BYD launches three new-energy vehicles, but just how impressive are they?

BYD launched three new-energy vehicles (NEVs) on Thursday, including an electric vehicle and two plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The Chinese manufacturer seems to be all about marine life. In 2024, it gave us the Dolphin and Seal 7, and now it has brought two more SUVs — the Sealion 6 and Sealion 7 — and a bakkie called the Shark 6. 

Even though the brand came to South Africa in 2023, it feels like it has only officially arrived now. It outsold Tesla worldwide in the last quarter of 2024 in terms of battery energy vehicles, recording almost 100 000 more vehicles sold than Elon Musk’s company. 

While NEV sales surged in 2024, they still made up only 3% of the new vehicle market in South Africa. Charging infrastructure is a key factor in this, and because most South Africans are being priced out of new-energy vehicles also contributes to the slow sales in this sector.

With a six-model lineup, BYD can finally begin to lure South Africans towards NEVs. 

But just how impressive are these new models and what are they going to be priced at? 

Sealion 6

The Sealion 6 is an SUV that is a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and is now going to be South Africa’s cheapest. Priced from R639 900 and given the quality of the build and interior, it is sure to turn some heads. It will come in three variants: dynamic, comfort and premium. 

The dynamic and comfort will have a 1.5 litre engine coupled with a front-mounted electric motor drawing power from an 18.3 kWh battery pack. This will give the driver 160kW of power and 300nm of torque.

The premium will have a 1.5 turbocharged engine and will have an extra rear-mounted motor. This will boost the power to an insane 238kW and 550Nm. That almost seems like too much for a compact SUV. 

While the power figures are extremely impressive, the most impressive thing about the Sealion 6 is the range it will be able to go. The dynamic and comfort variants will have a range of 961 km while the premium will have a range of 1 092 km.

To get that premium model will cost R789 900.

Sealion 7

The Sealion 7 is also an SUV, but this model is fully electric. 

It will have BYD’s 82.56 kWh Blade Battery that will give the driver up to 482km of range. BYD claims that DC fast-charging from 20% to 80% will take just 30 minutes. 

It will come in two variants, a front-wheel drive premium and an all-wheel drive performance. The former will do 0 -100 in 6.7 seconds while the latter will go to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds. 

While this vehicle also has a superior interior, there were two things that really stood out for me. The first was the look of this car. It gave Mercedes-Benz GLC vibes with a touch of Porsche Cayenne at the back.

The second was the amount of space there was at the back. I’ve never sat business class, but surely, that was it. 

BYD has gone above the R1 million mark with this vehicle however. The Sealion 7 entry model will be R1 099 900 while the performance variant will cost R 1 299 900.

Shark 6

BYD has also brought in a double cab bakkie. It is also a plug-in hybrid vehicle and looks like a shark from the front. It also might perform like the most fearsome creature in the ocean.

The Shark 6 is powered by a 1.5 litre engine paired to two electric motors which delivers 321kW of power and 650Nm of torque. 

The 29.6kWh battery has a range of 100km and the double cab has a total range of 840km. 

BYD has made this bakkie feel premium, without taking away the feel of bakkie. The interior is robust, giving off the energy of a fighter jet with nice leather and a screen as big as your TV to give drivers luxury. 

The tailgate was by far the most impressive feature. It’s the first time I’ve seen an electric tailgate on a bakkie, but it felt good to have it. 

BYD has priced the Shark 6 at R959 900.

While this means that it enters the market above Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux prices, it seems it is here to really test the worth of the bakkies South Africans truly love.