2026 BYD Sealion 7 Premium review

The two versions

Premium ($54,990 RRP). A single 230kW, 380Nm rear motor, 482km of WLTP range, 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.7 seconds and 19-inch alloys. The equipment list is long: genuine leather seats with an eight-way power driver's seat (with power lumbar, leg rest and memory), six-way power passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats, panoramic glass roof with an electric sunshade, dual-zone heat pump climate control, power tailgate, head-up display, 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen, Dynaudio sound, 360-degree camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Performance ($63,990 RRP, +$9,000). Adds a 160kW front motor for all-wheel drive and 390kW and 690Nm combined, cutting the claimed 0-100km/h time to 4.5 seconds. It also adds 20-inch wheels, painted front brake calipers, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Range drops to 456km. In numbers, the extra $9,000 buys 160kW more and 2.2 seconds off the 0-100km/h claim, and costs 26km of range and 115kg of extra weight. For most buyers the Premium's 230kW is already plenty on paper, so the Performance is a want rather than a need.

Through September 2026 BYD ran the Premium at $54,990 drive-away, with on-road costs included. That campaign ran to 30 September, so check BYD's offers page for whatever replaces it before you negotiate.

The rivals

The Tesla Model Y RWD is $58,900 RRP, $3,910 more than the Premium. It has 255kW, 466km of range, a far lower 13.9kWh/100km energy claim, 175kW charging and a 1,600kg braked towing rating, but a five-year warranty against BYD's six.

The Kia EV5 Air Long Range is $61,170 RRP with 160kW, front-wheel drive, 555km of range and Kia's seven-year warranty. The Zeekr 7X RWD is $57,900 RRP with 310kW, 480km of range and a much faster 450kW charging peak. Against those, the Sealion 7's strength is the equipment list; its weakness is charging and efficiency.

Drive-away and cost per week

Our drive-away estimate on the RRP is about $58,760 in Victoria and $57,390 in Queensland for the Premium, and about $68,140 and $66,570 for the Performance. On our weekly model the Premium comes to from $275 a week in Victoria and $272 in Queensland, and the Performance from $318 and $315, counting repayments, charging, rego, CTP and tyres. Servicing and insurance are left out because we hold no figure for either.

Range and efficiency

BYD quotes 482km (WLTP) for the Premium and 456km for the Performance, from an 82.56kWh LFP Blade battery. The energy-use figures in our rows are 19.9kWh/100km and 21.4kWh/100km. That is thirsty next to a Model Y RWD at 13.9 or a Kia EV5 Long Range at 18.0, and it is the reason the range is not longer from a battery this size.

What a year of charging costs

At 15,000km a year the Premium uses about 2,985kWh and the Performance about 3,210kWh. At Victoria's default offer (27.47c/kWh) that is about $820 and $882 a year; at Queensland's reference rate (27.97c/kWh), about $835 and $898. For comparison, a Model Y RWD at its claim would cost about $573 a year in Victoria, so the BYD spends about $247 more on electricity.

Charging

DC charging peaks at 150kW through a CCS2 port on both versions, and AC charging is 11kW, which would fill the battery from empty in roughly seven and a half hours at the full rate. BYD's sheet does not print a 10-80% fast-charge time, and we hold none. A portable Mode 2 charging cable is included, and vehicle-to-load comes with an adapter so you can run appliances from the battery.

Warranty and roadside

BYD covers the Sealion 7 for six years or 150,000km and the battery for eight years or 160,000km. Our rows hold six years of roadside assistance. At 15,000km a year you would reach 150,000km after ten years, so for most drivers the six-year term ends first.

Servicing

The service interval in our rows is 12 months or 20,000km. At 15,000km a year that is one visit a year, and drivers covering up to 20,000km still get away with annual servicing. We hold no capped-price servicing figure for the Sealion 7, so ask the dealer for the first five service prices.

Resale

The Sealion 7 has been on sale here only since 2025, and we hold no resale figure. Check one-year-old asking prices before assuming anything about depreciation.

The ANCAP result

ANCAP gave the Sealion 7 five stars in 2025, with 87% for adult occupant protection, 93% for child occupant protection, 76% for vulnerable road users and 78% for safety assist.

What is fitted

Both versions get the same list, according to BYD's sheet: autonomous emergency braking, forward and rear collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping control, lane departure assist, emergency lane-keeping, intelligent speed alert and speed limit control, blind-spot detection, lane change warning, door open warning, driver attention warning and child presence detection. A 360-degree camera, two-zone front sensors and four-zone rear sensors are standard.

Airbags cover the front, front sides, curtains front and rear, a far-side airbag for the driver and side airbags for the rear seats. The front seatbelts have dual-stage pretensioners and the outer rear belts have pretensioners too.

Child seats

There are ISOFIX points on the two outer rear seats and three top tethers, and the child locks are electronic.

Boot and frunk

BYD quotes 500 litres for the rear boot and 58 litres in the front boot, 558 litres in all. We hold no seats-folded figure. The tailgate opens and closes at a touch, and the front boot is a handy place for the charging cable so it does not eat into the rear space. Use the boot check below with your pram's folded size.

Size and parking

The Sealion 7 is 4,830mm long, 1,925mm wide and 1,620mm tall, on a 2,930mm wheelbase. BYD gives a 5.85m turning radius, so about 11.7m kerb to kerb. Ground clearance in our row is 140mm, which is low for an SUV, so steep driveways and kerbs need care. The garage check below runs it against common garage sizes.

Seats and comfort features

Five seats in genuine leather. The rear bench has a centre armrest with two cupholders and its own air vents, and the windscreen and front windows are double-glazed. The Performance adds heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel, which the Premium does not have.

Screens

The centre screen is a 15.6-inch touchscreen that rotates between landscape and portrait, with a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and a windscreen head-up display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported, along with BYD's built-in sat nav (with three years of free map updates) and voice assistant.

Sound, charging and keys

Both versions have a 12-speaker Dynaudio system. The radio is FM only: there is no DAB+, which matters if you listen to digital stations. There is one wireless phone charger, two USB-C and two USB-A ports split front and rear, and a 12V socket. You can use your phone as a digital key through the BYD app, or the NFC card that comes with the car. Over-the-air updates are standard.

The BYD Sealion 7 Premium has 103 kW for every tonne of kerb weight, 380Nm of torque, a claimed 0-100km/h of 6.7s. It weighs 2,225kg and turns in 11.7m. These are the figures that shape how quickly a car gets moving and how easily it parks.

Power and weight

The Premium's 230kW rear motor moves 2,225kg, about 103kW per tonne. The Performance adds a 160kW front induction motor for 390kW and 690Nm in total, moving 2,340kg at about 167kW per tonne. Both use double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension with frequency-selective dampers.

Towing and load

We hold no braked towing figure for the Sealion 7, and BYD's specification sheet does not print one. Our rows hold 750kg unbraked and a 100kg tow-ball limit. If you want to tow anything bigger than a light trailer, get the braked rating in writing first, or look at the Model Y and its 1,600kg rating. The gross vehicle mass is 2,635kg for the Premium and 2,750kg for the Performance, which leaves 410kg for people and luggage in each.

Who the Sealion 7 suits

The Sealion 7 Premium suits a buyer who wants a well-equipped five-seat electric SUV in the mid-$50,000s and charges mostly at home. At $54,990 it carries heated and ventilated leather, a head-up display and premium sound as standard, with a six-year warranty. The Performance is only worth the extra $9,000 if you want 390kW, all-wheel drive, or heated rear seats.

Who should look elsewhere

If you road-trip a lot, the 150kW charging peak and 19.9kWh/100km claim mean more and longer stops than a Model Y or Zeekr 7X. If you tow, there is no braked rating on record. If you listen to DAB+ radio or need more ground clearance, it misses on both. See how it stacks up in our best electric cars guide.