[UPDATE 06/09/2024 12:11] BYD Seal Dynamic price has officially been revealed. It is indeed Malaysia’s cheapest electric sedan at the moment.
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Sime Darby Motors (SDM) has officially confirmed that the BYD Seal Dynamic variant will be making its official debut in Malaysia on 6 September. The company revealed the launch date through BYD Cars Malaysia’s official Facebook and Instagram pages this morning.
BYD Seal Dynamic: the new “Rahmah” model of the Seal family
The BYD Seal Dynamic will become the new base model for the BYD Seal family in Malaysia. SDM has actually listed this variant on its website before but has decided to launch Seal in Malaysia with just the Premium and Performance models citing the market’s sentiment at that time.
One of the biggest reasons that separates the Seal Dynamic from the Premium and Performance variants is its power output. Even though it still features a rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup, its electric motor has a much lower output of 150kW (201hp) alongside 310Nm of torque. – similar to the Extended Range models of BYD Atto 3 and Dolphin.
As a comparison, the Seal Premium has a 230kW (309hp) motor that also produces 360Nm of torque. On the other hand, the Seal Performance has been equipped with two motors which have a total output of 390kW (523hp) alongside a maximum torque of 670Nm.
Having a lower power output also means the EV road tax for Seal Dynamic will be significantly cheaper. This is what the road tax pricing for the Seal Dynamic looks like against its Premium and Performance counterparts:
- BYD Seal Dynamic RWD (150kW) = RM160
- BYD Seal Premium RWD (230kW) = RM335
- BYD Seal Performance AWD (390kW) = RM965
Meanwhile, the Seal Dynamic also has a battery capacity of 61.44kWh which is much lower than the Premium and Performance models that were equipped with an 82.56kWh battery pack. This is why it is not surprising to see that the Dynamic variant has the lowest WLTP-rated range in the Seal family at 460km.
Not to forget, the DC charging speed for the Seal Dynamic is also limited to 110kW, unlike Dynamic and Performance options which can go as high as 150kW. When it comes to AC charging, the base model still features a 7kW AC onboard charger just like the two other variants.
In case you are looking for a physical mark to identify the Seal Dynamic, that would be its 18-inch wheels which have a different design than the 19-inch wheels on Seal Premium and Performance. Based on photos from other RHD markets such as Singapore, Thailand, and New Zealand, we also believe that the variant will be fitted with GitiComfort 225 V1 tyres instead of the Continental EcoContact 6Q tyres that were on the Premium RWD and Performance AWD variants.
Will it become the most affordable electric sedan in Malaysia?
There are only a handful of electric sedans in Malaysia as the EV market is generally filled with SUVs. For the sub-RM200k segment, you only have two other options aside from BYD Seal models which include the GWM Ora 07 Long Range Ultra (LRU) and Tesla Model 3 RWD.
If you looking for a value-for-money electric sedan, the Ora 07 LRU is likely already on your radar given its price tag of RM169k. So, the BYD Seal Dynamic could become a fierce rival to the Ora 07 LRU if SDM decided to price the new Seal Dynamic between RM160k and RM170k.
As for the Tesla Model 3 RWD, its RM183k price tag is closer to the RM200k mark. Hence, it is being fended off by the higher-end and more capable Seal models as well as the Ora 07 Performance.
