seat model features a three-seat bench that three people can easily fit across as the floor is flat, whereas the six-seat model gets uber-plush captain’s chairs.

Regardless of variant, there’s plenty of room in the second row, even for adults.

Second-row amenities include a small screen on the back of the centre console box that allows you to change the climate control and change the seat heating/ventilation, among other functions.

There’s also a button that opens the fridge/coolbox so the second-row passengers can access it. This is a nifty touch though you’d want to make sure small fingers don’t get caught as the anti-pinch function isn’t the strongest.

A feature that’s unique to the six-seat version is a massaging function on the second-row captain’s chairs. This is a very cool touch that no other SUV at this price point offers.

Accessing the third row in the six-seat version is rather easy as you only need to walk down between the captain’s chairs. It’s also simple enough in the seven-seat version as long as you access it from the kerb side.

Third-row space is decent for adults, but this shouldn’t be surprising as the B8 is such a hulking vehicle. The backrests also recline allowing for extra comfort. Amenities include air vents in the headliner, USB-C ports and scattered storage. It’s enough for seats that will likely only get occasional use.

Around the back the B8 has a side-hinged tailgate which is a little problematic as you need to allow space for it to open up in parking spaces. This is hard when the car is already 5.2m long…

With all three rows upright there is 147L of boot space, which is fine, but this expands to a much more usable 920L with the third row folded.

The boot space is square and usable, though there is a large load lip which is body-coloured and would easily get scratched if you drop something on it. Not the best in a family-oriented vehicle.

Boot-related amenities include buttons to electronically fold the second and third row seats and lower the suspension to make things easier to load into the boot, a 12V socket, scattered hooks, as well as a small underfloor section to store the changing cables.

Although it stands out like a sore thumb, it’s great to have a full-size spare wheel on the back of the tailgate. This is very helpful in the unlikely and unfortunate event you get a puncture.

The 2026 Denza B8 line-up starts at $91,000, before on-road costs, for the seven-seat version, which is strategically just under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold, whereas the flagship six-seat version is $97,990, before on-road costs.

Despite nearing $100K, this notably undercuts key rivals like the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Land Rover Defender by a considerable margin, especially once you take the level of standard equipment into account.

The B8’s closest rival is currently the slightly smaller GWM Tank 500 PHEV which is priced even more competitively at $77,990, drive-away.

As a base there are 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, soft-close doors, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 18-speaker Devialet sound system, tri-zone climate control, leather upholstery, plus heated and ventilated seats in the first and second row.

Moving up to the six-seat version brings second-row captain’s chairs with adjustable legrests and a massage function, as well as a digital rear-view mirror, head-up display and Nappa leather upholstery.

This amount of standard equipment in a car that’s under $100K is wild and should definitely be enough to put in your consideration list if you’re after a big, three-row SUV. The smaller B5 offers similar levels of specification but goes without the third row.

The Performance is all-wheel drive and is fully electric with dual motors, a squirrel cage induction motor located at the front and a permanent magnet synchronous motor at the rear. Together they produce up to 390kW of power and 690Nm of torque.

This gives the flagship grade a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.5 seconds. There’s obviously ample power to be had here which will delight EV fans who like that tummy-falling sensation when accelerating.

Power comes from a plug-in hybrid set-up combining dual electric motors and a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine.

Total system outputs are a meaty 425kW and 760Nm. They need to be, as the B8 has a kerb weight of 3.3 tonnes. Despite this, Denza claims it can still do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds.

Power is sent to all four wheels with a rear mechanical diff lock as standard across the line-up. A front diff lock is only offered on the six-seat version.

What’s most surprising about this big beast is it offers a segment-meeting 3500kg braked towing capacity. It also has up to 700kg of payload, depending on the variant.

The Sealion 7 Performance has a blade battery with a large 82.56kWh capacity which supports a 456km WLTP driving range. This isn’t terrible for city drivers but a regional driver will likely want a longer range. BYD includes a portable charging cable with the model.

Charging is sorted via a Type 2 CCS charging port which accepts up to 11kW on an AC charger and up to 150kW on a DC charger. On a 150kW DC charger, you can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 32 minutes and that increases to more than eight hours on an 11kW AC charger. All of the figures are quite good and help with the general day-to-day convenience.

The official energy consumption figure is 20.4 kWh per 100km but after doing a healthy mix of open-road driving and city stuff, my average has popped out at 19.1kWh. I reckon it's a solid result for a ‘performance’ grade but I didn’t find the regenerative braking to be particularly strong on this model.

Feeding the dual electric motors is a 36.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Denza claims it allows for an electric range of 115km, according to NEDC testing.

The battery can also be used as a power source for appliances using vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality at rates up to 6.6kW.

AC charging is offered at rates up to 11kW, whereas DC fast-charging is offered at rates up to 120kW.

Additionally, there’s a 91L fuel tank. Denza claims this allows the B8 to have a total range of 1040km (NEDC).

Fuel consumption depends on how often you charge the battery. Denza claims the B8 will use 2.0L/100km from 100 to 25 per cent battery charge and 9.9L/100km under 25 per cent battery charge, both according to NEDC testing. Regardless, this is better than all similarly sized petrol- or diesel-powered SUVs.

The Performance grade offers plenty of power that is delivered wickedly quick without feeling overwhelming when you have to accelerate. You still feel in control, which is very important when you have outputs like this does.

The steering is responsive and light enough for quick lane changes. The general on-road handling is quite refined but there is more roll in corners than you’d expect and this is the only time the power can make the handling feel a tad wobbly.

Surprisingly, there isn't a one-pedal function and the regen braking isn’t particularly strong. It’s difficult to ‘creep’ forward in this in stop/start traffic where it can feel a bit jerky at times, so it handles best on the open road.

Visibility is mostly good but the rear window is narrow and a digital rear-view mirror would have been welcomed in this model. Suspension is sports-firm but forgiving over bigger bumps. 

The 360-degree view camera and surrounding sensors makes this super easy to park and honestly, you shouldn’t have any trouble manoeuvring the Sealion 7.

Behind the wheel, the Denza B8 primarily acts as an electric vehicle (EV), meaning it’s largely quiet inside the cabin when driving around normally.

Once the battery charge gets down lower, the petrol engine typically switches on to top up the battery. It largely acts as a generator and a lot of the time you can’t tell whether it’s on or off.

You’ll likely only notice it if you floor the accelerator or go up a steeper hill. Even then the engine largely stays quiet and in the background.

When the battery charge gets down low enough and you gun it, the petrol engine can directly power the front wheels. This is rare, though, because the car leaves at least 25 per cent battery charge in reserve.

With 425kW and 760Nm thanks to the dual electric motors and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, the B8 is far from slow. In fact, for a 3.3-tonne beast it absolutely hauls thanks to the instantaneous torque the electric motors provide.

However in the standard drive mode there is a noticeable input lag from when you push the accelerator pedal hard and when the car starts accelerating. This is reduced in the 'Sport' drive mode.

Although the B8 may produce lots of power and torque, it feels its weight. When you accelerate hard it pitches back dramatically, much like the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s much more pronounced than in the smaller B5, but still smile-inducing.

As standard, the B8 line-up gets an adaptive hydraulic suspension system that is claimed to be able to self-level the car. Despite this, the B8 gets a considerable amount of body roll regardless of which drive mode you select.

Many Chinese cars have floaty, comfort-oriented suspension tunes over firmer and a more dynamic-feeling ride, and the B8 is no exception. It feels like a 3300kg+ SUV.

The kicker is, like many body-on-frame vehicles, the ride gets busy on harsher roads with more frequent bumps. As a passenger you get jostled about in the cabin.

The steering tries to disguise the overall heft of this SUV but as a result it can feel overly assisted and vague at certain points. Depending on the drive it either artificially adds or reduces resistance.

Unlike the related BYD Shark 6, the B8 gets diff locks and a low-range mode which uses a clutch pack on the rear electric motor to allow for more controlled, low-speed crawling.

The adaptive hydraulic suspension allows the car to be lowered down or lifted up. In its highest mode there is a 890mm maximum wading depth.

Interestingly, compared to the smaller B5, the B8 feels more sorted off the beaten path. Its added heft helps round off bumps more easily, plus there’s added momentum behind it.

Lastly, in terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the B8 is a very quiet car to drive. As I mentioned above, the electric-first nature automatically makes this a quiet car.

Surprisingly, given the B8 is a huge 3.3-tonne box on wheels, there is very little road and wind noise. It seems Denza has put a big emphasis on sound insulation.

The Denza B8 received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted on the related B5 in 2025.

There are 14 airbags which notably includes coverage for the third row, plus autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a surround-view camera.

The majority of the active safety systems do a good job, remaining in the background and only activating when absolutely necessary. However, the driver attention monitor is over zealous and struggles to detect your eyes when you’re wearing sunglasses.

Thankfully, you can turn this off using the touchscreen but it needs to be done every single time you drive the car.

The Sealion 7 is covered by a six-year/150,000km warranty which is good for the class. The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty which is a normal term.

The Sealion 7 gets a 10-year capped price servicing but it’s expensive compared to some of its peers at $4157.

Servicing intervals are spaced at every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever occurs first.

The Denza B8 is covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty, whereas the battery pack is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. There’s also three years of roadside assistance.

This isn’t a standout warranty in the mainstream market, though compared to premium marques it’s a notable step up.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.

The first five years' of servicing totals $3762, which averages out to just over $750 per service. This is just a tad more than the smaller B5, but it’s much cheaper than premium rivals.