BYD and Tesla are currently engaged in a war to attract electric vehicle (EV) buyers in Malaysia, and the first battle saw the Seal take on the Model 3 in the sedan market. In the SUV space, Tesla got a head start when it introduced the Model Y in July 2023, but BYD now has a rebuttal in the form of the Sealion 7 that went on sale here in November 2024.
How does the Sealion 7 stack up against the Model Y in terms of price, size and other areas? In this post, we’re taking a closer look at both and laying out the facts and figures so you can decide which EV suits you best.
Pricing: Sealion 7 undercuts the Model Y
Like the ‘Seal vs Model 3’ comparison, BYD has a knack for undercutting the competition and the Sealion 7 is no exception. With a starting retail price of RM183,800 on-the-road without insurance, you can get the Premium variant of the Sealion 7, while the top-spec Performance will set you back RM199,800.
The Model Y is offered in three variants, starting with the Rear-Wheel Drive at RM191,000, which is followed by the Long Range All-Wheel Drive at RM238,000 and Performance All-Wheel Drive at RM280,000. Keep in mind that these figures are lower than what was initially announced, as Tesla Malaysia revised its pricing for Model Y in April last year.
Dimensions: Model Y is smaller but offers more practicality on paper
In terms of dimensions, the Sealion 7 is largely similar in size to the Model Y from the outside. The former wins when it comes to overall length (+80 mm) and wheelbase (+40 mm), but loses when comparing height (-4 mm) and width (-53 mm).
The wheelbase advantage should give the Sealion 7 a roomier cabin, but the Model Y fights back by offering superior front boot space (117 litres vs 58 litres). Rear boot space also favours the Model Y (854 litres vs 500 litres), although the figure quoted for the Tesla is capacity loaded to the roof, which is impractical for most scenarios.
Performance and range: Sealion 7 and Model Y trade blows
While Tesla doesn’t provide detailed information on their powertrains on their official website, the 0-100 km/h times indicate the Model Y isn’t short on power. The Sealion 7 in its base form serves up 313 PS and 380 Nm for a century sprint time of 6.7 seconds, which is faster when compared to the Model Y RWD (6.9 seconds) while offering more WLTP range (480 km vs 455 km).
The Sealion 7 Performance with its dual-motor setup offers higher outputs of 530 PS and 690 Nm for a quicker 0-100 km/h time of 4.5 seconds. This is enough to beat the mid-spec Model Y Long Range AWD (5 seconds), although it loses out to the Model Y Performance AWD that can complete the sprint in 3.7 seconds. The all-wheel drive variants of the Model Y also offer more range (533 km LR AWD, 514 km Performance AWD) when compared to the Sealion 7 Performance that offers just 454 km.
Charging times: Tesla wins here
This is another area where Tesla doesn’t disclose figures, as it merely states that its Superchargers are able to output 250 kW to provide 270 km of range in just 15 minutes. However, it is widely reported that the Model Y can handle up to 210 kW, which is more than the Sealion 7 at 150 kW, the latter taking 32 minutes to get from a 10-80% state of charge.
AC charging is identical at 11 kW for both models, which makes the Sealion 7 the first BYD EV sold here to get 11 kW, equal to Tesla.
Maintenance: Less servicing with Model Y, but shorter warranty
We’ve already known from the ‘Seal vs Model 3’ comparison that Tesla takes a different approach to aftersales compared to the other brands. The Model Y’s service schedule merely includes replacing the cabin air filter every two years as well as an air-con desiccant bag replacement and brake fluid check every four years. There’s no official pricing shown on Tesla Malaysia’s website, but the cabin air filter in the United States is priced at USD15 (about RM68).
As for the Sealion 7, buyers have various service packages offered that are priced between RM2,688 and RM17,688 depending on the number of years and variant you go for. The Standard package covers tyre alignment, balancing and rotation; single-speed transmission oil service; air-conditioning filter replacement and refrigerant service; brake fluid service and drive motor coolant service.
The Plus package includes all the items listed in the Standard, but adds wiper blade replacements, key fob battery replacement, 12V battery replacement as well as brake disc and pad replacements. This package starts at RM11,488 for six years with the base Premium and rises all the way to RM17,688 for eight years with the Performance.
Warranty for the Model Y is just four years or 80,000 km, while the Sealion 7 is covered six years or 150,000 km for the BYD. The Model Y’s battery and drive motor warranty comparable to the BYD, with the same eight-year/160,000 km coverage, although the BYD’s warranty for the drive motor is only up to 150,000 km.
BYD also provides individual warranties for certain vehicle systems, which are either covered for three years or 60,000 km, or four years or 100,000 km, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Final thoughts
If value is what you’re after, the Sealion 7 makes a convincing case for itself with capable powertrains and a generous kit list shared between the two available variants. Aside from the number of motors, painted brake calipers and larger wheels, the rest of the Standard variant is pretty much identical to the Performance.
Standard features include full-LED lighting, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a rotating 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, powered front seats with ventilation and heating functions, keyless entry and start with NFC card key, a panoramic glass roof, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support as well as a comprehensive ADAS suite.
As for the Model Y, you’ll need to pay up if you want better kit. For instance, the RWD and LR AWD come with 19-inch wheel as standard, with the option a 20-inch set costing an additional RM10,000. If you want the Tesla in a different colour other than white, you’ll need to pay for that too.
The standard Autopilot system is well enough, but it’ll cost a pretty penny to upgrade to Enhanced Autopilot or even Full Self-Driving Capability should you need more features on top of the basic feature set. It’s worth noting that the Model Y is due for a facelift – codenamed Juniper – soon, while the Sealion 7 is brand new to our market.
We’ve already had a go in the Tesla Model Y, so check out Hafriz Shah’s review of the Tesla EV here. Look forward to the BYD Sealion 7’s review in due time on our site.
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