BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

In BYD, Cars, Local News / by /

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

The next BYD model planned for Malaysia has been teased, with BYD Malaysia posting a short video indicating the ‘6’ is coming soon. With little official info to work with and looking at BYD’s vehicle list, we’re guessing the Seal 6 is the mystery model that we’ll be getting.

The Seal 6 is part of the brand’s Ocean series and is known as the Seal 06 in China. There are actually three different variations of the Seal 06, with the first being a plug-in hybrid sedan called the Seal 06 DM-i that made its debut at last year’s Beijing Auto Show.

An estate version of the Seal 06 DM-i would later be introduced at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show in April alongside the Seal 06 EV. The latter is what we’re expecting to be the car that BYD Malaysia brings in as it would benefit from ongoing incentives for fully-imported (CBU) electric vehicles (EVs), unlike CBU PHEVs that are taxed highly.

BYD’s local assembly (CKD) plant in Tanjong Malim, Perak is currently being prepared and will only produce cars in the second half of 2026. As such, we believe the Seal 06 DM-i isn’t coming our way as it wouldn’t be price competitive (unlike CKD PHEVs that receive incentives) and it isn’t feasible for a CKD bridging scheme to be put in place over such a long period of time. As an example, the Volvo S60 first arrived as CBU model in October 2019 before the CBU version launched nearly seven months later in May 2020 – both were priced identically.

Getting back to the Seal 06 EV (or Seal 6 EV as we’re going to call it), the sedan is priced between 109,800 and 129,800 yuan (about RM65k and RM77k) in China, which makes it significantly cheaper than the latest Seal that goes for between 175,800 and 239,800 yuan (RM104k and RM142k) there.

There is also the Seal 06 GT in China, which is a sporty hatchback version of the Seal 06 EV sedan based on the Ocean-M concept from 2024. However, we think a smaller, more affordable Seal 6 EV sedan would fit BYD’s local range better, possibly slotting into the very large gap between the Atto 3 Ultra (RM123,800) and Seal (from RM171,800 to RM191,800).

Compared to its sedan stablemate, the Seal, the Seal 6 EV is a shorter vehicle overall that measures 4,720 mm long (-80 mm), 1,880 mm wide (+5 mm), 1,495 mm tall (+35 mm) and with a wheelbase of 2,820 mm (-100 mm).

For those that are curious about the Seal 6 DM-i, it has a longer overall length compared to the Seal 6 EV at 4,830 mm (+110 mm) but its wheelbase is less at 2,790 mm (-30 mm). The width of 1,875 mm and height of 1,495 mm are similar to the EV. The PHEV model is built on a separate platform: BYD’s DM-i 5.0.

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

Two battery capacities are offered for the Seal 06 EV in China, with the base option being a 46.08-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit that delivers a CLTC-rated range of up to 470 km. The battery supports DC fast charging (84 kW; 30-80% state of charge in 24 minutes) and AC charging (7 kW), with power sent to a rear electric motor rated at 150 PS (148 hp or 110 kW) and 220 Nm of torque. BYD indicates a 0-50 km/h time of 4.1 seconds and top speed of 160 km/h.

Meanwhile, the second battery is also a LFP unit, but with a capacity of 56.64 kWh for up to 545 km following the CLTC standard. This is paired with a more powerful electric motor in the rear with 218 PS (215 hp or 160 kW) and 330 Nm, enabling a 0-50 km/h time of 3.1 seconds and top speed of 180 km/h. DC fast charging is bumped up to 103 kW for the higher-capacity battery (same 30-80% SoC time), although AC charging remains unchanged at 7 kW.

The Seal 6 EV is built on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 evo like the newer, LiDAR-equipped Seal. The former gets the DiPilot 100 (God’s Eye C) ADAS suite as standard, with the top variant is equipped with the DiSus-C (Cloud Chariot-C) intelligent damping body control system.

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

Other available features listed on BYD’s Chinese website include a 12.8- or 15.6-inch central infotainment touchscreen, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, powered front seats with ventilation function, LED exterior lighting, dual-zone air-conditioning with PM2.5 air filter, a 50W wireless charging pad and ambient lighting.

As for the design, the Seal 6 EV’s general shape is reminiscent of the Seal, but its front features headlamps with integrated hockey stick-shaped daytime running lights. The corner inlets on the bumper also lack the Seal’s expressive lighting, while the rear taillights have a less intricate signature to them. On the inside, the dashboard has a simpler look compared to its bigger brother, with other differences being the adoption of a three-spoke steering wheel and column-mounted gear selector.

We’ll have to wait for BYD Malaysia to reveal more details to see if we guessed right. For now, would you be interested in the smaller, cheaper Seal 06 EV sedan? Mind you, BYD has other models with ‘6’ in their names, including the Sealion 06 (available in PHEV and EV versions) and Shark 6 (PHEV only).

GALLERY: BYD Seal 6 EV

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?
BYD Malaysia teases new model with ‘6’ in its name – smaller, cheaper Seal 6 EV sedan launching soon?

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Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard's strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 
 

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