BYD Cars Philippines added fully electric power to the Sealion series with the launch of the all-wheel-drive Sealion 7 last month. A possible follow up coming later this year, however, could see the nameplate go big with a three-row SUV. Yes, we’re talking about the BYD Sealion 8, and it’s been spotted in the DOE list of recognized EVs.
The Sealion 8 debuted in Australia earlier this year, and is a PHEV just like the Sealion 5 and Sealion 6. In other markets, it can come spec’d with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive performance package as the DM-p. If the single spec publicly available is anything to go by, this could be the model coming to the Philippine market.
Coming in at 5,040mm long, 1996mm wide, and 1,760mm tall, it’s firmly in the realm of big SUVs. Its size is a middle ground between Toyota’s LC300 and the Prado—or in between the Denza B5 and B8. A more direct size comparison in the market would be the Hyundai Ioniq 9, the Korean brand’s premium battery-electric full-sized SUV.
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Speaking of Denza, the Sealion 8 DM-p also has the premium off-roaders’ DiSus adaptive suspension. It appears to be a different variant though, as the Denzas get the ‘-P’ variant while the Sealion 8 has the ‘-C’ variant. Just an educated guess, but these could stand for “Performance” and “Comfort”; while Denza is serious about its SUVs’ off-road aspirations, BYD is focusing on the Sealion 8’s liveability.
As a PHEV, the Sealion 8 packs both a combustion engine and electric motors. The 1.5-liter turbocharged engine makes around 148hp and 220Nm of torque. The front and rear axles each get an electric motor, making 268hp. The rear motor makes slightly more torque at 353Nm; the front motor makes 315Nm. Combined system output is 481hp and 675Nm of torque sent to all four wheels—serious performance numbers.
The hybrid powerplant is mated to a second-generation BYD Blade Battery good for 35.6kWh. Combined driving range comes out at 1,017km, while running fully electric nets 152km of NEDC range. The CCS2 charging port supports up to 11kW AC charging, and 72kW DC charging. Of course, vehicle-to-load (V2L) comes standard with an electrified vehicle like this.
Interior amenities include premium leather seats, front row power adjustment, massager functions, and a 21-speaker sound system. The central touchscreen is a 15.6-inch display; a 12.3-inch display serves as the driver’s instrument panel. The spec sheet also indicates the presence of BYD’s DiPilot ADAS suite.
Available colors have also been listed: Dark Aquamarine, Ridge Grey, Arctic White, Cosmos Black, and Liroulight Silver. Interior finishes include Black, Blue, and two-tone Black and Gray.
It’s worth nothing that this model is different from the BYD Sealion 08 BYD showed off at Auto China earlier this year. Again, the zero digit is critical here to differentiating the two. While both are large SUVs, the 08 is a BEV with a different design language. The Sealion 8 we’ve been discussing carries an aesthetic more consistent with the other Sealions in the range.
With the Sealion 7 launched just last month, BYD Cars Philippines and ACMobility a release for the Sealion 8 could come a bit later down the line (assuming it’s Philippines-bound at all). We don’t know how much this might sticker for at the moment either. What do you think is a fair asking price for this performance SUV? Sound off in the comments.
More photos of the BYD Sealion 8:
