BYD undercuts Tesla: NZ pricing confirmed for Model 3 rival

Wednesday, 25 October 2023

Orders for the BYD Seal are open, with customer test drives to kick off in December and deliveries following in Q1 of 2024.

After months of speculation, BYD New Zealand has announced pricing and specifications for its forthcoming premium electric sedan, the Seal.

Three different trim levels of Seal will be offered locally; the $62,990 Dynamic, $72,990 Premium, and $83,990 Performance (all prices plus on-road costs). Orders are now open, with BYD expecting deliveries to begin before the end of Q1, 2024.

The flagship Seal Performance features dual motors, all-wheel drive, and can hit 100kph in 3.8 seconds.

The entry-level Dynamic is a single-motor, rear-wheel drive model equipped with 150kW/310Nm (0–100kph in 7.5 seconds), and a 61.44kWh ‘Blade’ battery pack capable of up to 460km of range on the WLTP cycle and charging speeds of up to 110kW.

The Premium bumps that battery size up to 82.56kWh, subsequently boosting peak range to 570km and charging speeds to 150kW. It also gets a new motor, growing power and torque to 230kW/360Nm and lowering the 0–100kph time to 5.9 seconds.

The Premium also adds a head-up display, leather upholstery, and upsized 19-inch wheels.

Meet the BYD Atto 3 (otherwise known as the Yuan in China), the latest EV to launch in New Zealand.

The flagship Performance, meanwhile, gets an extra pair of driven wheels. All-wheel drive and dual motors producing 390kW/670Nm mean it can shoot to 100kph in just 3.8 seconds. It features the same 82.56kWh battery as the Premium, with range rated at 520km.

‘Frequency Selective Dampening’ and ‘Intelligence Torque Adaption Control’ are exclusive to the Seal Performance AWD, helping it put that power to the ground.

Built on BYD’s platform 3.0 architecture, the Seal is the first model in BYD’s line-up to feature a battery that’s integrated into the vehicle’s outright structure, which the brand says improves the model’s safety.

Don’t worry, the steering wheel for locally sold models will be on the right-hand side...

Just like its Atto 3 and Dolphin cousins, the Seal gets a quirky cabin layout punctuated by a rotating 15.6-inch touchscreen, swooping lines, and quilted leather.

The Seal’s aggressive pricing helps it undercut its lead competitor, the Tesla Model 3. Also coming in 2024, the updated Model 3 has a similar three-tier line-up, with pricing set at $67,900 for the entry-level model and $76,200 for the Long Range (plus on-roads).

The brand has yet to reveal full details for its Model 3 Performance flagship.

Comparing the base and mid-spec Model 3 and Seal makes for interesting reading. The Seal is several thousand dollars cheaper in both cases, but the Tesla gets greater range estimates (513km and 629km).

The Tesla is also a sliver quicker than the Seal, hitting 100kph in 6.1 seconds (base model) and 4.4 seconds (Long Range), respectively. The Seal is expected to undercut the Model 3 Performance significantly. The outgoing model’s price dipped as low as $93,990, with Tesla tipped to debut its replacement at a higher price.