- The Chinese-made BYD Sealion 7 is a direct Tesla Model Y rival in Europe and a viable alternative.
- It offers a more traditional design and experience than the more futuristic Tesla.
- The Tesla outperforms it in every single metric, and it’s cheaper too.
BYD has big ambitions to expand its presence in Europe, and one of the pillars of this expansion is its Tesla Model Y rival. The Sealion 7 is the BYD Seal’s high-riding brother, and just like the sedan, it offers a more traditional car experience to Tesla’s more futuristic and minimalistic approach that isn’t to everybody’s taste.
So is it the electric crossover to get over the new Model Y? Mat Watson at the UK’s Carwow put both to the test in a new video, and his findings are quite interesting.
The Juniper update improved the Model Y in key areas, but the biggest refinements are the revamped interior, which looks and feels very good, and the more comfort-oriented suspension. It’s still sharp and fun to drive, but the suspension eliminates the bounciness of the pre-refresh model’s ride and works toward a more premium experience.
Whether you like the exterior redesign or not, the new Model Y features one of the industry’s coolest rear light cluster designs, and the new front end helps it look a bit lower and more hunkered down. The Model Y has never been a looker, but the redesign improves its presence and makes it look less like an overinflated Model 3.
The Sealion 7 is more traditional inside and out. It has a fairly conventional exterior with a bold face that leaves you in no doubt that it is an Asian design. Inside, it gets a fancy screen that rotates and physical controls for many functions you can only access through the screen in the Model Y. The pleasantly swoopy interior design theme is arguably more visually successful than the exterior.
Its exterior door handles also seem great and better than similar designs from other manufacturers. They power-retract into the doors to improve aerodynamics, but when they pop out, the way you open the door is by physically pulling on them since they are mechanical. This eliminates finicky electronic door release mechanisms that are sometimes temperamental and could potentially leave you locked outside your car if its battery is completely depleted.
However, Mat says it’s not quite as practical as the Model Y. The only area where the Sealion beats the Model Y when it comes to its practicality is in its ability to more comfortably carry three passengers in the second row. You can still squeeze three adults in the back of a Model Y, but shoulder room feels a bit tight.
The Model Y also has a larger trunk and frunk, making it considerably better at carrying your stuff. It’s big enough that in some markets it is offered with an optional third row of seats, which BYD couldn’t hope to fit in its Sealion.
Tesla wins again when it comes to both claimed and real-world range. The longest-range Model Y is rated in Europe at 386 miles (622 km) WLTP. The Sealion’s optional 91.3 kilowatt-hour battery is considerably larger than the Model Y’s 75 kWh, but it only goes 312 miles (502 km) on one charge.
The BYD is an 800-volt EV, while the Model Y still runs on 400 volts. However, the latter has the higher maximum charging power, quicker charging time, and higher operating efficiency, even though it’s theoretically running at a disadvantage. Overall, it seems like the Tesla is better engineered, and it’s also a bit cheaper, making it the winner of the comparison.
But while the BYD Sealion 7 isn’t as good as the Tesla Model Y, the Zeekr 7X that I drove a few weeks back here in Europe might pose a bigger threat. I
t’s pitched at a slightly higher price point than the Model Y, but it feels like a more luxurious car. It has fancy toys like powered doors that work well and looks a lot more grown-up and serious than the slightly strange-looking Sealion.
