BYD Sealion 7 Performance review: BYD's next greatest hit offers excellent value

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you would probably know by now that BYD is currently Singapore's best-selling car brand.
Its success has been spurred in large part by the BYD Atto 3, a practical and uniquely-styled electric crossover that has won over plenty of consumers, thanks to its attractive price and generous features.
But for those who want a bit more, perhaps something bigger and more upmarket, BYD has now introduced the larger Sealion 7. And judging by the car's sales figures so far, it looks like they may have another huge success on their hands.
The BYD Sealion 7 is a mid-sized electric crossover that's significantly larger than the Atto 3, but you only get a sense of its scale when you see it up close in person.
It measures 4,830mm long and 1,925mm wide, which is pretty sizeable even for mid-sized SUVs. It gives the car an imposing presence on the road, although its sleek styling, with its smooth and gentle curves, does soften things a tad.
It also tries to strike a sporty stance with its slightly sloping roofline, giving it a coupe-SUV profile. Certainly, it is a car that's hard to ignore, given its looks and proportions, but it's no less expected from BYD by now, given their penchant for offering cars that stand out from the crowd.
In case you're wondering about the name, the Sealion 7 is part of BYD's 'Ocean Series', which also includes the BYD Seal electric sedan and the BYD Dolphin compact electric hatchback, as well as two other models not sold in Singapore, the BYD Seagull small city car and the BYD Shark pickup truck.
The '7' in the name indicates the car's relative size in the BYD product lineup, as there is also a Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid model that's due to be launched in Singapore very soon, along with a smaller Sealion 5 crossover that's currently only available in China.
Given its size, it's no surprise that the Sealion 7 offers plenty of space inside. The rear in particular is especially roomy, helped by the flat floor that results in lots of legroom for three passengers.
And despite the slightly lowered roofline, there is adequate headroom in the back, so it doesn't feel claustrophobic. That said, rearward visibility is not the best, and this is where the 360-degree camera comes in handy when parking.
The seats themselves are very comfortable as well, with its excellent bolstering that cushions you with soft padding, and the leather upholstery with its quilted design feels especially plush.
Otherwise, the general layout of the Sealion 7's cabin is typical BYD. It doesn't quite have the quirky flair of the BYD Atto 3, but more or less mirrors the minimalistic simplicity of the Seal.
That means you get the large 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen that can be rotated to portrait orientation. There's a general lack of physical buttons, save for a couple of switches near the gear selector to adjust the drive modes and level of regenerative braking.
To its credit though, BYD has attempted to try to give the Sealion 7 an upmarket ambience, and this is reflected in the plentiful use of leather and suede-like materials throughout.
The digital driver instrument display is also nicely integrated into the dashboard, instead of looking like a standalone item, and that further accentuates the sense of premium thoughtfulness in the design.
As with most of BYD's cars, the Sealion 7 comes extremely well-equipped. There's a full suite of advanced driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring and automotive emergency braking, to name a few.
There are also nice convenience features like a panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats and a wireless smartphone charger, complete with small cooling vents at the bottom to keep your device's temperature down, which is quite a neat touch really.
BYD offers the Sealion 7 in two variants in Singapore. The entry-level model is the Premium, which has a single electric motor that produces 308hp and 380Nm of torque, and is good for a 0 to 100km/h sprint time of 6.7 seconds.
The one tested here is the BYD Sealion 7 Performance, which comes with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup that produces a combined total of 523hp and 690Nm of torque, allowing it to go from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds.
Those are pretty staggering numbers for what is essentially a family SUV. While the car picks up speed rather rapidly when you put your foot down, it does so in a controlled fashion that doesn't feel too abrupt or disruptive.
Where the Sealion 7 really majors is in comfort. The ride quality is supple and plush, and it eases through bumps with minimal fuss. It is also exceptionally refined and quiet, even by electric car standards, and it makes the car extremely relaxing to drive.
Of course, something has to give, and given its size and bias towards refinement, the BYD Sealion 7 is not the most dynamic to drive around corners. It mostly handles itself well with plenty of stability, but the steering feels overly light and somewhat lifeless. It's mostly ok in everyday situations, but it's not a car to excite enthusiasts.
Given that BYD apparently received around 300 orders for the car when it was first announced at the Singapore Motorshow in January, there's clearly something about the Sealion 7 that resonates with many Singaporeans.
Aside from its obvious strengths as a practical and well-equipped electric SUV that offers plenty of space and refinement, the BYD Sealion 7 has arguably won many over with its extremely attractive pricing.
As of June 2025, the base BYD Sealion 7 Premium retails for $203,888 with COE, which is tremendous value considering the amount of car you're getting. Meanwhile, the BYD Sealion 7 Performance version featured here sells for $228,888 with COE, which is also incredibly reasonable as well.
BYD prides itself on offering what it calls high 'price-performance ratio', or in other words, great value for money. The BYD Sealion 7 truly epitomises that strategy, and it's not surprising that Singaporeans have taken the bait. After the Atto 3, the Sealion 7 looks set to be BYD's next greatest hit.
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