4 weeks ago
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BYD's challenger to the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV5 has arrived with up to 482km of claimed driving range – and RRPs well below $60,000 before on-road costs.
The 2025 BYD Sealion 7 electric SUV will undercut the latest Tesla Model Y – and fellow rivals from China – when customer deliveries begin in the coming weeks.
Orders for the Sealion 7 open on BYD's website at 3:00pm AEDT today, February 12, priced from $54,990 plus on-road costs for the rear-wheel-drive Premium, and $63,990 plus on-road costs for the all-wheel-drive Performance.
It commands a premium of $2000 over equivalent versions of the related Seal sedan, which are listed for $52,990 and $61,990 respectively.
Sealion 7 prices undercut the latest $63,400 entry price for the Tesla Model Y – and even its earlier $55,900 RRP prior to a recent update – and are in line with the Xpeng G6 ($54,800) and Kia EV5 ($56,770).
Both Australian models are powered by an 82.56kWh battery shared with the Seal sibling, delivering claimed driving ranges in European WLTP testing of 482km with rear-wheel drive or 456km with all-wheel drive.
DC fast charging at up to 150kW is claimed – for a 10 to 80 per cent recharge time of 32 minutes, based on European data – while it is the first BYD in Australia to support 11kW AC charging, rather than 7kW.
In contrast, the UK's flagship all-wheel-drive variant uses a 91.3kWh battery capable of up to 502km WLTP, and a 10 to 80 per cent fast charge in a claimed 24 minutes at up to 230kW DC.
Power is rated at 230kW/380Nm from a single rear motor in the Premium, and 390kW/690Nm from dual-motor all-wheel drive in the Performance, for claimed 0-100km/h times of 6.7 and 4.5 seconds respectively.
The Sealion 7 is longer but lower than a Tesla Model Y, at 4830mm long, 1925mm wide and 1620mm tall, on a 2930mm wheelbase.
Standard features in the Premium include 19-inch alloy wheels, frequency-selective (but non-adaptive) dampers, LED headlights, a rotating 15.6-inch touchscreen, 10.25-inch instrument display, and panoramic glass roof.
It also features black leather seat upholstery, eight-way driver and six-way front passenger power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation, a head-up display, dual-zone climate control, a 12-speaker Dynaudio stereo, 360-degree camera, and a heat pump.
A full suite of safety features is standard on all models, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and front and rear cross-traffic alerts.
Alongside much more power, the Performance adds 20-inch wheels, red front brake calipers, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats.
The flagship grade does not get larger brakes, any bumper or sheetmetal changes, or more performance-oriented suspension, such as the adaptive dampers now available on the Seal Performance sedan.
The 2025 BYD Sealion 7 will be available to order later today, ahead of the first deliveries in the coming weeks.
2025 BYD Sealion 7 price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2025 BYD Sealion 7 Premium standard features:
2025 BYD Sealion 7 Performance adds (over Premium):
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
