BYD’s first seven-seater SUV for Singapore, the Sealion 8, is now officially available, priced at a competitive $238,888 with COE.
BYD is going full on with its product expansion plans in Singapore, and the latest to join the local lineup is the Sealion 8, its first seven-seater SUV model for Singapore. The car was launched at an event held at BYD distributor Vantage Automotive’s showroom at Alexandra Road on 9 July, following a preview earlier at The Car Expo event in May.
The car will be offered exclusively with BYD’s DM-i plug-in hybrid drivetrain, which combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with an electric motor. It’s the same system found in the Sealion 6 and Seal 6 DM-i models currently sold in Singapore, but tuned to produce a total of 275bhp and 315Nm of torque in the Sealion 8.
BYD claims that the Sealion 8 can travel up to 80km purely on EV mode, and a total of up to 900km when both the electric motor and petrol engine are used in combination, making it an ideal car for long distance family road trips up North.
The car bears distinctive BYD design cues, with a slim grille and LED headlight design that mimic that of the smaller Atto 2 crossover. At the back, the full-width taillight bar features a distinctive lighting signature that helps it stand out from the crowd.
The interior likewise is typical BYD, with the general fascia sharing the same layout as its fellow Sealion 6 and Seal 6 DM-i cousins. It also comes with the usual long list of standard features as expected from BYD’s cars, including wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and ventilated front seats.
The second row seats are adjustable in four ways, offering flexibility and access to the third row seats, which are also adjustable to allow for greater comfort for passengers. With all the seats up, the Sealion 8 offers 270 litres worth of cargo capacity, expandable to 1,960 litres if both the second and third row seats are folded down.
Just one variant of the Sealion 8 is available for sale, with the Sealion 8 DM-i Premium retailing for $238,888 with COE. This puts it just about on par with the Jaecoo 8, another recently-launched Chinese plug-in hybrid seven-seater SUV that is probably the Sealion 8’s biggest competitor currently.
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