BYD DOLPHIN and BYD SEAL are coming to Austria: information and first impressions
A TEST REPORT from David Haydl 
on October 19, 2023, 8:00 p.m. | Write a comment
BYD continues to expand in Austria and is now launching the new BYD DOLPHIN and BYD SEAL in this country. I was able to get a first impression of these yesterday.
BYD came first at the beginning of the year with three models, the ACT 3, the HAN and the TANG, to Austria. In the meantime, 100 purchase contracts have already been concluded in the BYD Pioneer Store in Vösendorf (near Vienna). Furthermore, the brand and the ATTO 3 were in the top 2023 in terms of market share in September 10.
Yesterday some journalists were invited to the Pioneer Store to inspect the new BYD DOLPHIN and BYD SEAL and to drive them for the first time. What I noticed in my short time with the cars will be explained in the following lines.
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BYD DOLHIN and BYD SEAL: Technical data
| BYD DOLPHIN | BYD SEAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions [mm] | 4.290 x 2.012 x 1.570 | 4.800 x 2.150 x 1.460 |
| Power Type | front-wheel drive | Rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive |
| Battery | BYD Blade Battery | BYD Blade Battery |
| battery capacity | up to 60,4 kilowatt hours | 82,5 kilowatt hours |
| Charging time (88 kilowatts, 30 Procent to 80 Procent) | 29 Minutes | 26 Minutes |
| Maximum Performance | up to 150 kilowatts/204 hp | 390 kilowatts/530 hp |
| Power consumption (combined, WLTP) | 15,9 kilowatt hours pro 100 km | 18,2 kilowatt hours pro 100 km |
| Range (combined, WLTP) | up to 427 kilometers | up to 570 kilometers |
BYD DOLPHIN and BYD SEAL: First impression and Prodrives
In advance, I was particularly excited about the DOLPHIN, as this car is very similar to the ATTO 3, but is a lot cheaper. When driving you immediately notice the similarity. The seat is very comfortable, the steering is well tuned and the road holding is not perfect, but good enough. And just like the ATTO 3, it becomes more aggressive in sport mode and tends to break away a little at full throttle.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
Compared to the ATTO 3, you have to make compromises when it comes to the trunk. This is significantly smaller with a capacity of 345 liters compared to 440 liters. There are also changes in the interior. Many components, such as the door handles, are no longer as visually striking and should therefore appeal to multiple tastes. Further changes can be seen in the shelves, as they are now arranged slightly differently and there are also non-slip shelves on the dashboard. Last but not least, all the buttons and levers in the center console area were redesigned.
BYD SEAL
With the HAN, BYD already has a sporty sedan on offer. With a starting price of 70.800 euros, the target group for this model is logically smaller than for the other cars. This is where the BYD SEAL comes into play.
Picture: TechnikNews
Visually there are very few differences between the HAN and the SEAL. You can tell the two apart at the back by the lack of “Build Your Dreams” lettering and at the front by the consistently colored hood. Inside, the differences are clearer. While the design language of the HAN is its own, the look of the interior of the SEAL is closely based on that of the ATTO 3, although everything looks a lot more high-quality. What is not immediately visible is that the BYD Blade Battery is not just located in the underbody, but rather makes up a large part of it. This should make the car a lot safer. If I had to choose, I would definitely prefer the SEAL to the HAN.
The ride with the BYD SEAL was very fun. The seats feel a lot more comfortable than in the DOLPHIN (but a little harder than those in the HAN) and just by lightly touching the power pedal you can reach a speed of 50 or even 70 kilometers in no time pro Hour. Accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometers is possible in 3,9 seconds.
Detailed tests are carried out here on what everyday life and longer journeys are like with the DOLPHIN and the SEAL TechnikNews hopefully show soon.
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- A look inside the BYD SEAL. (Picture: TechnikNews)
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- Picture: TechnikNews
BYD DOLPHIN and BYD SEAL: prices and availability
The BYD DOLPHIN is available from 25.980 euros and the starting price of the BYD SEAL is 42.980 euros. The DOLPHIN is available now, the SEAL launches at the end of the year.
