BYD first made its debut in Malaysia back in December 2022 with the BYD Atto 3. Fast forward to today, the carmaker launched its third model here, the BYD Seal. The EV is BYD’s most premium model yet for our local market, and priced from RM179,800, it’s meant to take on the likes of other premium electric sedans like the Tesla Model 3.

There are two variants of the Seal for the Malaysian market: Premium and Performance. The Premium is priced at the aforementioned RM179,800 price point, while the range-topping Performance variant goes for RM199,800. Unfortunately, the more affordable Dynamic model has been dropped from the local lineup due to low demand.

Exterior wise, there are very little differences between the Premium and Performance variants of the Seal. After all, both models feature the same 19-inch alloy wheels, though the Performance does have AWD and “3.8S” badges on the boot lid. The latter is to signify the 0-100kmph time of the model, which is a quick 3.8 seconds.

While we’re on the topic, let’s talk about the performance of the…Performance Seal. It has a dual-motor setup with a combined output of 530PS and 670Nm of torque, which is a lot of power for a car that sits at this price point. Aside from that, it also features a generous 82.5kWh battery that supports 150kW DC charging with a range of up to 580km (NEDC). However, on the WLTP cycle – which is usually more accurate – it can go up to 520km; still a respectable figure.

As for the more affordable Premium Seal, it comes with a single rear motor configuration that outputs 313PS and 360Nm of torque. Paired with the same 82.56kWh battery as the Performance trim, it can travel up to 650km (NEDC) on a single charge; 570km on the WLTP cycle. Just like the Performance model, the Premium variant can do 150kW DC charging as well, allowing the 82.5kWh battery to be charged from 10-80% in 37 minutes.

The BYD Seal is now available for booking in Malaysia through the company’s official website; the first 800 bookings will get a free wallbox charger and RM800 charging credits with Gentari or ChargEV. As for pricing, the Premium trim is priced at RM179,800, while the faster Performance AWD model goes for RM199,800.

If you’re keen to test drive the Seal, you can do so at The Exchange TRX from 23 February tomorrow to 25 February – you can book a test drive slot right here.