The BYD Seal won the Best Electric Vehicle under $50K in this year’s Drive Car of the Year awards. Here’s everything you need to know about this new electric sedan.
The BYD Seal was crowned the Best Electric Vehicle under $50K for its nicely appointed cabin, generous list of standard equipment and refined road manners.
While the Seal isn’t BYD’s top-selling model, it has still been a major success for the brand – holding its own against the likes of more established names such as the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord in February, and even outselling the Skoda Octavia and Mazda 6 so far this year.
Over the last 12 months it has become the third best-selling sedan of any kind, trailling only behind the Toyota Camry and Tesla Model 3.
Like what you see? Here’s everything you need to know to buy the BYD Seal that is right for you!
How much is the BYD Seal?
There are three variants in total of the BYD Seal – all of which are fully electric.
The range starts at $46,990 for the rear-wheel-drive Seal Dynamic, followed by the mid-spec Seal Premium, which costs $52,990, and at the top of the line-up, the Seal Performance AWD has a price tag of $61,990. All prices exclude on-road costs.
Just the Seal Dynamic comes in under $50K, so the Premium and Performance were therefore out of the running.
The entry-level Dynamic comes with features such as LED daytime-running lights and tail-lights, a rotating 15.6 infotainment touchscreen with wireless/wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10.25-inch digital instrument display, heated and ventilated front seats, a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, a panoramic glass sunroof, wireless phone charger and powered tailgate, to name a few.
The BYD Seal is supported by BYD’s six-year, 150,000km warranty, with eight years/160,000km of coverage for the battery.
Read the full specification breakdown of the BYD Seal range here.
What colours is it available in?
There are four colours available for the electric sedan. For the Dynamic variant there are three – Aurora White as standard, plus Atlantis Grey and Cosmos Black, which both cost an extra $1500. The Premium and Performance grades add Shark Grey for an extra $2000.
Which variant do we recommend?
The Drive judges recommend the BYD Seal Dynamic, which starts at $46,990 plus on-roads. This model uses a 150kW/310Nm electric motor powering the rear wheels and a 61.44kWh battery pack with 460km of claimed driving range (WLTP).
With plenty of change in your pocket, we recommend adding a few options, including the Atlantis Grey paint for $1500, and fabric mats for $219.
That brings the total to $48,709 before on-roads.
What is the best deal on a BYD Seal?
There are currently 78 BYD Experience Centres across Australia.
Stock levels are good across the country for the Seal. BYD has told Drive that it has the ability to get more stock to meet market demand as needed. It has cars in Australia now with more on ships and in production. In most cases, it says, a vehicle can be delivered within six weeks.
You can find plenty of new and used BYD vehicles available now from dealers around Australia on Drive Marketplace.
Stay up to date with the latest BYD Seal news here.
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