Sealion's slick but has a flipping poor range

Even though BYD only started selling cars here two years ago, the firm is already starting to feel like a familiar presence on our roads. With what seems like a never-ending list of China-based makers arriving, it can be hard to stand out - but BYD's background in battery creation means it is one of the more trusted.

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The new Sealion 7 is BYD’s largest car so far, competing with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Enyaq. Can it stand out?

WHAT'S NEW?

It's the fourth BYD car to come here, alongside the Dolphin, Seal and Seal U. It's around 30mm longer than the Seal saloon and gets a roofline about 160mm higher, offering more space.

It has the brand's latest battery technology too, with ‘Blade’ units promising better energy density with less weight and no cobalt.

BYD also claims it has the ‘fastest mass production e-motor’, spinning up to 23,000rpm, meaning quicker acceleration and faster responses.

UNDER THE BONNET?

The car has three powertrain options. There's a rear-wheel-drive version and an all-wheel-drive model, which get an 82.5kWh battery for respective ranges of 300 and 283 miles. The flagship Excellence model - which we're testing - gets a larger 91.3kWh battery and dual electric motors for a range of up to 312 miles.