BYD Seal facelift unveiled. Gets major changes including hybrid powertrain

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The Chinese electric sedan BYD Seal has been refreshed for the Chinese market. The new version includes some real big-ticket upgrades, such as a new 800V platform, advanced LiDAR technology and a plug-in hybrid variant.

The BYD Seal now underpins the BYD 3.0 Evo platform also used by the BYD Sea Lion 07 SUV. This new platform has allowed for the introduction of an 800V electrical architecture for faster charging and increased performance.

The most prominent feature added to the facelifted BYD Seal is LiDAR sensors. This technology is believed to give the vehicle a fillip in its autonomous driving capability, especially for features such as automated parking and adaptive cruise control.

BYD Seal: Performance and range

Better performance figures are handed to the BYD Seal due to the 800V platform. The top-end variant is claimed to do 0-100 kmph in 3.8 seconds, while the top speed is now limited at 240 kmph. With the efficient 800V system and larger batteries, the range for the BYD Seal has also been stretched. There are two battery capacities on offer, which provide a claimed range of 510 km to 650 km on a single charge.

Also watch: BYD Seal EV review: Luxury electric sports car at an affordable cost?

BYD has announced it will offer a PHEV variant of the Seal, dubbed Seal 07 DM-i, with two powertrains—a 1.5-litre petrol mill, which has either a 214.5 bhp or 268 bhp electric motor. The more potent PHEV Seal promises either 70 km and 125 km electric-only ranges respectively.

BYD Seal: design and interior Updates

Although the exterior design of the BYD Seal facelift remains largely unchanged, subtle differences have been made by new alloy wheel options and a revised colour palette. In reality, that tends to be instantly recognizable is the addition of the LiDAR sensor mounted on the roof.

Inside, BYD has worked on enriching the driver's experience, wherein a new flat-bottom steering wheel, interior dual-tone theme, and a redesigned dashboard make for a more modern and premium cabin. The placement of the central AC vents has also been revised for improved ergonomics.

Though the facelifted BYD Seal has made its way only to the Chinese market, there's no word regarding its launch in India. The current generation BYD Seal debuted in India earlier this year and rivals the likes of the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Hyundai Ioniq 5.