BYD’s Fast Rise in Australia: The Seagull Electrical Car
BYD has emerged as one of many fastest-growing vehicle manufacturers globally, constantly providing inexpensive electrical autos in Australia. The corporate’s newest entry, the BYD Seagull, has gained traction in Europe, however its availability in Australia stays unsure.
Throughout my latest journey to China, I had the chance to drive the Seagull, and it actually impressed me. Right here’s what I found and why it could possibly be successful within the Australian market if launched.
Pricing and Dimension
In China, the Seagull begins at lower than AUD 16,000 and peaks at round AUD 19,700. The automotive measures just below 3.8 meters in size, making it compact but bigger than the three.6-meter Kia Picanto ICE metropolis automotive, which retails beginning at roughly AUD 22,000 driveaway for the Sport Automated variant.
Inside Expertise
Getting into the Seagull is straightforward with its 150 mm floor clearance, and as soon as inside, the house is surprisingly beneficiant. Notably, the supplies used all through really feel way more premium than one would possibly count on from an entry-level mannequin. In actual fact, the seating and cabin supplies seem similar to these discovered within the regionally accessible BYD Dolphin, which is commendable for a automobile on this worth bracket.
For these aware of different BYD fashions, the Seagull’s inside bears similarities to the Atto 3 and Dolphin, main one to surprise about potential cost-cutting measures. The boot provides ample house, particularly with the flexibility to fold the rear seats for transporting bigger objects.
From a technological facet, the automotive encompasses a smaller infotainment display screen that features navigation and leisure capabilities, which is kind of commendable in comparison with its ICE rivals in Australia.
Driving Dynamics
By way of efficiency, the Seagull exemplifies what a micro EV can provide. The cabin is properly insulated, offering a quiet trip in comparison with smaller petrol engines. The front-mounted single-motor drivetrain delivers as much as 55 kW of energy, making it fairly zippy in city environments like Wuxi, a metropolis that fantastically blends modernity with custom.
The Seagull boasts a formidable acceleration, attaining 0-50 km/h in simply 4.9 seconds and 0-100 km/h in somewhat over 12 seconds. For context, the Kia Picanto takes 6.5 seconds for the primary dash and 15.4 seconds for the latter.
Battery and Vary
The automobile comes with two battery choices: 30.08 kWh and 38.88 kWh, utilizing BYD’s lithium-iron-phosphate battery chemistry. The bigger battery offers a CLTC vary of as much as 405 km, which is anticipated to translate to round 300 km below the WLTP cycle.
My check automobile featured the bigger battery pack, providing enough vary together with fairly fast charging capabilities. It could cost from 30% to 80% in simply 29 minutes on a DC charger, which is spectacular given its worth level.
Market Efficiency and Potential
Throughout my time in China, the streets have been bustling with BYD Seagulls, and gross sales information displays its recognition, with the automobile rating because the third best-selling automotive in China final month, transferring 33,965 models. It follows the Wuling Mini hatchback and the Tesla Mannequin Y SUV, the latter promoting over 48,000 models in April.
First unveiled on the 2023 Shanghai Auto Present, the Seagull shortly attracted consideration, amassing hundreds of orders shortly after its launch.
Conclusion
BYD rolled out the Seagull to the Chinese language market swiftly following its launch, and inside six months, manufacturing reached 200,000 models. Having lastly test-driven it in 2025, I can affirm that this electrical automobile stands out as an inexpensive choice. It embodies a value-packed answer important for decreasing transport emissions in Australia’s main cities, making it a automobile to observe sooner or later.
