BYD Seal U SUV to be plug-in hybrid only in Australia, no electric version yet – report

The upcoming Toyota RAV4 mid-size SUV rival from Chinese car giant BYD appears set to be sold in Australia solely as a plug-in hybrid, for the time being.

BYD Australia has announced plans to introduce a mid-size SUV to local showrooms this year, which is all but confirmed to be the Seal U, after prototypes have been spotted testing here.

But it is poised to be a plug-in hybrid only, as the electric version available in Europe has reportedly not been developed in right-hand drive, a spokesperson for BYD in New Zealand told website EVs & Beyond.

To fill the electric mid-size SUV gap, the report says BYD New Zealand plans to introduce the battery-powered Sea Lion 07 – unveiled in China last year – sometime in 2024.

The Sea Lion 07 – which is based on the same dedicated electric-car platform as the Seal sedan, rather than sharing its underpinnings with vehicles with petrol engines – is yet to be confirmed for Australia.

When asked late last year if the Sea Lion is the mid-size SUV that BYD plans to launch in Australia in 2024, Luke Todd – CEO of BYD’s Australian distributor – told media:

“We [haven’t confirmed the identity of the 2024 mid-size SUV] but I can confirm it is not the Sea Lion that has been recently reported in some of the press. We’re certainly talking with BYD about bringing the Sea Lion to Australia when suitable.”

BYD Australia has declined to name the SUV it intends to launch this year, however Mr Todd has told Drive it is the vehicle spied testing locally – which is clearly identifiable as a Seal U.

According to EVs & Beyond, the electric Seal U was developed “at the request of the European market”, which is predominantly left-hand drive.

BYD New Zealand reportedly prefers to introduce electric cars designed from the ground-up to be electric, rather than related to hybrid vehicles.

The Seal U is sold in China as the Song Plus Champion Edition – where it is sold in hybrid and electric forms – and was introduced in an earlier, pre-facelift form in 2020.

The plug-in hybrid version of the Seal U is powered by an 81kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a 145kW electric motor and 18kWh or 26kWh battery packs, capable of up to 150km of claimed driving range in electric mode before the petrol engine kicks in.

Meanwhile the electric Seal U sold in Europe is available with 71.8kWh or 87kWh battery packs, and up to 500km of claimed electric driving range.

Specifications for the Sea Lion have not been revealed, however it is longer bumper to bumper than the Seal U – at 4830mm vs 4775mm – but lower (1620mm v 1670mm).