It looks like the Tesla Model 3’s prime competitor, the BYD Seal, is coming to Malaysia on 19 January 2024.
The Tesla Model 3 is getting away unrivaled in the sub-premium electric vehicle space, but deliveries only started rolling out a few weeks ago. Offering some pretty great competition at around the same price will be the BYD Seal, another four-door electric sedan with pretty comparable specs. The BYD Seal was launched in Singapore and we even saw one in Thailand last year, so when is Malaysia getting one?
Well, CarNewsChina.com says that dealers in Malaysia have essentially confirmed that the BYD Seal is arriving in just a few days. The Seal is said to be launched on 19 January 2024, less than 10 days from now. Pricing is anticipated to begin at RM180,000 which would make it about 5% cheaper than the base variant of the Model 3.
Sime Darby Motors are the local partners of BYD and have an aggressive strategy for the country which has so far paid off. They currently offer the best selling EV in Malaysia, the Atto3 and the second cheapest EV by a small margin, the BYD Dolphin. Reception of BYD products has been rather good in Malaysia, but Tesla’s arrival has put a lot of potential buyers on hold as the brand offers better value per Ringgit in key stats, plus has a badge with more clout.
That being said, the Seal could change things for BYD, as the Chinese brand already has a number of key advantages over Tesla including Apple Carplay/Android Auto, more traditional dealerships structures with sales advisors that can help with the little and big things, plus a nationwide aftersales network.
The BYD Seal is also a bit larger than the Model 3 with battery range rated between 550 and 700km depending on spec. It also has 0-100km/h acceleration times ranging from 7.5 to 3.8 seconds. In many aspects it also trades blows with the Tesla Model 3, but we’ll wait for confirmation of specifications for our market before making that direct comparison.
