The BYD Seal sedan has been upgraded two years after its debut and received a new interior

BYD has updated its Seal midsize electric sedan for the 2025 model year, hoping to broaden its appeal both in China and beyond.

The BYD Seal electric sedan entered the Chinese market in August 2022 as potentially the most formidable competitor to the Tesla Model 3, but so far the Seal is selling much worse than the «American», while the sales dynamics of the «Chinese» are positive and quite vigorous: according to the online resource CnEVPost, 113,819 units of the Seal model were sold in China from January to July (+ 134.9% compared to the same period last year). However, Seal is now not one model, but a family of models, and in statistics they are still listed under one common figure. Seal and its comrades belong to the so-called ocean line of BYD, its name is translated from English into Russian as «seal».

Last year, the mid-size plug-in hybrid sedan Seal DM-i debuted, just renamed Seal 07 DM-i. Last spring, another plug-in hybrid sedan was added to the range — Seal 06 DM-i, more compact and more affordable than Seal 07 DM-i. In the future, there will be even more «seals»: models with indexes 05, 08 and 09 are planned, both hybrid and electric, but the original electric BYD Seal did not receive its own index after the update — there is simply no need for it yet. In terms of hardware, there is practically nothing in common between hybrid and electric «seals». Outside of China, the Seal name has also been given to some BYD crossovers, but we will leave them aside for now so as not to confuse the reader completely.

The 2025 model year BYD Seal electric vehicle has received an updated e-Platform 3.0 Evo platform with an 800-volt electrical architecture, the latest on-board electronics and more advanced electronic driver assistants — there are more artificial vision organs in the car, and a lidar protrusion has appeared above the windshield. Electrical equipment has become more energy efficient. The chassis has been reconfigured: the manufacturer assures that ride smoothness and handling have been improved at the same time. The electric sedan has a front suspension with double wishbones, and a multi-link rear suspension. Overall length is 4800 mm, width is 1875 mm, height is 1460 mm, and the wheelbase is 2920 mm.

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The exterior of the electric «seal» remains untouched, but the interior has been almost completely redesigned: only the seats remain the same, and they have new upholstery. The design of the front panel, door panels, central tunnel and even the overhead console has been changed. The front panel has become more laconic in appearance due to hidden air ducts, and a glass glossy panel with LED illumination and a built-in instrument panel has spread across its entire width. The 15.6-inch multimedia screen still «hovers» above the panel, but the graphics have been completely redrawn.

The base Seal after the update costs from 175,800 yuan (2.09 million rubles at the current exchange rate), it has a single electric motor on the rear axle (231 hp, 380 Nm) and a battery with a capacity of 61.44 kWh, a full charge of which is enough for 510 km of travel according to the CLTC cycle. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 6.5 s, the maximum speed is 220 km/h.

The average Seal in terms of power output is also single-engine, rear-wheel drive, but the output of the electric motor here is increased to 313 hp and 380 Nm. The first «hundred» such a sedan gains in 5.9 s, the maximum speed is 240 km/h. The battery capacity is 80.64 kW h, the range on one charge is 650 km according to the CLTC cycle. Price — from 189,800 yuan (2.25 million rubles).

The top-end Seal for 239,800 yuan (2.85 million rubles) is a twin-engine, all-wheel drive car with a maximum combined output of 530 hp and 690 Nm, acceleration to 100 km/h takes 3.8 s, and the maximum speed is 240 km/h. The battery capacity is 80.64 kW h, the range on a single charge is 600 km according to the CLTC cycle.

On the left is the electric BYD Seal 2025 model year, on the right is the BYD Seal 07 DM-i

We will add that the hybrid sedan Seal 07 DM-i received not only a new name, but also a revised technical filling, which allowed to reduce its minimum price to 139,800 yuan (1.66 million rubles). The younger «seal» Seal 06 DM-i is even cheaper — from 99,800 yuan (1.18 million rubles). Hybrid sedans have only front-wheel drive and a McPherson-type front suspension. We will tell you more about them some other time.