After the recent launch of the sensational BYD Seal, the Chinese company is preparing the ground for the launch of a new all-electric SUV that will be positioned above the well-known Atto 3. It is none other than this BYD Seal U, a striking vehicle whose version for Europe was shown at the IAA Mobility which takes place in Munich and shows ways.
In reality, this BYD Seal U is not a completely new vehicle, let alone that the Chinese company developed it for Europe. And that’s it This electric SUV has been sold for some time in its home country, where it is known as BYD Song Plus. And as the brand’s electric sedan designed to compete with the Tesla Model 3, this BYD Seal U refers directly to the Californian company’s SUV, the Model Y.
Like the BYD seal, it emerged from the E-Platform 3.0
For the development of this electric SUV, the Chinese company uses its well-known e-Platform 3.0 platform as a starting point, on which the Seal, which has already been sold in Spain, was born. And strangely In China, this SUV is also offered with an interesting plug-in hybrid drive that can travel up to 150 kilometers in electric mode., although it currently looks as if only pure electric cars will arrive on the old continent. The brand has not provided any further information on this, except that the car will be available in Comfort and Design versions, the mechanics of which deliver a power of 150 and 160 kW (204 and 218 hp, respectively).
However, everything indicates that the mechanics with which this BYD Seal U is sold in China will be retained and is based exclusively on a single motor on the rear axle. Yes OK, We cannot rule out the appearance of a dual-engine variant like the one offered in the brand’s sedan. But we would still have to wait for a statement from the company.
Up to 605 kilometers of autonomy for the BYD Seal U
In China in particular, these are the versions with the 150 kW engine (204 hp), which also provides 310 Nm of torque. They are accompanied by the well-known BYD Blade battery in its 71.8 kWh capacity configuration.. These BYD Seal U in China are able to homologate an average range of 520 kilometers in the favorable CLTC homologation cycle. And there are three equipment levels to choose from.
For its part, the more powerful BYD Seal U also increases its torque to 330 Nm. But the most important thing is this The previously mentioned Blade battery increases its capacity to 87 kWh, so the average autonomy in the CLTC cycle increases to 605 kilometers. However, if they land in Europe, the WLTP homologation cycle will result in more moderate autonomy data than those announced here.
An electric SUV with a length of 4.79 meters
It is important to emphasize that the blade battery used by BYD Seal U supports fast DC charging with a maximum power of 150 kW. This allows them to increase their capacity from 30 to 80% within 30 minutes.
Thanks to the aforementioned e-Platform 3.0 on which this BYD Seal U sits, the wheelbase is 2,765 millimeters, which is less than the 2,920 millimeters of the four-door sedan of the same name. Yes OK, At 4.79 meters, their bodies are practically the same length in this striking electric SUV. That’s one centimeter less than the familiar seal and 11 centimeters more than the size of an Audi Q5. The body of this electric SUV is also 1.89 meters wide and 1.66 meters high, which offers a generous amount of space inside where there is plenty of equipment and technology.
The BYD Seal U will cost significantly more in Europe than in China
Currently the prices of this BYD Seal U in Spain are kept completely secret. However They could correspond to the offer of the well-known Seal, whose Access version starts at 46,990 euros without help. Rest assured that prices will be much higher than in China, where the entry-level version of this electric SUV starts at 169,800 yuan (here is the link to the configurator in China). Amount that can be converted into approximately 21,675 euros at the current exchange rate. The Plus version, on the other hand, more powerful and with greater autonomy (there is only one version, while the Access version has three levels of equipment), costs 209,800 yuan, which corresponds to about 26,780 euros at the exchange rate.
