The highly-anticipated BYD Seal 06 GT, revealed at the Chengdu Auto Show in August, is set to officially launch in China on October 18th.
Seen by many as the first Chinese electric hot-hatch, the model sits on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 Evo, the upgraded version of the 3.0 platform that is now an 800-volt silicon carbide high-voltage platform capable of charging 30-80% in 20 minutes.
While the Seal 06 GT may look similar in stature to a family hatch like the Golf, it’s actually significantly larger than the iconic German model, measuring a good 35cm longer at 4.63-metres, 9cm wider at 1.88-metres, around 3.5cm taller at 1.49-metres, and with a wheelbase 18cm longer at 2.82-metres.
Somewhat curiously, given it’s being touted as a hot hatch, it’s not even as powerful as the BYD Song L (which we reviewed here), with rear-drive versions expected to receive a 200kW motor and dual-motor versions adding an additional 110kW motor on the front axle.
This would make it a good 70kW shy of the dual-motor Song L, which itself only boasts a 0-100kph time of 4.3 seconds, suggesting there may be room for a more powerful version yet to come. Either way, that’s still more than a second quicker than a GTi.
For now, the only official information we have is that the Seal 06 GT will cost between 150,000 and 200,000 RMB ($21,370 to $28,500), which would make it quite a bit more affordable than a Golf GTi even with the size differences.
Looking at the images, we can read a few details into specifications of the Seal 06 GT, including that the largest alloys (the black pepperpot-esque alloys in the images) will be 19-inches and possibly shod in Giti tyres, which might cause a few sighs for those looking for ultimate performance.
There’s also pop-out door handles and a sensor unit low down in the main grille likely for level 2.5 autonomous support.
Inside, we can see the centre console features a crystal-like drive selector toggle, behind which is a single vented wireless charger most likely 50W and the usual rotating 15.6-inch central screen and 10.25-inch driver’s information screen, but no head-up display.
Speakers seem to be the usual Dynaudio branded units, though there doesn’t appear to be too many of them, while the panoramic roof appears to come with an electric sunblind based on the switch panel above the rear view mirror.
Hatchbacks generally aren’t big sellers in China and behind the scenes BYD has been keen to stress the Seal 06 GT is very much a car intended more for international markets, but it will nevertheless be interesting to see how well it does in China.
The Ocean series, of which the Seal 06 GT is a part, sold 194,099 units in September, and 1,263,442 from January to September, up 56.24 percent year-on-year.
