BYD Sealion 7 vs smart #3
Verdict
The BYD Sealion 7 is the bigger, longer-legged car here, and its RM8,800 premium buys a 82.5 kWh battery, 567 km range, 500-litre boot, nine airbags and a six-year warranty. The smart #3 fights back where you feel it at the lights: 5.8 seconds to 100 km/h against the BYD’s 6.7 seconds, despite having less power. For Malaysian buyers, this is range and space versus sharper acceleration and a lower yearly road tax bill.
Pick the BYD Sealion 7 if you want the longer range, larger cabin footprint, bigger boot and longer warranty.
Pick the smart #3 if you want the quicker 0-100 km/h time, lower price and more compact footprint.
Key differences
- Price: BYD Sealion 7 RM183,800; smart #3 RM175,000
- Power: BYD Sealion 7 308 hp; smart #3 268 hp
- 0-100 km/h: BYD Sealion 7 6.7 s; smart #3 5.8 s
- Battery and range: BYD Sealion 7 82.5 kWh, 567 km; smart #3 49.0 kWh, 325 km
- Size and boot: BYD Sealion 7 4,830 mm long, 500 L; smart #3 4,400 mm long, 370 L
- Warranty and road tax: BYD Sealion 7 6 years, RM335/year; smart #3 4 years, RM260/year
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM 183,800 | RM 175,000✓ |
| Body type | SUV | SUV |
| Segment | C-Segment | C-Segment |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Powertrain | ||
| Fuel | Electric | Electric |
| Motor | Single motor | Single motor |
| Power | 308 hp✓ | 268 hp |
| Transmission | Single Ratio Automatic | Single Ratio Automatic |
| Driven wheels | All Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Performance | ||
| 0–100 km/h | 6.7 s | 5.8 s✓ |
| Top speed | 215 km/h✓ | 180 km/h |
| Efficiency | ||
| Battery | 82.5 kWh✓ | 49.0 kWh |
| EV range | 567 km✓ | 325 km |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,830 mm | 4,400 mm |
| Width | 1,925 mm | 1,844 mm |
| Height | 1,620 mm | 1,556 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,930 mm | 2,785 mm |
| Boot space | 500 L✓ | 370 L |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | 9✓ | 7 |
| Auto emergency braking | Yes | Yes |
| Ownership | ||
| Warranty | 6✓ | 4 |
| Road tax / year | RM 335 | RM 260✓ |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Sealion 7
- Much longer 567 km EV range
- Larger 500-litre boot
- Six-year warranty and nine airbags
- Costs RM8,800 more
- Slower 6.7-second 0-100 km/h time
- Higher RM335 yearly road tax
#3
- Quicker 5.8-second 0-100 km/h sprint
- Lower RM260 yearly road tax
- Shorter 4,400 mm body is easier to place than the BYD’s 4,830 mm length
- Shorter 325 km EV range
- Smaller 370-litre boot
- Shorter four-year warranty
Sealion 7 vs #3 FAQ
Is the BYD Sealion 7 or smart #3 better?
The BYD Sealion 7 is better for range, space, airbags and warranty. The smart #3 is better if acceleration and lower running costs matter more, because it is quicker to 100 km/h and has lower yearly road tax.
What is the price difference?
The BYD Sealion 7 costs RM8,800 more than the smart #3. That extra money mainly buys a much larger battery, longer EV range, bigger boot, more airbags and a longer warranty.
Which one has the longer EV range?
The BYD Sealion 7 has the longer range at 567 km, compared with 325 km for the smart #3. The gap is 242 km, which matters if you regularly do inter-state trips.