BYD launched its Tesla Model 3 fighter, the BYD Seal, in Malaysia back in February this year. Offered in two variants, namely Premium and Performance, the all-electric sedan is priced at RM179,800 and RM199,800 respectively.
Built on BYD’s dedicated EV architecture, e-PLatform 3.0, both the BYD Seal Premium and Performance in Malaysia sport very similar exterior designs. The only major differences on the outside are the ‘AWD’ and ‘3.8S’ badges, which signify the Performance variant’s all-wheel drive technology and 3.8 seconds century sprint time.
The BYD Seal in Malaysia is equipped with standard exterior kits such as LED headlights, and LED taillights, along with a set of dual-tone 19-inch alloy wheels. Both variants get three colour options as standard, including Cosmos Black, Aurora White, & Atlantis Grey. The Arctic Blue is the sole colour option reserved for the top-spec Performance variant.
Powering the BYD Seal Premium is a single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup that puts out 313 hp and 360 Nm. This enables it to sprint from a standstill to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds. The Performance variant on the other hand is powered by a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup, producing 530 hp and 670 Nm, allowing for a 3.8-second century sprint time.
RELATED: 2024 BYD Seal launched in Malaysia, from RM180k for Tesla Model 3 rival
Supplying power to the BYD Seal Premium and Performance in Malaysia is the same 82.5 kWh LFP battery pack, translating to WLTP-rated all-electric ranges of 570 km and 520 km respectively. The two variants can also be charged at a maximum DC charging rate of 150 kW, which can juice up the battery from 10 to 80% in just 37 minutes. The BYD Seal’s maximum AC charging rate is rated at 7 kW, which can charge the car from flat to full in 15.2 hours.
Inside, the BYD Seal in Malaysia comes with standard interior equipment such as a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, a 15.6-inch rotatable touchscreen infotainment display that supports both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and genuine Leather upholstery. A 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, a Head-Up Display (HUD), and dual-zone air conditioning are also included.
Safety-wise, the Malaysian-spec BYD Seal comes with a list of active safety features. Among the list of features include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Automatic emergency braking system (AEB), Lane Detection Warning (LDW), Forward Crossing Traffic Alert (FCTA), and so on.
With a price difference of just RM20,000 between the two variants, which configuration of the BYD Seal should you choose, and which packs the better deal? Watch our review video to find out!
RELATED: 2024 BYD Atto 3 update: “Build Your Dreams” lettering dropped, new 15.6-inch screen
