BYD Sealion 7 review (UK): price, range, charging, verdict

The BYD Sealion 7 is a fully electric, five-seat family SUV that costs from £46,990 in November 2026, with an 82.5 kWh or 91.3 kWh Blade battery and 283 to 312 miles of official WLTP range. It is generously equipped, roomy in the back and rated five stars by Euro NCAP, but UK testers find its real-world range, ride and driver assistance behind the best rivals. EV Compared has not driven the Sealion 7; this review rests on BYD UK’s published figures, Euro NCAP’s results and the UK reviews named below.

Verdict: who should buy the BYD Sealion 7 and who should not

Buy a BYD Sealion 7 if you charge at home, carry adults or teenagers in the back, and want a long list of standard equipment with a six-year warranty. The rear-wheel-drive Comfort at £46,990 is the version to look at first: it has the same boot, cabin and screen as the dearer trims, goes 300 miles on the WLTP cycle, and on an off-peak home tariff each mile costs about 1.8p on our sums.

Do not buy one if you regularly drive long distances on the motorway and depend on rapid chargers. UK testers recorded between about 200 and 271 miles in real driving, well short of the official figures, and the Comfort and Design charge at a peak of 150 kW. It is also the wrong choice if a settled ride matters to you, or if intrusive lane-keeping and a driver monitor would wear you down: Auto Express, Carwow and Autotrader all criticise the driver assistance.

The Design AWD and Excellence AWD add a front motor and 4.5-second acceleration, but they cost over £50,000, which brings the £440 a year expensive car supplement on road tax. Most private buyers will get more from the Comfort.

How much is the BYD Sealion 7, and what trims are there?

The Sealion 7 costs £46,990 for the Comfort RWD, £51,990 for the Design AWD and £58,990 for the Excellence AWD on the road in November 2026, according to BYD UK. Those prices are £1,700 to £2,700 higher than at the UK launch, when BYD listed the three versions at £44,990, £49,290 and £57,290.

Trim	List price (November 2026)	Battery	Range (WLTP)	Drive and power	0 to 62mph	Wheels
Comfort RWD	£46,990	82.5 kWh	300 miles	Rear-wheel drive, 230 kW	6.7 seconds	19-inch
Design AWD	£51,990	82.5 kWh	283 miles	All-wheel drive, 390 kW	4.5 seconds	20-inch
Excellence AWD	£58,990	91.3 kWh	312 miles	All-wheel drive, 390 kW	4.5 seconds	20-inch

The single-motor Comfort has 230 kW and 380 Nm from its rear motor. The Design and Excellence add a 160 kW front motor for 390 kW and 690 Nm in total, BYD says. The Excellence is the only version with the larger 91.3 kWh battery and faster charging.

No Sealion 7 qualifies for the government’s electric car grant: GOV.UK lists no BYD model in either band. Dealers do discount, though. Auto Express reports average savings of £4,156 off list through its buying service. Our BYD Sealion 7 price and specs guide breaks down every trim, option and P11D value.

What equipment and interior does the Sealion 7 have?

Every Sealion 7 is well equipped, and the Comfort misses very little. According to BYD UK, all versions get:

• a 15.6-inch rotating central touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital driver display
• heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats, in vegan leather on the Comfort and Design
• a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system and a wireless phone charger
• a 360-degree camera and BYD’s DiPilot driver assistance, with 11 airbags
• a panoramic glass sunroof, a heat pump and vehicle-to-load (V2L) at up to 3.3 kW

The Design trim adds all-wheel drive and 20-inch wheels in place of 19-inch ones. The Excellence adds Nappa leather seats, a head-up display, the 91.3 kWh battery and the option of a Tahiti Blue interior. The four paint colours are Atlantis Grey, Indigo Grey, Polar White and Space Black.

The touchscreen dominates the cabin. Carwow’s testers praised its speed and graphics and found the voice control worked well, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted. Auto Express called the rotating screen a gimmick, found the climate controls only in the touchscreen and noted that phone mirroring takes over the display. On quality, Carwow found some “shiny, cheap-feeling plastics”, and Autotrader flagged cheap materials on the door handles.

How far does the BYD Sealion 7 go on a charge?

The official WLTP range is 300 miles for the Comfort, 283 miles for the Design and 312 miles for the Excellence, according to BYD UK. That works out at about 3.64 miles per kWh for the Comfort and 3.42 to 3.43 for the all-wheel-drive cars on EV Compared’s sums. Our method divides WLTP range by the battery capacity and ignores charging losses, as set out in our methodology.

Real-world range is the Sealion 7’s weak point. These are the figures UK testers published:

Test	Version	Result
Auto Express road test	Comfort RWD	About 239 miles in cold urban driving, about 250 miles on longer, warmer runs
Auto Express twin test	Design AWD	About 215 miles in cold weather
Auto Express long-term test	Comfort RWD	3.02 miles per kWh over 2,590 miles; 200 to 220 miles on cold motorway runs
What Car? long-term test	Excellence AWD	Average of 205 miles between top-ups
Carwow	91.3 kWh Excellence	271 miles
Autotrader	Not stated	About 3 miles per kWh

Auto Express’s long-term tester concluded that 200 to 220 miles on the motorway “isn’t enough” for a car at this price. Auto Express’s own figures show the range dropping in cold weather, and the cold also slows charging, as our explainer on why electric cars charge more slowly in cold weather sets out; every Sealion 7 has a heat pump as standard.

For more test results and trip planning, see our BYD Sealion 7 real-world range and charging guide.

How long does the BYD Sealion 7 take to charge?

On a 7 kW home wallbox, a full charge takes about 11.8 hours for the 82.5 kWh cars and about 13 hours for the 91.3 kWh Excellence on our sums; Auto Express quotes about 13.5 and 15 hours. Every version accepts up to 11 kW on AC, which helps only with a three-phase supply or on 11 kW public posts.

On a DC rapid charger the Comfort and Design peak at 150 kW and go from 10 to 80% in 32 minutes, while the Excellence peaks at 230 kW and takes 24 minutes, BYD says. Assuming 70% of the battery goes in during that time, 10 minutes adds about 66 miles to a Comfort, 62 miles to a Design and 91 miles to an Excellence on our sums. Auto Express’s long-term Comfort rarely charged above 100 kW on high-power chargers.

Where you charge (Comfort RWD)	Price per kWh	Full charge	Cost per mile	Cost of 8,000 miles
Home, Intelligent Octopus Go off-peak	6.5p	£5.36	1.8p	£143
Home, standard tariff at the Ofgem price cap	26.32p	£21.71	7.2p	£579
Public rapid charger, Zapmap October 2026 average	82p	£67.65	22.6p	£1,804

These are EV Compared’s figures for the Comfort’s 82.5 kWh battery and 300-mile WLTP range. The Design costs the same to fill but 1.9p, 7.7p and 23.9p per mile, and the Excellence costs £5.93 at home off-peak, £24.03 at the price cap and £74.87 on a rapid charger, or 1.9p, 7.7p and 24.0p per mile. Because testers got much less than the WLTP range, your real cost per mile will be higher.

To get those home costs you need a wallbox and a smart tariff; Best Chargers covers choosing and installing a home charger in detail.

What does the BYD Sealion 7 cost to run?

The Sealion 7 is cheap to run when you charge at home, but the trim you choose decides the road tax. Here are the main costs in November 2026.

Road tax. A zero-emission car pays £10 in its first year and the £200 standard rate after that, according to GOV.UK. Electric cars with a list price over £50,000 also pay a £440 a year expensive car supplement for five years from the second time they are taxed. The £46,990 Comfort avoids it; the £51,990 Design and £58,990 Excellence pay £640 a year in years two to six.

Company car tax. Electric cars sit in the 4% benefit-in-kind band for 2026 to 2027. On BYD’s P11D values of £46,935, £51,935 and £58,935, that is about £375, £415 and £471 a year for a 20% taxpayer, or £751, £831 and £943 for a 40% taxpayer, on our sums.

Insurance. BYD lists the Comfort in group 45E, the Design in 47E and the Excellence in 49E, out of 50.

Warranty and servicing. BYD covers the car for six years or 150,000 km, the electric drive unit for eight years or 150,000 km, and the Blade Battery for eight years or 250,000 km with at least 70% state of health. Auto Express says servicing is every two years or 24,000 miles.

List price per mile of range. The Comfort costs £157 of list price for each mile of WLTP range on our sums, against £184 for the Design and £189 for the Excellence.

How big is the BYD Sealion 7, and how practical is it?

The Sealion 7 is a large family SUV, 4,830 mm long, 1,925 mm wide and 1,620 mm tall with a 2,930 mm wheelbase, according to BYD UK. Its sloping roof gives it a coupe shape, which costs some rear headroom.

The boot holds 520 litres with the rear seats up and 1,789 litres with them folded, and there is a 58-litre front boot under the bonnet. Autotrader found the boot large once the false floor is removed.

Rear legroom is the Sealion 7’s strong point. Auto Express found knee room ahead of most rivals apart from the Kia EV6, though headroom is limited by the roofline. Carwow found generous legroom and headroom and reclining rear seats, but said the middle seat is uncomfortable because the armrest presses into your back.

For child seats, Euro NCAP lists ISOFIX and i-Size mountings with top tethers on the front passenger seat and both outer rear seats, but not the centre rear seat. Carwow found the rear ISOFIX points easy to reach.

Towing is limited on the Comfort. Auto Express lists a 750 kg braked limit for the rear-wheel-drive car and 1,500 kg for the all-wheel-drive versions; BYD UK does not publish a towing figure, so get it in writing from the retailer if you need to tow.

Is the BYD Sealion 7 safe, and has it been recalled?

Euro NCAP gave the Sealion 7 five stars in April 2025, with 87% for adult occupants, 93% for child occupants, 76% for vulnerable road users and 79% for safety assist. The rating comes from a left-hand-drive Comfort and covers the range. Euro NCAP rated chest protection for the rear passenger in the full-width frontal test weak, and automatic braking for pedestrians behind the car when reversing marginal.

On 10 November 2026, DVSA’s recall checker listed no Sealion 7 safety recall. There is little long-term reliability data yet. Auto Express’s long-term Comfort covered 2,590 miles with no faults, though the car could be locked while still switched on, which drained about 20% of the battery over 10 hours. What Car?’s long-term Excellence needed a lengthy early software update.

What the testers say

UK reviewers agree that the Sealion 7 is roomy and well equipped, and that its ride, efficiency and driver assistance trail the best rivals. Here is what published UK reviews found; none of these findings are EV Compared’s own.

Auto Express, 3.5 out of 5 (August 2026). Dean Gibson and Shane Wilkinson called it “a decent first attempt by BYD, but there’s plenty to work on for the facelift.” They praised the equipment, rear legroom and long warranty, but found the suspension neither comfortable nor controlled, with body lean in corners and a fidgety motorway ride. The steering was quick but imprecise, the brakes grabby at low speed, and lane-keeping intervened aggressively on narrow roads.

Auto Express long-term test, 3 out of 5 (May 2026). Jordan Katsianis ran a Comfort for 2,590 miles and found the experience “broadly underwhelming”. The report praises the build quality, rear space, quiet motors and 360-degree camera, but finds the ride bouncy and harsh over bumps, the throttle slow to respond and the efficiency poor at about 2.5 miles per kWh on the motorway.

Carwow (October 2026). Darren Cassey called the Sealion 7 “a slick electric SUV that you should shortlist”, but judged it too expensive for what it offers. Carwow’s testers found that “the suspension doesn’t deal with bumps too well”, heard wind and tyre noise on the motorway, and said the intrusive assistance tech makes long drives tiring.

Autotrader, 3 out of 5. Autotrader’s review found the Sealion 7 smooth and hushed on the road but with “so-so handling”, and said it “doesn’t quite deliver in all areas”. Its tester found the lane-keeping on the adaptive cruise control twitchy, the emergency braking triggered unexpectedly once in traffic, and the driver attention monitor scolding.

What Car? long-term test (March 2026). Jonty Renk averaged 205 miles between top-ups in an Excellence and found the touchscreen-only controls “quite frustrating” at first, before getting used to them.

How does the BYD Sealion 7 compare with its rivals?

At its list price, the Sealion 7 Comfort sits among electric SUVs that go further on the WLTP cycle and use less energy per mile. On WLTP figures it is the least efficient electric car in the table below.

Model and version	List price	Range (WLTP)	DC charging	Boot
Mercedes-Benz GLA Electric GLA 250+ Sport 85kWh	£45,400	406 miles	320 kW	410 litres
Jaecoo 8 Luxury SHS-P (plug-in hybrid)	£45,500	83 miles electric	70 kW	200 litres
Toyota bZ4X Touring Design 74.7 kWh FWD	£45,995	366 miles	150 kW	669 litres
Mercedes-Benz GLB Electric GLB 250+ Sport 85kWh	£46,100	380 miles	320 kW	not listed
Audi Q4 e-tron Sport 204PS 63kWh	£46,260	269 miles	160 kW	515 litres
BYD Sealion 7 Comfort RWD 82.5kWh	£46,990	300 miles	150 kW	520 litres
MG IM6 100 Long Range	£48,495	388 miles	396 kW	665 litres
BYD Sealion 7 Design AWD 82.5kWh	£51,990	283 miles	150 kW	520 litres
BYD Sealion 7 Excellence AWD 91.3kWh	£58,990	312 miles	230 kW	520 litres

On our list price per mile of range figure, the Comfort costs £157 for each mile of WLTP range. The Mercedes GLA Electric costs £112, the GLB Electric £121, the MG IM6 £125 and the Toyota bZ4X Touring £126, so each gives you more official range for your money. Of these rivals, only the Audi Q4 e-tron, at £172, costs more per mile of range.

MG IM6. The MG IM6 costs £1,505 more than the Comfort, goes 388 miles on the WLTP cycle, peaks at 396 kW and does 10 to 80% in 17 minutes, with a 665-litre boot. Our guide to MG’s IM5 and IM6 covers the car and the brand.

Toyota bZ4X Touring. At £45,995, Toyota’s estate-style SUV is £995 cheaper, goes 366 miles and has a 669-litre boot, but tows only 750 kg.

Mercedes-Benz GLB and GLA Electric. The seven-seat GLB 250+ costs £46,100 and the GLA 250+ costs £45,400, which is now taking orders. Both have an 85 kWh battery, charge at up to 320 kW and go 380 and 406 miles respectively. The GLB does 10 to 80% in 22 minutes and tows 1,500 kg.

Audi Q4 e-tron. The Q4 e-tron Sport is £730 cheaper with a 515-litre boot, but has 269 miles of range and 150 kW of power against the Comfort’s 230 kW.

Jaecoo 8. The Jaecoo 8 plug-in hybrid costs £45,500 with seven seats and 83 miles of electric range, and suits drivers who need to tow up to 1,600 kg or cannot rely on rapid chargers.

UK buyers also cross-shop the Tesla Model Y, and our Tesla Model Y vs BYD Sealion 7 comparison puts the two side by side.

If you like the Sealion 7 but do not need an SUV, look at the BYD Seal electric saloon.

Should you buy a BYD Sealion 7?

Yes, if you charge at home, want space for a family and a long equipment list, and mostly drive within about 200 miles between charges. The Comfort RWD at £46,990 is the one to buy: it has the same cabin, screen, boot and safety rating as the dearer trims, it avoids the expensive car supplement, and running it on an off-peak tariff costs about 1.8p a mile on our sums. Ask the dealer for a discount, as Auto Express’s buying data shows they are common.

No, if you drive long distances often, because the real-world range UK testers recorded falls well short of the official figure and the 82.5 kWh cars charge at 150 kW. It is also not the car for anyone who values a composed ride or wants driver assistance that stays in the background. On published figures, the MG IM6 and Toyota bZ4X Touring offer more official range for similar money, and the Mercedes-Benz GLB Electric adds seven seats and faster charging. EV Compared has not driven the Sealion 7; this verdict rests on BYD UK’s figures, Euro NCAP’s results and the UK reviews above.