Can the BYD Sea Lion 07 SUV challenge the Tesla Model Y in global markets?
After dominating EV sales and completely outselling Tesla last year, this 2024, BYD has debuted the Sea Lion 07 SUV in China, the latest addition to its Ocean series. It is a mid-size fastback SUV with optional 4WD and sleek exterior styling. It is slightly smaller than the recently launched BYD Song L and is coming for the Tesla Model Y.
The styling of the BYD Sea Lion 07 follows the pre-production version that debuted at the Guangzhou Auto Show last year. It has soft edges with a sloped rear end that forms a distinct fastback shape. The headlights are similar to the BYD Seal and Seal-U (Song Plus) and sports retractable door handles as well as a roof and ducktail spoiler.
Moreover, the BYD Sea Lion 07 measures 4,830mm in length, 1,925mm in width and 1,620mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2930 mm. The car also comes with several wheel options namely a 235/50 R19, 255/45 R19 and 245/40 R20. This will definitely hinder Tesla Model Y sales in China but will BYD sell this car globally too?
The BYD Sea Lion 07 is a 5-seater SUV and adopts the CTB (Cell to Body) setup, so its battery top cover is integrated into the floor, increasing volume utilization by 66 percent and vertical space by 10mm. Not only does this make the car spacious on the inside, it also distributes weight a lot better in the entire vehicle.
On top of that, there is no information about the BYD Sea Lion 07’s battery capacity as of yet, however, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) revealed figures of two different electric motor setups, the first of which would make 170 kW peak power, 70 kW rated power and has a 210km/h top speed.
The latter option would make 230 kW peak power, 70 kW rated power, and has a 225km/h top speed. The 4WD variant would make 390 kW (160 kW + 230 kW) peak power from both motors, 145 kW(75 kW + 70 kW) rated power and achieve a top speed of 225km/h as well. These are respectable numbers for a mid-size EV SUV.
The weight of the BYD Sea Lion 07 is not fully confirmed but should be somewhere between 2,155 and 2,330kg, depending on the powertrain. The gross weight is between 2,530 and 2,705kg. CarNewsChina expects its price to be somewhere between the 200,000 to 260,000 yuan (roughly RM132,798 to RM172,566).
We got all this from CarNewsChina and their full article is linked here. Thank you CarNewsChina for the information and images.
