BYD Seal 6 EV launched in Malaysia – more affordable C-seg sedan, over 400 km range, priced from RM100k

• BYD

Right on cue, the BYD Seal 6 has made its official debut in Malaysia, with BYD Sime Motors formally introducing its latest BYD electric vehicle model earlier this morning. The model – which is the brand’s seventh new model to be introduced here in two years – slots into BYD’s range here as its second sedan-based offering, sitting below the Seal – which was launched here in its updated form last month – in the local line-up.

Before we get to the details about the car, let’s get its identity out of the way. While it wears a Seal moniker and a 6 suffix, the car is not the Ocean series Seal 06, of which the EV version of the type was launched in the domestic market a few months ago, but the Dynasty series Qin L EV that was introduced in China in March, renamed to the Seal 6 for this market.

Its arrival here may be a surprise, but as mentioned previously, the Qin L EV has been hiding in plain sight in ASEAN since early this year. Back in March, a camouflaged prototype of the sedan was actually spotted next to an Atto 2 ahead of the SUV’s debut in the Kingdom, but no one thought much of it at that point.

Two variants of the Seal 6 are available for Malaysia, which is the first export market for the renamed Qin L EV, and they are the Dynamic and Premium. They are priced as follows:

• BYD Seal 6 Dynamic – RM100,000
• BYD Seal 6 Premium – RM115,800

This makes the Seal 6 significantly cheaper than the Seal, which is priced at RM171,800 for the Premium (Extended Range) and RM191,800 for the Performance (AWD).

Exterior

Size-wise, the Seal 6 – which is underpinned by the automaker’s e-platform 3.0 – measures in at 4,720 mm long, 1,860 mm wide and 1,495 mm tall, with a 2,820 mm-long wheelbase. In terms of dimensions, the Seal 6 is very much related to the Seal 06, with its exterior measurements mirroring the Ocean series model, with the only difference being in width, with the 06 being wider by 20 mm.

Beyond the price, comparisons to the Seal are inevitable, and from an exterior viewpoint the Seal 6 is slightly shorter and narrower, but taller than the Seal, which measures in at 4,800 mm long, 1,875 mm wide and 1,460 mm tall, with a 2,920 mm-long wheelbase.

It remains a sizeable car, one the company touts as the largest C-segment sedan offering available in this market, independent of powertrain type. This is reflected in it being longer, wider and taller than the likes of the Proton S70, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Altis and Mazda 3.

Elsewhere, other relevant numbers are a 165 mm ground clearance and a kerb weight of 1,780 kg for the Dynamic and 1,800 kg for the Premium, the latter likely from the inclusion of a panoramic sunroof for the variant. Technical highlights mentioned at a presentation ahead of the launch includes a high torsional rigidity of 31,167 Nm for the car’s cell-to-body chassis.

Design and equipment

Styling-wise, its Dynasty series origin means styling is closer to the Atto 2 and 3 rather than the Seal and Sealion 7, with both the front and rear ends pitched differently. For one, the front end’s full-width silver bar joining the slim LED headlights and bumper design give it a more traditional sedan look.

The Qin nameplate has been around since 2008, and since then has sold over 2.4 million models as of September this year, including PHEV models. As far as form to eye goes, the Seal is that bit more rakish and sporty, but the Seal 06’s suit, with a dynamic waistline, remains sharp and will appeal to shoppers looking for a stylish, cleanly presented sedan.

Both the Dynamic and Premium look identical at a glance, but there are exterior cues that differentiate the Premium visually. These are the aforementioned panoramic sliding sunroof (the front portion can be opened instead of the Seal’s fixed glass roof, and it also has a powered sunshade, as per the updated Seal), and the 18-inch wheels – which are wrapped with 225/50 profile Westlake rubbers – it wears. Besides not having a sunroof, the Dynamic is shod with 17-inch alloy rollers, fitted with 225/55 series tyres. It also doesn’t have the front full width LEDs of the Premium.

Three exterior colours are available for the Seal 6, these being Arctic White, Harbour Grey and Misty Blue, with the Dynamic getting the first two shades, and the Premium the full set of three.

Powertrain, performance, battery and charging

The two Seal 6 variants are rear-wheel drive, which the company says helps to provide the car with a more premium sporty driving feel. The single electric motor is an 8-in-1 unit, integrating the motor, reducer, high-voltage controller, DC-DC converter, on-board charger, electrical distribution unit, vehicle control unit and thermal management system, and can operate at up a maximum 16,000 rpm.

Motor outputs – and performance figures – are different for both variants, and they are:

• Dynamic – 129 PS (127 hp, or 95 kW) and 220 Nm; 0-100 km/h in 10.9 seconds, 160 km/h top speed
• Premium – 218 PS (215 hp, or 160 kW) and 330 Nm; 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, 180 km/h top speed

Aside from this, the battery size is identical, with both variants for Malaysia equipped with a 56.64 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is the larger unit available for the car in its domestic market. In terms of operating range, it’s rather interesting, as both the Dynamic and Premium quote the same 485 km NEDC-rated range (about 410 km WLTP), despite their different outputs.

In any case, the battery can be juiced up at a maximum DC rate of 100 kW, in which it takes 23 minutes to get the unit from a 30% to 80% state-of-charge. As for Type 2 AC charging, the maximum rate is 6.67 kW, although there is vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality at up to 3.7 kW.

Mention was made of the Seal 6’s 12V starter battery being a LFP unit – at 2.2 kg, it’s lighter than a conventional sealed lead-acid battery, but the real benefit is its higher charge/discharge efficiency and, more importantly, its operational longevity, providing up to 3,000 cycles before it needs replacing.

The Seal 6 has a dual ball-joint MacPherson front and rear multi-link suspension setup, which the automakers says provides better handling and smoother, more stable cornering on top of better ride comfort. Notably, in a first for BYD in Malaysia, the dampers have been specifically tuned for local roads, offering a firmer ride in the process.

Interior and equipment

In line with its Dynasty theme, the Seal 6 features a cabin with a cleaner, less organic interior design, the dashboard being dominated by a flat, full-width gloss black panel. It also ditches the Seal 06 EV’s discrete gear selector in favour of the Atto 2’s steering column-mounted stalk. Also taken from the Atto 2 is the three-spoke steering wheel design. Only one colour scheme is available for the interior, and this is in black and grey.

Standard fit items include an 8.8-inch digital instrument display and a DiLink 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen. Unlike the domestic model (which also offers a larger 15.6-inch option), the central screen does not rotate, and as such presents everything only in landscape – or horizontal – mode. The central console has a dual space to store smartphones, with one slot having a 15 watt Qi wireless charger.

The infotainment system offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and there’s also a voice assistance feature, supporting commands made in English, Malay, Cantonese and Mandarin. Also provided with the car is an internet connection package, consisting of 2GB of data per month for a period of two years. Elsewhere, access to the car can be accomplished through a physical NFC key card, a digital NFC/Bluetooth key or via the BYD digital app.

The seating element was also highlighted, with mention of the high level of comfort provided by the seats, which are finished in faux eco-leather. The front units come with an increased level of lateral support, and attention has also been paid to the rear pews as well, with the 60:40 split rear seat backs having a more slanted design to improve ergonomics and comfort for occupants.

There are some differences in equipment specifications between the variants. For one, the front seats on the Dynamic are six-way power adjustable for the driver and manual for the front passenger, the Premium comes with eight-way driver and four-way passenger powered units as well as ventilation for both units.

Additionally, the audio system on the Dynamic consists of a six-speaker set-up, while the Premium ups this to eight speakers. There’s also a sunglasses holder, LED front door lights, front footwell lighting and cabin ambient lighting, which is not available for the Dynamic. As for cargo space, the Seal 6 has a 460 litre boot and a 65 litre frunk, which is deep enough to fit a cabin-sized luggage.

The Seal 6 comes equipped with six airbags (front, front side and front/rear side curtain), front/rear parking sensors, a 360-degree view monitor and a tyre pressure monitoring system. As for its ADAS suite, available items include automatic emergency braking (AEB), stop/go adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and front collision warning, The car is also equipped with a brake override system and intelligent high beam control

GALLERY: BYD Seal 6 Premium