BYD has formally put the Sealion 08 on the Chinese market. The mid-to-large SUV comes in eight variants spanning 229,900 to 279,900 yuan (about 33,800 to 41,200 USD), split between plug-in hybrid and battery-electric drivetrains. Pre-sale began on 13 August, and the confirmed launch prices landed no lower than those early figures.
Styled around BYD's Ocean Aesthetics 2.0 language, the SUV stretches 5,115 mm on a 3,030 mm wheelbase and features 132-LED Ice Eye daytime running lights plus a 1,982 mm gradient taillight. Inside, five- and six-seat layouts centre on a 17.3-inch touchscreen, a 26-inch AR head-up display and a 25-speaker Devialet system, with extras that include a 7.3-litre fridge and, on six-seaters, zero-gravity seats.
The PHEV combines a 115 kW 1.5-litre turbo engine with one or two 200 kW motors and a 55.843 kWh second-generation Blade Battery, good for 350-400 km of CLTC electric driving and up to 1,650 km overall. The BEV uses a larger 115.072 kWh pack of the same new generation, with 370 kW on the rear-driven version and an added 215 kW motor up front on AWD cars; 0-100 km/h takes between 5.9 and 3.9 seconds and CLTC range runs 800-900 km.
A double-wishbone front and five-link rear suspension work with the DiSus-A air setup, which brings road scanning, active rear-wheel steering and a crab-walk mode that cuts the turning circle to 4.95 metres. Driver assistance comes from BYD's God's Eye 5.0 system.