BYD will unveil the second generation Seal 07 sedan in China on November 5 just 8 months after the original Seal 07 EV became available in March. The all-new model not only increases in size across all major measurements, but also increases motor power, features its second generation of Blade Battery technology and high-speed flash charging. Although there is no official release date for the Indian Market, the fast release and updated specifications do make it likely that we will see it in the Indian market sometime next year.
The new model is now 5,080mm long, 1,960mm wide and 1,495mm tall, with a longer wheelbase of 2,960mm. This means the new model is 85mm longer than the current electric model, and has a wheelbase 60mm longer. This leads to a much more spacious cabin, especially for rear passengers. The exterior design is based on BYD’s new Ocean Aesthetics 2.0 design language, which we have seen in the Seal 08. It features a completely sealed front bumper, sharp lighting signature, and a full-width rear light bar. A lidar sensor has been fitted to the roof to aid with the advanced DiPilot driving assistance.
The drivetrain options come in a fully electric and plug-in hybrid variant. The electric variants utilise a rear-wheel-drive setup using the e-Platform 3.0 Evo. The vehicle comes with two motor options; 245kW or a higher-output 300kW motor producing around 402bhp. Both variants have second generation Blade Battery Lithium Iron Phosphate. The smaller battery claims to offer up to 775km under the CLTC range, with the larger 88.7kWh battery offering 875km. To further promote their flash charging BYD claim that the vehicle can be ready to drive in just 5 minutes and fully charged within 9 minutes in the best conditions. The hybrid variant uses the same Seal 07 DM-i name and features a 1.5L turbo engine and 160kW electric motor with around a 38kWh battery to offer around 245km of pure electric range under the WLTC range.
Inside the cabin has been completely redesigned with a much cleaner centre console. The gear stick has been moved to the steering column, with wireless phone charging for two devices. It also includes a 20-speaker Devialet sound system. Front seats feature zero-gravity adjustment with heating, ventilation and massage functionality. There are 6 exterior colours and 3 interior colour options. Reservations opened in late October with no price announced, however, the showrooms have already arrived in over 130 cities throughout China. Deliveries are due to start later this month.
The fast turnaround of a model only released 8 months ago shows how competitive the mid to large sedan market is in China. It also shows BYD’s strategy to continually update their vehicles with the latest battery and charging technology. We expect the price to be similar to the previous model, at around 170,000 to 190,000 yuan for the electric variants. Whether we see the second generation model in India in 2027 is yet to be confirmed. However, with the increase in size, power and industry leading charging speeds it will be a strong addition to the local BYD range.