Driving the Sealion 7 is a relatively simple affair. There are drive modes and two levels of regenerative braking, but they don’t make all that much difference. You put it in drive, press the right pedal to go faster and the left one to go slower.
Based on its power and performance figures, the Sealion 7 is no blubbery ocean puppy. BYD presents it as a premium performance electric SUV and it certainly isn’t lacking in power. Even in its entry-level specification, you get 308bhp and a 0-62mph time of 6.7sec.
Both four-wheel-drive models produce a hefty 522bhp and 509lb ft of torque, slashing that time to just 4.5sec. That’s faster than the Audi Q4 E-tron 55 (5.4sec) and the Polestar 3 in Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack guise (4.7sec) and impressively quick from a standing start.
Despite a kerb weight of near-enough 2.5 tonnes, 522bhp makes the Sealion 7 very quick, and its power delivery and braking are nice and smooth, with no notable quirks.
That isn’t to say that there’s no typical new-brand weirdness about the Sealion 7, though.
It starts with the assisted driving features, which are diabolical. The overspeed warning doesn’t just bong, it also dims your music, and turning off the audible warning (pretty easy) also turns off the visual speed-limit indicator.
There are two stages of lane keeping assistance to disable; one is so constant that it feels like you’ve got a flat tyre. The driver monitoring system will nag you if you look in the mirrors. Sometimes but not always, weirdly, a voice will tell you “ACC actived [sic]” when you turn on the cruise control.