BYD brand comes to Slovakia, price will not surprise

Leopold’s gate is quite narrow, so we turn on the camera system and the Bratislava Castle area we are published in a convoy of modern, but so far few well -known cars that tourists take pictures of curiously.

The Byd brand officially comes to the Slovak market and by the end of the year it promises to create twenty sales points. As part of the first acquaintance, we briefly tried the Electric Sedan of BYD SEAL, besides it the offer starts with two SUV models and the other more affordable will be added this year.

The largest and most famous manufacturer of electric vehicles in China can depose world leader Tesla this year. Already last year it was in a close curtain with sales. More than 1.7 million vehicles came out of production lines.

The automaker, which has only a 20-year history, has recorded a rocket rise in recent years. Its name is an abbreviation for Build Your Dreams, « Build your dreams ».

Byd Sealion 7

The latest of the three in Slovakia is a compact electric SUV Sealion 7, which had a world premiere in November 2023.

It uses the modern chassis base of the E-Platform 3.0 with 800-volt architecture AS Blade batteries, which are not captured in damage and should also provide a longer life cycle.

In the basic version of Comfort, the rear wheels are powered by an electric motor with an output of 230 kW (313 hp) and the energy supplies the battery with the LFP cathode and the capacity of 82.5 kWh.

The range should be 482 kilometers and the maximum charging power is 150 kW.

The stronger version of the Design AWD is all -wheel drive with 390 kW (530 hp) and accelerates a hundred in 4.5 seconds.

The highlight is the Excellence AWD quad, which has a 91.3 kWh battery for 502 kilometers and a charging power of up to 230 kW.

BYD SEAL

BYD brand comes to Slovakia. (Source: Peter Kálmán)

In terms of design, we were most impressed by the Byd Seal sedan, which has been produced since 2022. He also uses the LFP Blade battery with a capacity of 82.5 kWh with a range of 570 kilometers.

While the rear -wheel is 230 kW (313 hp), it is up to 390 kW (530 hp) for all -wheel drive.

The acceleration from zero to one hundred then takes only 3.8 seconds and the maximum charging power is always 150 kW. And with this version that we had the first ride after Bratislava.

By processing the BYD SEAL interior, it will definitely not offend and see the effort for an interesting design. However, the minimalist Tesla Model 3 looks timeless inside, avoiding rounded lines and glossy black lacquer.

Perhaps the biggest interesting thing is the main 15.6-inch screen, which can be rotated from the horizontal to the vertical position using the steering wheel button.

The cabin is very well soundproofed, do not hear any unwanted sounds. You can choose from three driving modes, but we are looking for a heat recovery setting in vain.

The standard is a heat pump, as well as a V2L function for supplying appliances or keyless unlocking using smartphone. Otherwise, everything you can think of, except the head-up display.

The steering is not too cross -lived, the brakes came weaker, especially when there was a more significant possibility of recovery or one pedal driving.

For maneuvering in the city, the car is not too large, the position behind the wheel is also good and the acceleration can nicely push into the seat. The huge screen came to us weaker.

BYD SEAL U DM-I

BYD brand comes to Slovakia. (Source: Peter Kálmán)

The third model presented was the Plug-in Hybrid SEAL SEAL U DM-I, which seemed visually a slightly older impression, but not technically.

It is powered by a 1.5-liter petrol engine and an electric motor, together they have a system power of 160 kW (218 hp).

The traction LFP battery with a capacity of 18.3 or 26.6 kWh can also be charged by a DC current with an output of 18 kW and the combined electric range should be 80 kilometers. In addition to the front drive, this plug-in hybrid also has a quad.

The first Slovak dealer of the Byd brand is Auto-IMPEX, negotiations with others continue, by the end of this year the brand in Slovakia wants to have 20 dealers. The cars is a guarantee of 6 years or 200,000 kilometers.