New BYD Seal 06 GT: first look at Cupra Born rival
Full details of the BYD Dolphin’s big brother will be revealed on 30 August
Meet the new BYD Seal 06 GT: an all-electric family hatchback that could serve as a rival to the Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.3 and MG4 EV, if the brand decides to bring it to the UK.
The Seal 06 GT will look familiar to some because its styling borrows a lot from the BYD Seal saloon (which is on sale here already), and is in effect a toned-down, road-going version of the BYD Ocean-M concept that was unveiled at the 2024 Beijing Motor Show. Sadly the show car’s massive rear wing hasn’t made it to production.
BYD’s latest offering won’t be ‘fully revealed’ until 30 August, but the brand has shared several images ahead of time, including some of the interior, which unsurprisingly is also very similar to the one in the BYD Seal saloon. The cabin is relatively minimalist and dominated by two large displays, though there is a small array of controls on the centre console.
While the company hasn’t shared any other information about the car at the time of writing, we know quite a lot already because technical details were leaked by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) earlier this year.
The MIIT filings revealed that the hottest version of the Seal 06 GT features dual-motors for all-wheel drive and a combined power output of 416bhp. That’s a lot of power compared to potential rivals like the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX or Cupra Born VZ, which both use a single, rear-mounted e-motor with 321bhp.
Like its rivals, the Seal O6 GT is probably going to be offered in less potent forms as well, with the MIIT filings indicating single-motor versions with 215bhp. Range figures are still under wraps, but we know the new model will utilise lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery technology, like the Seal saloon and BYD Atto 3 SUV.
More details will be confirmed on 30 August, but a final decision on whether or not the BYD Seal 06 GT is coming to Europe or the UK is unlikely to be made public at that time.
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