since 1976
since 1976
By Lee Pang Seng
BYD is revelling on its good inroads into the Malaysian market and when it launched the latest Seal, it did so in style. To add to the excitement of a new product, BYD chose to unveil it at the largest BYD showroom that is currently in the Malaysian market.
As if that wasn’t good enough, BYD also announced that it would build a huge CKD (Complete Knock Down) facility in Tanjung Malim, Perak that would start operations in 2026. The upcoming facility spans 600,000 square metres and is said to underscore BYD’s ‘long-term strategy to strengthen its presence in Malaysia and broaden the availability of EVs (electric vehicles) for local customers’.
This is encouraged by the fact that BYD holds a leading position in the Malaysian EV market. As of July 2025, its cumulative sales over the first seven months stands at 6270 vehicles to lead the field; in fact, it has led the EV market in monthly sales over that span. This is achieved with consistent sales results for its five models – Sealion 7, Atto 3, M6, Seal and Dolphin.
If you include the sales for the Denza MPVs (multipurpose vehicles), which is a brand under the BYD group, then the total sales volume up to July would be just 12 vehicles shy of 7000. BYD says that accounts for 35.1 per cent EV market share while its year-on-year growth rate is 38 per cent. Since BYD entered the market in December 2022, it has sold more than 20,000 BEVs (battery electric vehicles) here.
With the establishment of the largest 3S (sales, service and spare-parts) centre in Balakong, which is run by Wing Hin Ventures Sdn Bhd that has many years of new vehicle sales behind it, BYD is definitely accelerating its strong growth path to cement its leading position in the Malaysian EV market. As it were, it now has 36 outlets across Malaysia.
Lu Xueliang, general manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division said Malaysia was always one of BYD’s most important markets in Southeast Asia. He added that the dual announcement of the CKD strategy and new BYD Seal marked a new journey in the company’s journey here.
He expressed confidence in deepening BYD’s roots in Malaysia and bringing ‘world-class EV technology’ closer to local customers with the support of Sime Motors. He emphasised that the commitment was not only about delivering innovative products but also about investing in the future of Malaysia’s EV ecosystem, from local assembly to talent development and electric mobility.
Given this encouraging scenario, BYD’s strategy is clear as it looks forward to ‘accelerating Malaysia’s transition towards a greener and smarter transportation future with BYD standing as a long-term partner to the nation’.
New BYD Seal
First launched here in February 2024, the latest Seal now makes its entry. Available in two variants – Premium and Performance – the new Seal is said to set fresh benchmarks in performance, comfort and technology. It continues to embody its tagline – Seal The Speed’ – by offering ‘hallmark acceleration and range while introducing a host of thoughtful new features’.
Power-wise, it remains status quo with the previous variant. The Seal Premium is a front-wheel drive car with a permanent magnet synchronous motor located at the rear. It delivers 230kW and 360Nm that provides 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.9 seconds and a range of 650km (NEDC combined cycle - New European Driving Cycle). It shares the same 82.56kWh BYD Blade Battery with the Seal Performance.
The Seal Performance, as its name suggests, is an All-Wheel Drive with electric drive motors front and rear. The front motor is rated at 160kW and 310Nm while the rear motor has the same output as that in the Seal Premium. That adds up to a combined output of 390kW and 670Nm, leading to quicker 0-100km/h acceleration of 3.8 seconds.
In body styling, little has changed over the previous model except for the new 19-inch wheel design to offer a fresh perspective. To support its Performance nameplate, this variant is provided with red brake callipers in front, similar to those featured on sports and performance cars. The tyres remain the same 235/45 R19 rubbers.
Dimensionally, the latest Seal variants stay much the same too with overall length at 4800mm, overall width 1875mm and overall height at 1460mm. It has a wheelbase of 2920mm and unladen ground clearance of 149mm (Seal Premium) and 145mm (Performande). Like EVs, it is on the heavy side because of the big battery, tipping the scales at 2055kg (kerb weight) for the Premium and 2185kg Performance.
The space in front or the ‘frunk’ is slightly bigger now at 53 litres against 50 in the previous model. Another change is in the suspension system for the Performance variant. Basically, the Seal has a double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. While the Seal Premium continues with the Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) feature, the Seal Performance is upgraded to the adaptive BYD DiSus-C continuous damping control system for ‘intelligent comfort’.
Inside the latest BYD Seal, the leather upholstery in Thaumas Black continues to dominate. What are new are the electric sunshade for the panoramic sunroof, sunglass holder and the addition of a mobile phone Bluetooth for the BYD Digital Key as an alternative to the NFC key card.
Bucking the trend is the price of the updated BYD Seal. Unlike the norm in which new models are often introduced with higher prices, the latest BYD Seal variants are made available with lower prices than before; by RM8,000 to RM171,800 for the Seal Premium and RM191,800 for the Seal Performance.
And to top it off, there is the exclusive ‘Seal The Deal’ launch package. The first 300 customers would enjoy a launch promotion package worth up to RM10,888. This includes a free wall charger, service package and special launch rebate. That’s a good reason to check out the latest BYD Seal.
