BYD Sealion 7 review

The name of the BYD Sealion 7 we're reviewing here might seem a bit odd, but then it’s no weirder than an SUV called a Puma or sports car called a Mustang. Lots of cars are named after animals, so why should pinnipeds be left out?

Having said that, the number 7 in the Sealion's name is a bit odd. It doesn’t seem to mean anything at the moment – it's not a seven-seater, for example – but it suggests smaller Sealion models might arrive later on.

Enough about the name, though. What exactly is the Sealion 7? Well, it’s an electric SUV and probably best thought of as a taller, slightly longer take on the BYD Seal. That makes it a direct rival to the big-selling Tesla Model Y and MG IM6, as well as the lower-riding and slightly smaller Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

BYD Sealion 7 video review

So is the BYD Sealion 7 good enough to take on the best electric SUVs and win? Read on to find out how we rate it in all the important areas...

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BYD describes the Sealion 7 as a performance SUV and there’s no doubt it’s rapid in a straight line compared with many petrol SUVs. Even the entry-level Comfort version, which has a single 308bhp electric motor driving its rear wheels, can officially sprint from 0-62mph in a respectable 6.7sec.

The Design and Excellence models have a second motor driving their front wheels, giving them four-wheel drive and a total of 523bhp. They can rocket to 62mph from a standstill in just 4.5sec – something BYD is so proud of that it’s written the time on the back of the car. But while that's undeniably rapid in a straight line, the Sealion 7 doesn’t quite accelerate with the same ferocity as some rivals (the Ford Mach-E GT, for example). 

It falls short of the performance SUV billing on twistier roads, too. There’s more body lean than you get in a Kia EV6 or Tesla Model Y, and the steering fails to weight up consistently or give you great confidence when you turn in to corners – even when you select the weightier Sport mode. That's why we'd definitely recommend those two rivals if you want something more fun to drive, but for those who aren't bothered about cornering quickly, the Sealion 7's handling is perfectly fine.

We’d argue that most electric SUV buyers are more concerned about ride comfort. And while the Sealion 7’s suspension is generally comfy around town, it becomes unsettled by a series of dips and crests on quick country roads. On motorways, too, you notice yourself being jostled around in your seat as ripples and other minor imperfections pass beneath you. It’s rarely extreme enough to annoy, but if you want a truly cushy ride you're better off with the super-supple MG IM6. 

More positively, the Sealion 7's standard double-glazed side windows keep things pretty hushed at motorway speeds. There is a touch more wind noise than you'd get in a Model Y but never enough to annoy, and road noise is well contained.

In fact, it’s a pity you can’t cruise for longer periods: the Sealion 7 doesn’t have a particularly amazing range, you see. The entry-level, rear-wheel-drive Comfort version can officially travel 300 miles on a full charge, but after testing it (in ambient temperatures of around 20C) we estimate its real-world range is around 249 miles. The Design version gets the same 82.5kWh (usable capacity) battery but, with two motors driving all four wheels, it's heavier and less efficient, so its official range drops to 283 miles.   

Meanwhile, the range-topping Excellence trim gets a bigger 91.3kWh (useable) battery with an official range of 311 miles. That’s better, but the Tesla Model Y is available with 311-387 miles of official range (depending on your chosen variant), and the IM6 can officially manage up to 388 miles. 

"The Sealion 7’s brakes aren’t perfect but I found them less grabby than in a lot of electric cars." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Sitting in the BYD Sealion 7's driving seat, you feel higher up than you would in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6, and the driving position is more natural than it is in a Tesla Model Y. In the Model Y, you feel like you're perched on the driver's seat, whereas the Sealion 7 is more enveloping, giving you the impression it's taller and more substantial. In essence, then, more like an SUV.

Electric adjustment for the driver’s seat (including lumbar support) is standard on all versions, and the contoured seat offers lots of side and shoulder support to keep you in place through corners. It's very comfortable when your sat for long periods on the motorway, too. 

In fact, the only slightly odd thing about the driving position is the angle of the steering wheel. It's adjustable for rake and reach but, even so, feels angled upwards (a bit like a van) instead of sitting vertically like the typical steering wheel in most rival SUVs. It's more of a foible than a full-on faux pas, though, and you still get a clear, unobstructed view of the digital driver's display behind.

Speaking of unobstructed views, the visibility isn't great. The thick front pillars can block your view in bends and the view out the back through the shallow rear window is even less open. But it's no worse than a Model Y in either respect, and the view out the rear of the Sealion 7 is actually good compared with the MG IM6. The good news is front and rear parking sensors are standard along with a 360-degree camera.

All versions of the Sealion 7 have a 15.6in infotainment touchscreen, which is reasonably quick to respond to presses, and can rotate from landscape to portrait at the touch of a button (or icon). The operating system isn’t as user-friendly and free from software glitches as a Model Y’s, but it’s still better than the fiddly infotainment system in the IM6. You get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, along with a punchy 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system.

Is the Sealion 7's interior quality up to snuff? Well, it's arguably more stylish than the Model Y's minimalist look, with features like the fancy ambient lighting panel on the dashboard, and it feels just as solidly screwed together, too. As far as perceived quality goes, the finish is pretty good but there are bits – the plasticky-looking fake metal trims and the scratchy plastics lower down – that let it down slightly compared with the plushest models in the class. We'd say the Genesis GV60 and Kia EV6 feel more special inside. 

"I found the 360-degree camera that comes on all versions of the BYD Sealion 7 very handy, and it makes up for the restricted rear visibility." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The BYD Sealion 7 is a big car – it’s slightly longer than a Tesla Model Y – so it’s no great surprise that there’s plenty of space inside.

In the front, even really tall occupants are well catered for. The seats slide back a long way and there’s no shortage of head room. There are also no fewer than 20 storage cubbyholes dotted around the Sealion 7’s interior, including a deep one under the central armrest and a large tray under the centre console that runs between the driver and front passenger. 

It’s in the back where the Sealion 7’s length really pays dividends because there’s absolutely loads of knee room for tall adults. Head room is slightly less generous than it is in the MG IM6 and  Tesla Model Y (blame the coupé-esque roofline) but there’s still enough for a six-footer. The rear seats themselves are more comfortable and supportive than the IM6's, mind, and you can manually recline the angle of the backrest for a more upright (or laid back) seating position. You can’t slide the seats back and forth, though, like you can in some electric SUVs, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Mind you, the Sealion 7 has a bigger boot than an Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6. There’s 520 litres of storage space below the parcel shelf, including a huge well under the main boot floor. There’s also a useful 58-litre storage area under the bonnet for the charging cables, but it's big enough to take a carry-on suitcase if required. In fact, we managed to get a total of eight carry-on suitcases packed in the Sealion 7's boots, which matches the IM6. The Model Y can swallow ten, though. 

The Model Y also gets a more flexible 40:20:40 split-folding arrangement – the Sealion 7's rear bench splits 60:40. But you do get a height-adjustable boot floor as standard, although the difference between its highest and lowest setting is only about 4cm.

"I had to reach forward a long way to fold down the rear seatbacks from the boot. It’s a pity you don't get levers on the side of the boot to make the process easier." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The BYD Sealion 7 is competitively priced, costing a similar amount to buy outright to the BMW iX1, MG IM6, Skoda Enyaq Coupé and Tesla Model Y, plus there are discounts available if you haggle. However, if you're buying on PCP finance, things are less rosey. The monthly payments for a Sealion 7 are quite a bit pricier than they are for an equivalent Model Y or IM6.

Whichever trim you choose you get loads of standard equipment, including heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and vehicle to load (V2L), which allows you to turn your Sealion 7 into a portable battery and run appliances off it.

The range-topping Excellence adds real Napa leather seats (instead of faux leather) and a head-up display that projects your speed and other information on to the windscreen in front of the driver.

When it was tested for safety by Euro NCAP experts, the Sealion 7 was given a full five-star rating, although looking at the full report in detail shows that the IM6 is slightly better at protecting rear passengers in a head-on collision. There’s plenty of safety kit on all versions, including traffic-sign recognition, forward and rear-collision warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning and blind-spot detection.

BYD is one of several Chinese car brands to have launched cars in the UK recently, and reliability data is limited. You do get a six-year warranty on most components though, with eight years on the battery and motor.

The range-topping Sealion 7 Excellence has a maximum charging rate of 230kW. In ideal conditions with a fast enough charger, a 10-80% top-up can take as little as 24 minutes – roughly the same time that you’d be waiting for a Model Y to charge.

The Comfort and Design versions can accept less power – 150kW. Even so they have a smaller 82.5kWh battery a 10-80% charge still takes at around 32 minutes. It's worth pointing out that the IM6 blitzes the Sealion 7's charging speed: it has the potential to charge at up to 396kW. 

"I think it’s a pity cheaper versions of the BYD Sealion 7 can’t charge all that quickly. All versions of the Model Y can accept the same ultra-faster charging rate." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Buy it if…

- You want a classy and well equipped interior

- You're not worried about having the quickest or best-handling car for the money

- You tend to keep your cars for more than three years, so value a long warranty

Don’t buy it if…

- You want to be able to travel more than 300 miles on a charge

- You want a truly cosseting high-speed ride

- You're buying on PCP finance rather than outright cash purchase

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