BYD launches Cat A-eligible Seal with 100 Hour Sale Marathon

BYD has launched a new version of the Seal electric sedan that's eligible for a Category A COE, and the launch event also kick-started a 100-hour sale where buyers can get a chance to enjoy extensive discounts and rebates.

What's new with the Seal?

There's only one change, but it's a significant one.

The new version, which is officially called the BYD Seal Dynamic 100kW, gets its power tuned down from 150kW (201hp) to 100kW (134hp). This allows it to qualify for a Cat A COE, which restricts electric cars to a maximum of 110kW in output.

The reduced power also means that the car's 0-100km/h acceleration time now takes 10 seconds, up from 7.5 seconds previously. Other than that, everything else on the entry-level Seal remains unchanged, including the 61.44kWh battery that gives the car a range of up to 460km on a full charge.

Is it also cheaper now?

Definitely. The Seal Dynamic 100kW is selling for $169,888 with COE, which is a significant drop from the previous Seal Dynamic 150kW's last listed retail price of $185,888 with COE.

But BYD is also marking the launch of the Cat A Seal with its 100 Hour Sale Marathon promotion, where customers can enjoy discounts and benefits of up to $20,000 across all BYD models purchased.

Buyers of the Seal Dynamic 100kW in particular though will also be entered into a lucky draw, where they will get the chance to receive a $33,000 discount off the purchase price of their car. According to BYD, more chances will be given to buyers who purchase their cars earlier in the promo period.

The BYD 100 Hour Sale Marathon started at 6pm on June 26, and will run until 10pm on June 30. During this period, all BYD showrooms will be open from 8am to 10pm daily.

Does that mean we will see more BYD cars on our roads?

Most certainly. BYD's move to introduce a Cat A-eligible Seal, as well as its aggressive promotions, look set to help the brand consolidate its strong position on the sales charts. According to official figures from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), BYD is currently the top-selling car brand in 2024 among authorised distributors in Singapore, while their Atto 3 crossover is the best-selling model. BYD has also accounted for almost half of all new EV sales in Singapore so far this year.

BYD will continue to push ahead for the rest of the year, according to James Ng, BYD Singapore's managing director. He says that the brand will have "three or four new models" in the pipeline for Singapore, including the introduction of BYD's luxury sub-brand Denza, which is slated to arrive by the fourth quarter of 2024.

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benjamin.chia@asiaone.com

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