Spotted: BYD Seal U on local soil ahead of March launch

We weren’t expecting to see the first BYD Seal U on our shores until a little later this year, but that’s exactly the car we were greeted by upon paying a visit to the brand’s local headquarters.

When it lands in March, the new electrified SUV will take on the might of the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, and the Nissan X-Trail among other popular models in New Zealand, which it plans to do so with some impressive figures.

We understand that the model will only be offered here with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, meaning it’ll feature a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor.

Fuel economy is said to be around 4L/100km, enabling a maximum range of over 1000km in hybrid mode, while switching to fully electric provides up to 100km of silent motoring thanks to the onboard 18.3kWh battery.

Several reports suggest the Seal U will be offered locally in front- and all-wheel drive too.

BYD also makes a fully electric version of the model for overseas markets but it won’t be coming to New Zealand as it isn’t offered in right-hand drive.

As far as its looks go, the car we saw was finished in red and featured a tan over black leather interior. It also features BYD’s huge rotatable 15.6-inch central infotainment screen and a fully digital driver’s gauge cluster.

While it wasn’t wearing any licence plates, we gather that the new SUV is in the country early to undergo evaluation.

The BYD Seal U is set to go on sale here in March 2024, while four other new models are also expected to arrive by the end of the year, including a PHEV ute.