BYD has taken to Chinese social media to preview its first electric hot hatch, the Seal 06 GT.
Due to be revealed in full on August 30, the BYD Seal 06 GT was first previewed as the Ocean-M concept at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this year, and is now set to enter production.
Sitting between the Seal sedan – another member of BYD’s ‘Ocean’ family – and the Dolphin, the Seal 06 GT is the brand’s first foray into the performance electric hatchback scene, and a prime candidate to rival the MG 4 XPower.
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Though we’re yet to receive any official specifications, previous Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filings included approval for a single-motor rear-wheel drive model with 160kW of power, as well as a 310kW dual-motor flagship.
This would put it within reach of the 320kW MG 4 XPower, though it’s not as much as the range-topping Seal Performance sedan which boasts 390kW – despite the two BYD models being underpinned by the e-Platform 3.0 Evo electric vehicle (EV) architecture.
From the photos posted online, it appears the Seal 06 GT won’t feature the aggressive bodywork of the Ocean-M concept, despite its overall design remaining largely true to the motor show special.
Measuring 4630mm long on a 2820mm wheelbase, the Seal 06 GT is 343mm longer between the bumpers but only 115mm more from axle to axle than the MG 4 XPower, while its length is 170mm less than the Seal sedan.
Previous spy pictures of a Seal 06 GT prototype’s interior have shown it’ll adopt a similar cabin design to what we’ve recently seen in the updated Seal, with a freestanding infotainment screen next to a digital instrument cluster.
As it’s yet to be revealed, BYD hasn’t yet confirmed whether the Seal 06 GT will come to Australia, however it’ll be sharply priced in its home market.
Seal 06 GT interior
When BYD unveiled the Ocean-M concept, it said the production version could be priced between 150,000 to 200,000 yuan – equivalent to $30,980 to $41,300 in Australia.
For context, the base BYD Seal sedan starts from 175,800 Yuan ($36,310) in China, and $49,888 before on-road costs in Australia, meaning the Seal 06 GT could land here from under $45,000.
More information about the BYD Seal 06 GT will be revealed later this week.
Ocean-M concept
MORE: Everything BYD
MORE: BYD electric hot hatch concept comes to life as Seal 06 GT
MORE: BYD Ocean-M EV hot hatch revealed in Beijing
