The 2024 BYD Seal has officially launched on the Australian market and could prove to be the Tesla Model 3 killer that many locals have been waiting for.
BYD will sell three versions of the Seal through Australian distributor EVDirect. The entry-level Seal Dynamic Standard Range RWD kicks off the range from AU$49,888 ($31,457) and is joined by the Seal Premium Extended Range RWD priced from AU$58,798 ($37,076) and the Seal Performance AWD offered from AU$68,798 ($43,381). To put this into perspective, the facelifted Tesla Model 3 is available from AU$61,900 ($39,032) in entry-level guise and AU$71,900 ($45,337) in Long Range form.
Found beneath the skin of the entry-level BYD Seal is a 61.44 kWh battery pack driving a rear electric motor with 150 kW (201 hp) and 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) of torque. It can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.5 seconds and travel 460 km (286 miles) on a charge. Despite the affordable price, it comes loaded with features, including 18-inch wheels, a 15.6-inch infotainment display, a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, synthetic leather, a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, wireless phone charging, rear-privacy glass, and a host of passive and active safety features.
Read: BYD Seal Arrives In Europe With Up To 523 HP And 354 Miles Of Range
The BYD Seal Premium Extended Range RWD benefits from a larger 82.56 kWh battery and has an electric motor at the rear with 230 kW (308 hp) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft). This version can hit 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and travel 570 km (354 miles) on a charge. It also adds larger brake calipers and discs, 19-inch wheels, a head-up display, genuine leather on the seats and steering wheel, four-way power adjustable driver’s lumbar support, and memory functions for the driver’s seat and side mirrors.
Then there is the Seal Performance AWD. It has the same 82.56 kWh battery and 230 kW (308 hp) rear motor but also sports a 160 kW (215 hp) motor up front, making for a combined 390 kW (523 hp) and 670 Nm (494 lb-ft), allowing it to hit 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. It has a range of 520 km (323 miles) and also comes with BYD’s trick frequency-selective dampers, torque vectoring, an electronic child lock, and a heated steering wheel.
The base BYD Seal supports 110 kW DC fast charging while the Premium and Performance offer 150 kW charging, meaning the battery can go from 30% to 80% in 26 minutes. All three versions come fitted with adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert with braking, door exit warning, traffic sign recognition, and a 360-degree camera.
