Is the BYD Seal U arriving in France, but too late and too expensive?

Not easy to take on the Tesla Model Y, the best-selling car in Europe. To do so, BYD introduces its Seal U.

This 5-seater SUV is positioned in the Chinese manufacturer’s 100% electric range just below the BYD Tang with 7 seats. The Seal U is now the sixth model in BYD’s range available in Europe. Already on sale in Germany, it arrives in France this week.

The model will be launched on the market in two battery versions: 71.8 kWh for 420 kilometers and 87 kWh, which in WLTP cycle can surpass 500 kilometers. Like the Seal, Dolphin, and Atto 3, the new D-Class SUV is also based on BYD’s 3.0 electric platform, which uses the renowned in-house blade batteries in an 800V architecture.

This model is of course intended to compete with the national stars Renault Scenic E-Tech and Peugeot E-3008, but at BYD they only aim for the leadership of the Tesla Model Y, even if modesty prevents us from ever openly admitting it.

Its dimensions are 4,785 x 1,890 x 1,668 millimeters with a wheelbase of 2,765 millimeters. Nearly identical to the Model Y. This is even more true considering that, like the American version, it borrowing most of the components of a sedan, the Seal, reimagined as an SUV. Hence the U for utility. Tesla successfully made this transition from the Model 3 to the Model Y, so why not copy the recipe? In Europe, the electric SUV is sold in two trims: Comfort and Design. The starting price of the base Comfort version is 41,890 euros, while the higher-end Design trim costs 45,390 euros. This isn’t necessarily good news, because the Tesla Model Y remains cheaper despite rising prices.

The philosophy of the two vehicles diverges inside, with Tesla advocating simplicity and BYD emphasizing noble, well-presented materials. In terms of notoriety, however, there is no match. People love or hate Tesla, but at least it’s constantly in the conversation, whereas BYD is still relatively unknown. A real problem when you cannot effectively communicate about pricing…