The BYD Seal 6 sedan has gained a brand new entry-level variant in Thailand, called the Standard. This joins the Dynamic and Premium models also available in Malaysia, offering a lower cost in exchange for less range.
Priced at 799,900 baht (RM98,000), the Standard undercuts the 899,900 baht (RM110,300) Dynamic by 100,000 baht (RM12,300) and the 949,900 baht (RM116,400) by 150,000 baht (RM18,400). That cash buys you a 46.08 kWh Blade LFP battery, quite a bit smaller than the 56.64 kWh pack utilized in the opposite two cars.
Utilising the identical electric motor because the Dynamic that produces 129 PS (95 kW) and 220 Nm of torque, the Standard delivers a spread of 410 km on the more lenient NEDC cycle, versus 485 km for the Dynamic; expect a WLTP figure closer to 350 km. For reference, the Dynamic delivers a WLTP range of 425 km, representing a rise of around 75 km.
It’s not only in range where the Standard loses out – despite equivalent outputs, it’s clearly needed to be throttled to preserve range, so it takes over a second and a half longer to get to 100 km/h at 12.5 seconds. It also DC fast charges slower at 80 kW (the others do 100 kW), although given the smaller battery it should take the identical 23 minutes to charge from 30 to 80%. Meanwhile, AC charging continues to be capped at 7 kW.
Beyond the shorter range, the Standard is night-on equivalent to the Dynamic, retaining LED headlights without the full-width light bar (that one is reserved for the Premium), LED taillights and the smaller 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, you continue to get dual-zone auto air conditioning, an 8.8-inch instrument display, a 12.8-inch infotainment system and 6 speakers, and you continue to lack a panoramic sunroof and Qi wireless charging.
Nonetheless, the Standard also misses out on powered front seats, a 360-degree camera setup and front parking sensors, and while six airbags are thankfully fitted, you don’t get any driver assists to talk of, not even autonomous emergency braking.
It’s unlikely that the Seal 6 Standard will likely be offered in Malaysia, as a result of the ministry of investment, trade and industry’s (MITI) recent EV policy that got here into force this month, specifying a minimum automobile value (excluding taxes and margins) of RM200,000 for CBU fully-imported vehicles. That might make a budget sedan like this exceedingly expensive unless BYD can work out a CKD local assembly scheme, either by restarting its stalled Tanjung Malim project or engaging a contract manufacturer like Sime Motors.
GALLERY: BYD Seal 6 Premium in Malaysia
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This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
