BYD is fully charged and ready to hit the streets of South Africa
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) has sealed the deal with their newest edition to the South African line-up.
BYD entered the South African market in July last year with the launch of the ATTO 3, a battery electric compact crossover SUV. Earlier this year (April 2024) they introduced the Dolphin, a subcompact hatchback to their local electric vehicle fleet.
Today we had the pleasure of experiencing - in my opinion - the best looking electric vehicle currently on South African streets.
The sleek sedan called the Seal 7, has entered the market, and could possibly be a disruptor of it.
BYD South Africa's General Manger, Steve Chang admitted that it was not easy to setup base for BYD in South Africa, due to loadshedding, and import taxes. Africa has already seen 15 other countries in the continent open their doors to BYD, and most of them before South Africa.
It seems BYD is driven by a challenge, as Steve Chang confirmed that it was no easy task to convince head-office to bring a sedan to a market which is dominated by SUVs.
The competition however from BYD is quite strong. Based on my first impressions of the vehicle - luxury, comfort, and performance - the BYD Seal 7 is a worthy contender against the German automakers who currently have electric sedans in our country.
There is ample space in the cabin, rear passengers are very comfortable (as I sat in the back to confirm), and the boot has enough space for all the luggage of a family roadtrip for a week.
The sound system beats through the rear passengers seat from the speakers located in the boot, that give an immersive surround sound experience.
Linked to the sound system is the mesmerising rotating infotainment screen which seems to be standard on BYD vehicles, as the ATTO 3 which we sampled also had one.
These are a few of our favourite features of the BYD Seal 7, and we hope to highlight more in our review after we have it for a full test period.
The Seal 7 which we sampled today was the LUX Performance AWD, which claims to reach 100km/h from 0km/h in only 3.8 seconds, and has a charge range of 520km. Power outputs of 390kW and 670Nm of torque are said to be produced from the 82.56kWh battery.
BYD have also launched the LUX EXT RWD, which produces 230kW of power and 360Nm of torque, with claims of 0 to 100km/h in 5.8 seconds, and a range of 570km.
Pricing for the two vehicles are as follows:
BYD Seal 7 LUX EXT RWD R999 900
BYD Seal 7 LUX Performance AWD R1 199 900
The price includes a 7kW wall box (home charger), point-to-point charging cable for when you are on the road, and a V2L (vehicle-to-load) cable which allows the BYD Seal 7 to use its battery to charge small home appliances.
Both variants include a 5 year / 100 00km maintenance plan.
Ziyaad Plaatjes is the Co-Founder of iloveza.com & Let's Torque ZA, the Founder of the After Fajr Grind Academy, a Radio Host for the longest running award-winning Motoring show in South Africa - Bumper2Bumper on Cii Radio, and a Brand South Africa Play Your Part Ambassador, who was named one of Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans in the Arts, Entertainment, Film & Media Category.
He is a Bachelor of Commerce Honours graduate and has been running businesses since the age of 13. Ziyaad is a social media fundi and content creator, but has taken on many roles in various industries over the years. With his entrepreneurial skills and vast knowledge he assists individuals and businesses to grow and achieve their goals.
Find him at: Instagram: @ziyaad_86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii X: @ziyaad86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii Facebook: iloveza.com / Let's Torque ZA LinkedIn: Ziyaad Plaatjes / iloveza.com YouTube: iloveza.com SoundCloud: iloveza.com TikTok: @ilovezacom / @b2bcii Threads: @ilovezacom iono.fm: Bumper2Bumper Hashtags: #AfterFajrGrind #iloveza❤️🇿🇦 #LetsTorqueZA #B2BCii #WheresDaddyZA E-mail: ziyaad@iloveza.com
