2024 BYD Seal preview: price, specs and release date

What to know about the 2024 BYD Seal sedan

BYD Seal in Australia: release date

The BYD Seal model is estimated to arrive in Australia between December 2023 and January 2024 Australia. You can already order a Seal on BYD’s website for a refundable $1,000 order fee.

BYD Seal price: what does it cost?

The BYD Seal Dynamic is priced from $49,888 RRP plus on-road costs in Australia. That’s around $12,000 less than the soon-to-arrive 2024 Tesla Model 3’s $61,900 plus on-road costs entry-level RWD model.

The BYD Seal Premium jumps up almost $10,000 to a price point from $58,798, directly competing with the $61,900 Tesla Model 3 Long Range.

The BYD Seal Performance takes another $10,000 jump, starting from $68,748 to compete against the Tesla Model 3 Performance – although the 2024 Tesla Model 3 update will see the Performance removed from the Model 3 lineup.

These prices are significantly lower than competitors like the Polestar 2, which starts from $61,273 RRP plus on-road costs, or the Hyundai Ioniq 6 from $74,000 RRP plus on-road costs. 

All BYD Seal models come with an 8 year or 160,000km battery warranty, plus a 6 year or 150,000km vehicle warranty. That’s a win on the Seal’s competitors, which all offer a similar battery warranty but only extend a four- to five-year vehicle warranty.

BYD Seal model range and specs

The BYD Seal comes in three model variants: the entry-level Dynamic, the long-range Premium and the all-wheel drive Performance.

BYD Seal Dynamic (Standard Range)

The BYD Seal Dynamic the entry-level model, with a rear drivetrain coming in at 150kW max power and 310Nm max torque that gets the Dynamic from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds. It offers a 61.44kWh battery that’s powered by a 110kW DC CCS2 charging port, and provides a decent 460km WLTP driving range. The Dynamic comes with standard 18-inch alloy wheels and 225/50 R18 continental tyres.

As with many EVs, the 2024 BYD Seal features regenerative braking, which converts some of the energy usually lost during braking into prolonged battery charge.

BYD Seal Premium (Extended Range)

The BYD Seal Premium ups the max power to 230kW and the max torque to 360Nm to achieve a 5.9-second 0-100km/h acceleration. Its battery is also larger, with an 82.56kWh capacity that provides a 570km WLTP driving range. It also gets faster charging, thanks to a 150kW DC CCS2 port.

In addition, the Premium adds a heads-up display that illuminates key information on the windscreen within the driver’s sightline. It also upgrades the leather-wrapped seats and steering wheel from imitation to genuine leather. The driver seat adds on position memory and four-way lumber power adjustment. Outside, there are  19-inch alloy wheels, plus door mirrors with position memory and auto-tilt functions.

BYD Seal Performance (AWD)

The BYD Seal Performance comes with significant upgrades aimed at enthusiast drivers, boasting a 3.8-second 0-100km/h acceleration time, AWD drivetrain, and 520km WLTP claimed driving range. It features a 390kW max power and 670Nm max torque, comprised of a 160kW/310Nm front motor and 230kW/360Nm rear motor.

The Performance retains all the Premium upgrades, and adds frequency selective damping to blend road handling and comfort so the car hugs corners while maintaining a smooth ride. Intelligent torque adaption control distributes power dynamically to improve driving safety and comfort by integrating the driver’s control needs with the vehicle’s own state. An electronic child lock prevents children sitting in the rear seats from opening the rear doors.

BYD Seal exterior design and features

Size-wise, the BYD Seal is fairly standard for a medium sedan. The Premium’s dimensions clock in at a 1460mm height, 4800mm length and 1875mm width. This gives the Seal a nicely tight 5.7m minimum turning radius. Storage is again standard at 400L in the boot and 50L in the frunk.

This makes the Seal slightly longer than the Tesla Model 3, which clocks in at 1441mm height, 4720mm length and 2089mm width. The Model 3 does have more cargo space, however, with 682L total.

Electronic hidden door handles and a one-touch open/close tailgate give the BYD Seal a sleek appearance. Its silver-plated glass roof, complete with a shade insert, gives the electric sedan a touch of luxury. Privacy glass is installed in the rear door windows, rear quarter and rear windscreen.

All variants of the BYD Seal also comes with rain-sensing windscreen wipers and rear windscreen electric heating and defrosting. The exterior mirrors are also electrically heated, as well as adjustable and retractable. 

Finally, the Seal boasts LED headlights and taillights. The ‘follow me home’ headlights increase driver safety, remaining on for a short period of time after the vehicle is locked or unlocked to provide a lit path to your car or front door.

The BYD Seal is styled to maximise efficiency. Image: Supplied

BYD Seal interior design and features

A black interior colour palette comes standard with the BYD Seal, or you can select the optional Ocean Blue colour scheme instead. There’s either an imitation (Dynamic) or genuine (Premium/Performance) leather-wrapping steering wheel and seats for a luxe look. The steering wheel also comes with heating in all models for comfortable handling in cold weather.

Front seats are ventilated and heated, with eight-way power adjustment for the driver and six-way adjustment for the passenger. Soundproof double-glazed glass on the windshield and front door provides more sound deadening, while the automatic anti-dazzle rearview mirror protects the driver’s eyes on sunny days and during night drives. Automatic dual-zone heat pump air conditioning – complete with rear central air vents – keeps everyone in the car comfortable. There’s even LED front and rear side reading lights for bookworm passengers.

The BYD Seal features a 10.25-inch LCD instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch intelligent touchscreen infotainment display. The infotainment display is rotatable to landscape or portrait mode to suit driver preference. A 12-speaker DYNAUDIO sound system can stream audio from your phone via Bluetooth, wireless Android Auto or USB-powered Apple CarPlay. You also have access to satellite navigation, a voice assistant, and over-the-air updates. Devices can be easily charged by the dual wireless charging pads, the USB-C and USB-A ports in front and rear, or the 12V accessory socket.

BYD Seal safety features

The 2024 BYD Seal has received a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, with the safety rating applying to all Seal variants.

These include eight SRS airbags, seat belt reminders, front and rear parking sensors, a 360° camera, and a driver attention warning system. All models also include electric power steering, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed limit information and control, and an intelligent power brake system with electronic brake force distribution for smoother stopping.

All variants of the BYD Seal will warn and prevent drivers from unsafe lane departures, provide predictive collision warnings thanks to front and rear cross traffic alerts, and apply automatic emergency braking if necessary. Blind spot detection also helps drivers to make smart driving decisions.

Families will appreciate the Seal’s child presence detective, which sends alerts out if children are accidentally left behind in the vehicle, as well as the ISOFIX child restraint anchorage points for extra-secure baby car seats.

The BYD Seal uses a standard Type 2 charger. Image: Supplied.

BYD Seal battery capacity, charging and efficiency

The 2024 BYD Seal uses the BYD Blade Battery, an EV battery constructed right into the car’s platform to save space in the cabin.

The Seal’s battery offers a 61.44kWh capacity in the Dynamic model, or an 82.56kWh capacity in the Premium and Performance. That lends itself to a claimed 460km WLTP driving range in the Dynamic, a claimed 570km range in the Premium, and a claimed 520km range in the Performance.

When it comes to charging, the BYD Seal features a 7kW AC Type 2 charging port, as well as a 110kW DC CCS2 charging port on the Dynamic or a 150kW DC CCS2 port on the Premium and Performance. The BYD Seal is claimed to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 37 minutes on the 150kW DC fast charger. A portable CCS2 charging cable is included, as is a vehicle-to-load (V2L) discharger adapter that allows you to use the BYD Seal’s battery to power devices and appliances.