BYD has released the first official images of its upcoming electric hot hatch call the Seal 06 GT, which is slated to make its full debut later this month at the Chengdu Motor Show. The model was previously previewed by the Ocean-M concept at this year’s Auto China in Beijing and will be positioned between the Seal sedan and Dolphin.
According to information from China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT), the Seal 06 GT will be available in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The former will see a rear-mounted electric motor rated at 218 PS (215 hp or 160 kW) while the latter is said to deliver 421 PS (416 hp or 310 kW).
The dual-motor version and its reported output will have the MG4 EV XPower in its sights, although the competition packs slightly more power at 435 PS (429 hp or 320 kW). We’ll have to wait for official performance figures from BYD to see how the Seal 06 GT stacks up.
What is certain is the Seal 06 GT is a bigger car by comparison, measuring in at 4,630 mm long, 1,880 mm wide, 1,490 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,820 mm. The MG4 EV XPower is smaller at 4,287 mm long, 1,836 mm wide, 1,516 mm tall and having a wheelbase of 2,705 mm.
As for the design, the production model abandons a lot of the aggressive add-ons seen on the Ocean-M concept. Even so, there are some familiar cues that have been retained such as the notched headlamps, full-width taillights and flush pop-out door handles.
Inside, the Seal 06 GT features rather “organic” design with plenty of curved surfaces. The digital instrument cluster and central touchscreen also look pretty sizeable, while the dual-layer centre console has the gear selector and function buttons arranged on a circle just ahead of the centre air vents.
When BYD revealed the Ocean-M concept, it suggested that the production version could be priced between 150,000 and 200,000 yuan (about RM91k and RM122k). The Seal sedan we have here retails for RM180,430 OTR without insurance for the base Premium (Extended Range) variant with a 313 PS (308 hp or 230 kW) rear-mounted electric motor, while the top-spec Performance with its 530 PS (523 hp or 390 kW) dual-motor setup sells for RM200,430. Would you welcome the Seal 06 GT to slot in below the Seal sedan?
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