BYD Sealion 7 News

BYD has continued its strong safety record in Australia with a five-star ANCAP rating for the electric Sealion 7 SUV, while newcomer Geely has also achieved top marks for its new EX5.The latest result means BYD’s entire Australian line-up, which includes the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, Sealion 6 and electric Seal, Dolphin and Atto 3 models, now carries the benchmark safety score.ANCAP, Australia’s peak vehicle safety testing body, noted the Sealion 7’s strong safety performance across all four key categories.Most notable was its performance in Child Occupant Protection, with the Sealion 7 achieving full marks in the frontal offset and side impact tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies.Full marks were awarded in Adult Occupant Protection tests, such as the side impact, oblique pole and far side impact tests.ANCAP noted “weak” chest protection for the rear adult passenger’s chest in the full width test, suggesting improvements on future cars are needed.High scores were also awarded for the Sealion 7’s performance in autonomous emergency braking (AEB) tests with a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, and other vehicles, contributing to strong scores for the Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist categories.The Geely EX5 was commended for its ability to avoid incidents in tests on its advanced driver assist systems, particularly in the lane support and car-to-motorcyle tests, where it received full marks.Physical crash testing also saw strong results, with full marks awarded in the side impact, whiplash and far side tests.ANCAP noted several welds around the car’s A-pillar became detached in the frontal offset test, causing a deduction in points. However, more severe testing didn’t cause any further structural damage.As with the Sealion 7, the EX5 performed strongly in Child Occupant Protection tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies, while protection of the rear adult passenger’s chest was similarly rated as “weak” in the full width frontal test.Overall, ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said it was refreshing to see electric vehicles performing strongly in crash testing.“As electrified vehicles continue to advance technologically, it’s encouraging to see equal investment in safety, ensuring that innovation and the protection of drivers, passengers and families go hand in hand,” said Hoorweg.On the Geely EX5’s performance, Hoorweg added: “Geely has made a confident entrance into the Australian and New Zealand markets with the Geely EX5, landing a five-star result right out of the gate.“The Geely EX5 delivers good overall safety performance and sets a benchmark for Geely’s local presence.”Both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 are shaping up as two of the Tesla Model Y's biggest rivals in Australia to date, with each brand offloading 730 and 188 units as of March 2025, respectively, since their arrivals on the Australian market earlier this year.Check out the full details of both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5’s safety tests on the ANCAP website.

Chinese electric car giant BYD has declared its interest in working with Tesla to combat the sale of petrol and diesel cars.“Our common enemy is the internal combustion engine (ICE) car. We need to work together… to make the industry change,” said BYD’s Vice President, Stella Li, in an interview with the Financial Times.Speaking at a BYD Showroom in London, Li said the brand was willing to share crucial EV autonomous technologies with foreign car brands, despite the US placing a blanket 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made EVs that effectively bars them from the market.The European Union also imposes a 17 per cent tariff on BYD vehicles on top of a 10 per cent levy on all imported vehicles.“ Chinese government is more open, so maybe there is a lot of wrong perception here,” Li said.Last month, BYD announced it would make its new ‘God’s-Eye’ autonomous driving technology available on most of its global models over the next couple of years for no additional cost via an over-the-air update. The technology is already active on some of its Chinese models.Tesla’s supervised full self-driving system, known as Autopilot, is available in the US for an upfront price of USD$8000 ($12,360) or on a subscription basis for USD$99 ($156) per month.Li's comments came as BYD continues to challenge Tesla’s long-held supremacy on the Global EV market.BYD emerged in 2023 as Tesla's fiercest competitor to the title of the world’s best-selling EV brand, after usurping Tesla's global EV sales in the fourth quarter of December 2023.Tesla regained the title in quarter one of 2024, rounding out the year with 1.78 million sales. BYD wasn’t far behind, though, at approximately 1.7 million EV sales.In Australia, Tesla sales have taken a major hit in the first couple of months of 2025. The controversial politics of CEO Elon Musk have appeared to have an impact, and customers are also awaiting the updated Model Y, the brand’s best-selling model, with deliveries set to commence in Australia in May.As of February 2025, Tesla sales have fallen 65.6 per cent this year to date, driven by a 71.9 per cent drop in sales last February compared to the previous year. Tesla sold 1592 vehicles last month compared to 5665 the year prior.Meanwhile, BYD’s sales grew by 38.4 per cent in Australia last month to 3946 units compared to 2859 the previous February.BYD, which operates tariff-free in the Australian market, saw strong early sales of its plug-in hybrid ute, the Shark 6, and its Tesla Model Y competitor, the Sealion 7. Deliveries of both models commenced earlier this year.

A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the BYD Sealion 7 has debuted in China featuring the brand’s latest self-driving system and a vehicle-mounted drone hangar.Showcased alongside Denza and Fang Cheng Bao SUVs as part of a collaboration with Chinese drone-maker DJI, it’s the first time we’ve seen a PHEV version of the Sealion 7, which arrived in Australia this month in electric-only guise.CarNewsChina reported that the PHEV variant carries a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors. Maximum power on the petrol motor is 115kW, while it is 200kW on the front electric motor and 150kW at the rear.Each electric motor is powered by a 26.6kWh Blade battery pack, which delivers a claimed 120km of electric range under the more lenient CLTC cycle, while fuel consumption is claimed at between 5.5- and 6.6-litres per 100km once the battery is fully drained.Its slightly smaller Sealion 6 sibling, which is already on sale in Australia, boasts a similar configuration, albeit with less power. That includes an 18.3kWh battery pack, two electric motors on the front and rear axle that deliver 150kW and 120kW, respectively, and a 96kW 1.5-litre turbo-petrol motor.Electric driving range is rated at 81km on the Sealion 6 under the WLTP cycle.Seeing how closely related both five-seat SUV models are, it seems unlikely that BYD would release the Sealion 7 PHEV in Australia. That said, after David Smitherman, CEO of the brand’s local distributor, EVDirect, told CarsGuide nothing was off the table earlier this year, it remains a possibility.“Everything is on the agenda ,” Smitherman told CarsGuide.“There’s a substantial amount of product to come, in both EV and PHEV.”CarsGuide has contacted BYD’s local operations to determine if the Sealion 7 PHEV is under consideration for Australia. An update to the article will follow with a response.In addition to the new powertrain, the Sealion 7 features some unique design updates, including a LED light strip that spans the full width of the bonnet and a modified front fascia with larger air intakes to accommodate its petrol motor.There’s also a modified rear apron, LED taillight bar and different alloy wheel designs. Not to mention the huge rooftop-mounted Lidar sensor that pairs itself with the car's safety cameras to inform the brand's new ‘God’s Eye’ self-driving technology.Compared to a standard level two system, which can only operate on highways, the God’s Eye system can reportedly navigate traffic lights, obstacles and overtake in urban settings. It remains offline in Australia, though.Curiously, the Sealion 7 has also been fitted with a rooftop-mounted drone, an accessory which will only be made available to customers in China for now.According to CarNewsChina, the mobile drone hangar allows 4K recording vision to be transmitted back to the car. The drone can follow the vehicle at a maximum speed of 54km/h.Pricing in China is expected to be between CNY200,000 to CNY250,000 ($44,000 to $55,230) with the drone attachment and autonomous driving capabilities fitted.

BYD’s full-frontal attack on the Tesla Model Y has at last been detailed for Australia, with the Sealion 7 electric mid-size SUV to start from $54,990 in our market.

The BYD Sealion 7 is officially on the way with a keen price tag and a mid-February launch date.

Just weeks after snapping a BYD Sealion 7 in the wild, the Chinese EV giant has submitted its next local model in for homologation with the Australian government.It reveals the fully-electric SUV, poised to tangle with the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV5, Leapmotor C10, Deepal S07 and Xpeng G6, will be offered in Australia with the choice of two powertrains.As expected, there will be a single-motor rear-wheel drive variant which produces 230kW.An all-wheel drive variant, which adds an additional 130kW electric motor to the front axle for a total output of 390kW.We expect torque outputs to be 380Nm on the rear-wheel drive variant and 690Nm on the all-wheel drive variant, as is the case in Europe, though nothing has been confirmed locally as of yet.The same goes for battery sizes, with the Sealion 7 carrying two lithium iron phosphate (LFP) ‘Blade’ batteries in Europe – an 82.5kWh unit or a larger 91.5kWh one.The former, which is available in both rear- and all-wheel drive guises, delivers between 456-482km WLTP driving range.A range-topping 502km of WLTP range is reserved for the Excellence grade in Europe, which incorporates the larger battery pack exclusively on the AWD variant.BYD claims a 0-100km/h sprint time on the rear-wheel drive variant of 6.7 seconds, while both all-wheel drive models can complete the sprint time in 4.5 seconds.According to the filings, the Sealion 7 measures 4830mm long, 1925mm wide, 1620mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2930mm.That makes it larger than a Tesla Model Y in all metrics bar height, where it is just 4mm shorter.The same goes for the Xpeng G6 and Leapmotor C10, both of which are 30mm and 60mm taller, respectively. It exceeds the Kia EV5 in all dimensions.Pricing is unclear at this stage, but we expect it to start competitively against the Tesla Model Y ($55,900), the Kia EV5 ($55,700) and the Xpeng G6 ($54,800, all at before on-road costs).The similarly-sized Seal sedan with equivalent battery capacity and motor power starts at $49,888, before on-road costs, in Dynamic trim.Getting any cheaper than $50,000, which is where the Leapmotor C10 ($45,888, before on-road costs) resides, will be difficult. That is the price point reserved for BYD's other family-focused SUV, the Atto 3 which starts at $44,499, before on-road costs.Full pricing and specifications for the Sealion 7 are expected closer to its arrival date in Australia in the first half of 2025.

BYD’s newest Tesla challenger has been spotted testing in Sydney ahead of its launch in early 2025.

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.