BYD has unveiled the new Sea Lion 07 at this year’s Auto Guangzhou, which will look to take on the Tesla Model Y. The fully electric crossover joins the carmaker’s Ocean electric vehicles (EVs) that includes the Seagull, Dolphin and Seal. The design of the Sea Lion 07 is the work of ex-Audi designer Wolfgang Egger (currently BYD’s head of design since 2016) and inspired by the Ocean-X, a concept car that BYD revealed when it officially launched the e-platform 3.0 over two years ago. Said architecture underpins the new crossover, which measures 4,830 mm long, 1,925 mm wide, 1,620 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,930 mm.
Curiously, these figures aren’t too far
off from the Song L, which will go on sale in China on December 15 as another
of the brand’s EVs. Bringing the Model Y into the comparison, the Tesla is
smaller at 4,750 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, 1,623 mm tall and having a wheelbase
spanning 2,891 mm. According to CarNewsChina, BYD plans to make Sea Lion a new
product range under the Ocean series, with the 07 being the one that leads this
catalogue. It’s a little confusing, but the flow would be BYD > Ocean series
> Sea Lion line-up. After the 07, the company will also be introducing the
Sea Lion 05 and 06.
Powertrain details aren’t available just
yet, but the company points out the Sea Lion 07 uses the same cell to body
(CTB) technology. This sees the Blade battery being integrated into the vehicle
body – similar to the Seal – which the company says increases volume
utilisation by 66% and vertical space by 10 mm. Another technology featured on
the EV is the company’s DiSus suspension system, specifically the DiSus-C
version that provides what is effectively adaptive damping by way of a damper
solenoid valve.
The Sea Lion 07 is expected to be priced
between 200,000 and 260,000 yuan. This price range
undercuts the Model Y significantly, as the latter goes for between 266,400 and
363,900 yuan.
