China
BYD opened sales of the Sealion 08 in China on 2 September, four weeks after taking pre-orders and about a month after showing the car. The Ocean sub-brand’s flagship SUV arrives in eight versions priced between 229,900 and 279,900 yuan ($33,900 and $41,300), split across plug-in hybrid and battery-electric drivetrains and five- and six-seat cabins.
The plug-in hybrids run from 229,900 to 269,900 yuan ($33,900 to $39,800) on a 55.843 kWh battery, rated at 400 km CLTC in rear-drive form and 350 km with all-wheel drive, and up to 1,650 km combined with a full tank. The electric cars run from 239,900 to 279,900 yuan ($35,400 to $41,300) on a 115.072 kWh pack: 900 km CLTC with a single 370 kW (496 hp) rear motor, or 800 km with a 215 kW front motor added for a 585 kW (784 hp) all-wheel-drive total.
The battery is the new part
When BYD showed the Sealion 08 it did not say which battery the car would use. The answer is the second-generation Blade Battery on every version, hybrid and electric alike, and with it BYD’s flash-charging system: 10 to 70 percent in five minutes, and 10 to 97 percent in nine minutes. That is the specification the reveal did not carry and the one that separates this car from the Ocean models below it.
Prices landed close to the pre-sale bands
BYD gave indicative bands when pre-orders opened in August, at 230,000 to 260,000 yuan for the hybrids and 250,000 to 280,000 yuan for the electric cars. The entry-level electric version came in about 10,000 yuan ($1,500) under its band. The rest landed inside or slightly above it, with the top hybrid finishing at 269,900 yuan against an indicated ceiling of 260,000. Buyers who put down the 2,000 yuan deposit in August were therefore reading a fairly accurate number, which is not always how Chinese pre-sales resolve.
The rest of the car
The Sealion 08 is 5,115 mm long on a 3,030 mm wheelbase. The five-seat layout has a 943-litre boot and a 201-litre powered front compartment; the six-seat version fits second-row seats that slide sideways. A 21.4-inch ceiling screen faces the rear passengers, and there is a 7.3-litre refrigerator on board. Air suspension with BYD’s DiSus-A body control and active rear-wheel steering are fitted across the range.
BYD has not announced export plans.
