BYD’s upcoming hot hatch has been spied in China, and it has a new name.
First unveiled as the Ocean-M concept at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this year, the semi-compact performance car will officially be known as the Seal 06GT.
Positioned between the Dolphin hatch and the Seal sedan in BYD’s Ocean lineup, the Seal 06GT measures 4630mm long and has a wheelbase of 2820mm – making it 343mm longer between the bumpers but only 115mm more from axle to axle than the MG 4 XPower.
The latest shots – published by CarNewsChina – reveal that the Seal 06GT takes design cues from both cars, and shares many similarities with the Ocean-M concept car, aside from the latter’s loud orange paintwork and aggressive aero package.
A wraparound front fascia, narrow grille and angular headlights distinguish the front of the car.
Moving down the side of the Seal 06GT it has a low sloping profile, floating roof (thanks to black C-pillars), and hidden door handles.
The flowing look continues at the rear with taillights connected by a thin light bar.
A choice of 18-inch and 19-inch wheels will reportedly be available.
Clues regarding the interior of the Seal 06GT have also come to light.
It’s typical BYD fare, featuring wavy layers and overlapping textures.
A large centre screen dominates the dash, sitting above a multi-level centre console.
Leaked Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filings show that a single-motor rear-wheel drive model will be offered with 160kW of power, while a 310kW dual-motor version will also be offered.
The powertrain will be underpinned by BYD Blade batteries. Depending on the variant, the Seal 06GT is expected to have a range of between 500-650km based on the CTLC standard.
Seal 06GT is one of several BYD models including the Sea Lion 07 that will be based on a new e-Platform 3.0 Evo.
There’s no word yet on whether the Seal 06GT will be sold in Australia, but it has the attributes to compete with the MG 4 XPower while undercutting it on price.
Estimates in China have the Seal 06GT priced between 150,000 to 200,000 yuan, which translates to A$42,000 for the flagship dual-motor model.
For context, the BYD Seal sedan is priced from 179,800 yuan (A$37,130) in China, though it’s about 34 per cent more expensive in Australia, starting from $49,888 before on-road costs.
The BYD Seal recently became the brand’s best-selling model in Australia, surpassing its Atto 3 SUV sibling between January and May.
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