- BYD Seal 6 Touring (wagon) likely under evaluation for NZ.
- Super hybrid powertrain, 100km-plus EV range.
- Not to be confused with EV-only Seal sedan already on sale.
A BYD Seal 6 Touring has been spotted in a carpark near the brand's Auckland head office; almost certainly an evaluation car, ahead of a possible launch for the model in New Zealand?
BYD NZ has told us it has no comment to make on the car, but it's not been shy about introducing multiple new models to the local market. In recent months it's introduced the Atto 1, Atto 2 and Sealion 5, with the flagship Sealion 8 also now open for customer orders.
So what's a Seal 6? As the name suggests, it's loosely aligned with the current Seal, but only because it's a passenger vehicle rather than an SUV. In technical terms, Seal 6 has more in common with the Sealion 6 (which is an SUV), because both use BYD's DM-i super hybrid technology (the Seal sedan is pure-electric).
Seal 6 is powered by a 1.5-litre engine, 19kWh battery in the upper-range models (there's also a 10.1kWh option) and electric motor.
As is the super hybrid way, the emphasis is on EV drive, with the petrol powerplant mainly used as a generator. Combined power is 155kW for the right-hand drive versions sold in the UK, with a claimed electric range of 105km.
Unlike the Seal BEV, but very much like the entry-level Sealion 6, the Seal 6 is front-drive.
The car pictured is a Touring wagon, which would make an excellent stablemate for the Seal sedan: an alternative powertrain in an alternative body style. But BYD does also make the Seal 6 in sedan form.
The Touring is 4.8 metres long, putting it somewhere between medium and large. The boot is a generous 500 litres.