Based on the third generation of the Chinese brand's e-Platform, the BYD Sealion 7 SUV is positioned in the very popular family SUV market. Although it has a flattering price/equipment ratio, the battle is not won in advance because it faces formidable competition.
A big, muscular baby
With its 4.83 m long (1.93 m wide and 1.62 m high), the BYD Sealion 7 is an SUV that its manufacturer likes to describe as sporty. It is true that its flowing line vaguely evokes that of a coupe, but it is more of a family SUV that we see this car. Moreover, its generous wheelbase of 2.93m is far from evoking the agility expected of a sports car, but on the other hand allows you to benefit from rather generous on-board space. That being said, the trunk (520 liters) could have been more generous. The 58-liter frunk is fortunately standard across the entire range and will allow you to unclutter the rear trunk of charging cables and any other equipment or maintenance products that you like to have close at hand in your car.
Once installed on board, it must be recognized that the presentation is neat, the assembly flawless and that the quality of the materials directly in contact with the passengers is to match. In our Excellence version, the upholstery is in real leather. With the 20-inch rims, it constitutes the only difference in equipment that distinguishes it from the entry-level model, presented in imitation leather.
Because for the rest, BYD has pulled out all the stops. As standard, the Sealion 7 offers automatic LED lights, a panoramic glass roof, a heat pump, an electric tailgate, electric, ventilated and heated front seats, dual-zone air conditioning, heated rear seats. , a large 15.6-inch rotating screen, a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, 4G connectivity with wifi hotspot, a head-up display and so on. The same goes for driving aids, including a 360 camera, parking assistance and level 2 autonomous driving. Difficult to establish an equivalent price-standard equipment ratio with competing models.
Price and positioning
We tried the Sealion 7 in its most high-end definition, Excellence AWD. Priced from 56,490 euros with its Atlantis Gray paint (count 1,100 euros for one of the three other shades in the color chart), this version has two motors totaling 390 kW (523 horsepower), an in-house LFP blade battery of 537 volts and 91.3 kWh which tolerates up to 230 kW on fast chargers. With 2,435 kg on the scale, its range on the WLTP mixed cycle is 502 km. Two other definitions are proposed by BYD.
At the entry level (from 46,990 euros), the Comfort version is equipped with a single engine and develops 308 horsepower. A little less generous, its LFP battery only stores 82.5 kWh of electricity at 550 volts and its charger caps at 150 kW. 210 kg lighter than the top-of-the-range version, it only loses 20 kilometers of autonomy (482 km WLTP) compared to the latter.
Finally, the Design AWD finish (from 51,990 euros) is the synthesis of the other two since it offers the two motors associated with the battery-charger assembly of the entry-level model. With only 456 km, its autonomy on the mixed cycle is logically the worst in the range.
Rather well placed in price in the family electric SUV segment, the Sealion 7 is positioned against competing SUVs such as the XPeng G9, Tesla Model Y, Skoda Enyaq Coupé or Ford Capri, although the latter two are significantly shorter. And if they were not significantly more expensive, we could also compare the Sealion 7 to the new Porsche Macan Electric and Audi Q6 e-tron, of fairly similar dimensions and power.
Behind the wheel of the BYD Sealion 7
Before hitting the road, you should take the time to get to grips with the car. To do this, you must go through the on-board system interface. The large screen is rather pleasant and responsive, the interface really elegant, but you quickly get lost in the cascades of menus and submenus, especially since their translations into French are often sloppy. We thus smile at Comfortable Parking or even at Automatic Folding and Reversing before understanding that the latter two are automatic adjustments of the exterior mirrors and not a Transform mode. On the other hand, we pinch ourselves to believe in Intelligent Torque Adaptation Control (sic), supposed to translate intelligent Torque Adaptation Control…
Under hand, the small speed selector which evokes the one found in the VW group is framed by the buttons allowing you to choose the driving mode and the regeneration power. There is also a shortcut for certain air conditioner functions. At the foot of the console, the induction mat can charge a smartphone with a power of up to 50 W, while four USB-C connectors are also distributed throughout the cabin. Speaking of the air conditioner, like many Chinese-made cars, the latter tends to blow very cold air and you should not hesitate to raise the set temperatures beyond 23 or 24°C to hope for 19-20°C. felt on board.
At the first turns of the wheels, we immediately notice a very flexible calibrated suspension. Although it has a passive adaptive system (understand that the driver cannot interact with it), the irregularities of the road cause a chewing gum effect which is reminiscent of a Maserati Levante. And it doesn't get better when you push the pace a little. On the bends of the Calanques National Park road which leads us from Marseille to Bandol, the roll taken by the Sealion quickly puts the chassis at the limits and triggers the intervention of the ESP. The chassis may well integrate the batteries in structural form, so we don't really exploit its rigidity. Too bad because the steering is relatively precise and the Michelin tires take abuse well. It's then difficult to “take full advantage” of the sensations offered by the 523 horsepower and, above all, 690 Nm of torque other than in a straight line. Where it's allowed (which is to say pretty much nowhere), you'll go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds.
The second notable point of this BYD Sealion 7 is its excellent soundproofing. At all speeds, the filtering of air and rolling noise is imperative: you move in complete peace of mind. But the downside of this silence of operation is that we perceive all the little unpleasant electronic noises sent back by the car's various systems all the better. The turn signal, for example, plays two irritating notes from a stringed instrument, reversing their order depending on whether you indicate you want to turn left or right (but yes, an engineer thought of doing that and the product manager there 'validated!). The camera supposed to monitor your attention, for its part, does not seem to understand that if it does not always see where your gaze is directed, it is potentially because you are seated very high in the cabin, or even forced to look away. look at the road to make one of the settings only accessible from the central screen. The device can be disconnected, but will automatically reactivate at the next departure.
Electrical performance
As we mentioned, BYD announces an approved range of 502 km in the mixed cycle for the Sealion 7, which corresponds to a consumption of around 18 kWh per hundred kilometers. Our test carried out over too short a period did not really allow us to compare these figures with the reality of daily driving, but we were nonetheless able to gather some data. Thus, over the last 50 kilometers of driving, the computer rewarded us with an honorable 20.8 kWh/100 km, but an average established over a cumulative 270 km gave a significantly higher value, of 23, 4 kWh/100 km.
Such consumption brings the maximum range to 390 km, knowing that we have not yet been able to establish consumption on the motorway. Finally, still according to BYD, changing the state of charge from 10 to 80% can be done in 24 minutes on the fast terminals, a data that we were also unable to verify.
Results of the test
The BYD Sealion 7 Excellence AWD combines advanced (but sometimes overly intrusive) technologies with excellent value for money, especially for those looking for a spacious and well-equipped electric SUV. However, it still lags behind some rivals in terms of dynamic efficiency and overall comfort. For family trips and daily use, this is a possible option, but drivers concerned about optimal performance (sporty or economical) might prefer a competing model. Especially since there is no shortage of supply in this category largely dominated by the Tesla Model Y.
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