Previous rumors suggested that the BYD Seagull was expected to be launched in the second quarter with a price tag of RMB 60,000 to RMB 80,000.
Days after the BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY, HKG: 1211) Seal opened for pre-order, what is suspected to be another model from the company's Ocean series has been revealed.
Local automotive media outlet Xchuxing today posted several spy photos of what it claims is a BYD Seagull, showing the model to be smaller than BYD's compact Dolphin.
(Image credit: Xchuxing)
The vehicle is a small car with an overall silhouette similar to BYD's earlier F0 model and could be another new model in BYD's Ocean series, the report said.
These photos show the vehicle is tightly wrapped in camouflage and limited information is available, the report noted, adding that it is clear, however, that the BYD Seagull is slightly smaller than the BYD Dolphin.
As is customary with the BYD e-platform 3.0, the Seagull is likely to be paired with heat pump air conditioning and an eight-in-one powertrain, so the starting price won't be too low, the report said.
It is worth noting that BYD applied for a number of trademarks containing the names of marine animals such as dolphin, sea turtle, sea lion and seal on September 26 last year, and the international classification involves means of transportation.
As the first model of BYD e-platform 3.0, Dolphin was officially launched at the Chengdu auto show on August 29 last year, when the price range after subsidy was RMB 96,800 ($14,520) – RMB 124,800. The model is currently priced at RMB 102,800 to RMB 130,800.
On May 20, BYD Seal officially opened for pre-sale with a price range of RMB 212,800 to RMB 289,800 after subsidy. With strong performance and attractive price tags, the model is seen as one of the strongest competitors to the Tesla Model 3.
Little information is currently available on the BYD Seagull, but a BYD product plan previously circulated on social networks showed that the model is expected to go on sale in the second quarter with a price tag of RMB 60,000 to RMB 80,000.
(Image credit: Xchuxing)
