2025 BYD Sealion 7 review, first drive - all the EV you need?

We're just starting with 2025, but this already looks like the year when EVs fully come into the mainstream in India. In this heavy action, the BYD Sealion 7 has been a bit of a quiet entrant. But if any of our previous experiences with BYD's EVs are a pointer, this electric SUV is one you should pay good attention to if you are in the market for one.

Styling, boot space

The BYD Sealion 7 is 4,830mm long, 1,925mm wide and 1,620mm tall, so it's a large car by any measure. You won't call it the smartest-looking SUV of this size, but it has enough presence to set you out from the crowd. Much of the design shares cues with the Seal with which this is closely related. You see this with the wide LED headlamps, the sharp, low bonnet and the grille inlets.

This muscular theme continues with the bodywork as seen with the bulges over the arches and the wide squat stance. There's a good sporty touch to this with the large 20-inch wheel seen in this example, as well as the heavily raked look to the glass area. There also seems to be good ground clearance with the completely flat underbody.

The short stubby rear enhanced this sense, and the gloss black is used quite well. The large spoiler over the windscreen, the stubby one on the boot and the ornamental diffuser treatment are the most eye-catching. The rear lighting is quite reminiscent of the Seal with its organic patterns.

There is no spare wheel but you get a 520-litre boot that is a practical shape but is hampered by the low coupe boot lid. Still, you get a small sub-space and a two-level field that enhances usability. The load lip is not very high either. Further, there is a sizeable 58-litre frunk that easily swallows a backpack or two.

Interiors

So far, BYD has been known to be quite flashy and over-the-top with the way they approach cabin ambience. But the Sealion 7 shows that as BYD becomes more of a global player, it has also matured in how it addresses luxury. So you find that the cabin of the Sealion 7 could largely be out of any other major automaker.

The flat gloss black fascia with the simple vents still has a hint of the flowing organic forms from previous BYDs. But the subtle execution should be palatable to a far greater set of buyers. As in other models, the large 15.6-inch rotating screen dominates the look, while the 10.25-inch instrumentation is neatly integrated into the dash.

There's still some flair in the flap-like door handles and in how this connects to the dash. But it's sober and well-accented by the ambient lighting. Even the one-piece front seats are now more traditional in design but continue to be quite comfortable and highly adjustable, right down to an extending squab.

Unchanged is a high degree of quality and fit. Yes, some bits, like the plasticky door handles and the untextured silver patterns on the dash, are a bit of a letdown, but these are well hidden by the rest of the cabin. So the buttons on the steering wheel and other switchgear have good tactility, there's soft materials over most surfaces and good attention to detail. You notice this with the high-quality headline and suede finish on the large charging pads and central bin. The crystal gear lever and central toggle buttons make another good impression with their textures and damped action.

The skateboard EV architecture leads to a good deal of practicality, too. So you have a large central space and a deep bin under the middle armrest. The cupholders are well-placed and the door bins are fairly large too. Type-A and C charge ports, 50W wireless charging along with wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay make for easy connectivity.

But like before, most functions are controlled via the central screen. It still has its rotating gimmick, but the portrait mode intrudes on visibility and doesn't let you use phone pairing. So, while the screen is more responsive and has a better resolution than, say, in the Atto 3, you still find that certain functions like the ventilated seats, climate settings and ADAS features need you to dive deep into menus. A party trick is the live vehicle view that lets you control the windows and mirrors via the screen.

The instrument cluster could have been more customizable and shown more information than it does. The speed readout is quite small, but you are helped to an extent by the bright HUD. You get a driver monitoring system, but as with these functions, it can sometimes get intrusive.

For many of you, the rear seat will be the more important space in the Sealion 7. With a 2,930mm wheelbase and 1,660mm track width, this is a spacious car in the back. The dark cabin theme and small high windows can hide this, but a lighter option is available too. The glass roof also creates an airy sense.

But there is enough space here for a six-footer to stretch out. The fully flat floor and the high-placed front seats create a roomy sense and despite the sloping roof, there is enough headroom for a tall adult. The floor isn't as high as in many other EVs, but yes, thigh support can still be an issue for tall adults.

The seats are well-contoured. They have dense cushioning and are shaped to hold you well in place. The slight upward angle to the seat base adds more support. But this space is best for two; the central bulged section is too hard and protruding to be comfortable over long journeys.

Battery, range, charging

The BYD Sealion 7 shares the e-Platform 3 with the Seal. So, it is a fully integrated EV skateboard architecture with most components developed in-house by BYD. A single 82.56 kWh battery pack is available, using BYD's proprietary Blade LFP tech. As with the Seal, a notable advancement is the cell-to-body technology, where the battery cells are directly integrated into the car's structure, bringing lightness and better energy density.

There are two powertrain options on offer. A dual-motor AWD option, as seen here, good for 542 km of NEDC range and a rear-driven single-motor version that does 567 km. While we couldn't put it through a range test, you can expect 450 km of rear-world range from the dual-motor version without much hypermiling.

The Sealion 7 can DC fast charge at up to 150 kW, which will get you from 10 to 80 per cent charge in 32 minutes. BYD India offers a 7 kW AC charger, although the Sealion can accept up to 11 kW. A V2L function is also available.

Driving impressions

With the 530PS and 690 Nm that this dual-motor version makes, it's only natural that you might feel a bit intimated about driving the BYD Sealion 7 for the first time. But the experience is far from this at first glance.

You sit as you would in any other SUV; the view out the front is clear enough and finding a comfortable seating position is especially easy. The highly adjustable front seats can take credit for this as well as a quite natural feeling steering wheel. The 360-degree cameras continue to be helpful in navigating heavy traffic as well as the tight turning radius.

On the move, the Sealion 7 makes smooth and steady progress, as you would want from an expensive electric SUV. The massive performance on offer is noticeable, but the car doesn't feel too twitchy or on edge, which could have caught you out otherwise. But yes, you still have to pay attention since with a 0 to 100 kmph time of 4.5s, you'll be hitting triple-digit speeds much more effortlessly than you anticipate.

Also, this performance keeps building, so even at highway speeds, that strong performance can be put to good use. With the good range, you'll probably never drive in anything but the Normal mode, but even in the Eco setting, the Sealion 7 is sprightly enough for this to be a default setting.

The full force of the performance shows in the Sport mode, where you find yourself moving at sportscar speeds with a similar gut-crunching sensation that's quite entertaining. But here too, the BYD doesn't seem too eager or skittish.

The regen modes work well too. You have a standard regen mode, which works well enough to fade into the background. It feels nearly the same as slowing down an ICE car, and there's no real anticipation or learning needed. You don't get a single-pedal driving mode, but there is a high regen setting that can be useful in heavier traffic since, on the highway, it makes you lose momentum a bit too quickly.

Dispute this version running quite aggressive 20-inch wheels, the ride is impressive. Yes the 45-section tyres can throw you around a bit on broken road and there is a layer of firmness, but it's never harsh or crashy. It seems to handle rough surfaces and smaller imperfections well, the cabin remains flat at most times and there is a solid feeling that separates you from the road. This continues at high speeds with a stable sensation that you expect from something that costs north of Rs 50lakh.

With something this powerful, it's only fair to want to know how it feels around a set of bends. And we did try it pretty hard. The BYD does well here, with its low-slung mass, AWD powertrain and grippy Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, as long as you don't get too enthusiastic. Eventually, the massive 2.7-tonne weight starts to show, where some finesse is missing. Closer to its limits, there is quite a bit more power going to the front to quell understeer and the traction systems also kick in sharply.

So the Sealion 7 is best experienced calmly, where you find that it manages its weight well, the roll is predictable and controlled and you have an easy rhythm going soon enough. The steering is not especially direct or precise but finds a nice balance of lightness and heft to keep things quite neutral. There is a sport setting for this and the brakes, but we would stay away from those, with the more artificial sense that they bring.

Braking is generally impressive. You have a smooth, natural feel from the pedal and great stopping power. So dropping speeds is easy and confident.

Price, verdict

Priced between Rs 48.90 lakh and Rs 54.90 lakh, the BYD Sealion 7 may not have the pull of a luxury brand or as much focus on the back seat as is needed, but it is one of the better value packages as far as electric luxury SUVs go in the country. You have a spacious, comfortable and tech-loaded cabin, enough range to be a practical daily car and much more performance than something like this needs.