Chinese electric-vehicle brand BYD is growing fast in the domestic market. In just 11 months since its launch, it has reached a cumulative 10,000 sales, quickly increasing its share in a market long dominated by Tesla and Hyundai Motor and Kia. While the Atto 3 and Sealion 7 led sales, the Seal electric sedan has quickly taken root in Korea, with many saying it has changed perceptions about Chinese cars on performance and other quality fronts.
According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) on the 22nd, BYD's cumulative sales through April this year totaled 5,991 units. That is a surge of 983.4% from the same period last year (553). Even looking only at April sales, the figure jumped 272.6% to 2,023 from 543 last year.
Industry watchers say this is because the Seal (SEAL), the electric sedan that BYD Korea started selling first, has settled in smoothly. The Seal has eased domestic consumers' negative perceptions of Chinese-made EVs. BYD said, "The Seal won consumers' choices as its driving performance, ride comfort, and reasonable price came together."
Matching its coupe-like sleek exterior, the Seal's upper trim, the Seal Dynamic AWD, delivers a combined system output of 530 horsepower. It accelerates from a standstill to 100 kph in 3.8 seconds. That level of acceleration is competitive not only among electric sedans in its class but also against some high-performance models. It features frequency selective damping (FSD) suspension that filters road impacts.
The Seal is built on BYD's self-developed e-Platform 3.0. It applies CTB technology, which integrates the battery with the body, for the first time. BYD explained that by using the battery not just as an energy source but also as a component reinforcing body rigidity, it enhanced both driving stability and safety. The cabin is equipped with advanced infotainment, including a 12.8-inch rotating display.
In 2023, the Seal earned the top five-star rating from Euro NCAP and Australia's ANCAP.
The Seal is priced from 39.9 million won to 46.9 million won, depending on the trim. With national and local government EV subsidies applied, some trims can be purchased in the 30 million won range.