BYD Seagull Small EV Leaked In China; Priced Under $9,000

The BYD Seagull, the smallest and newest vehicle in the automaker's Ocean series, which also includes the Seal compact executive sedan and the Dolphin subcompact MPV, is rumoured to be on the way. While not yet officially revealed, the design of the BYD Seagull has been revealed by the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) as part of the homologation process, as is the case with most new car launches in China nowadays.

The Seagull is a five-door small hatchback that spans the city car and subcompact segments, measuring 3,780 mm (148.8 in) in length, 1,715 mm (67.5 in) in width, and 1,540 mm (60.6 in) in height, with a 2,500 mm wheelbase (98.4 in). The BYD Dolphin is 345 mm (13.6 in) shorter, 55 mm (2.1 in) narrower, and 30 mm (1.2 in) lower as a result. In China, the four-seat Seagull will compete with the Ora White Cat and Leap T03, among other small EVs. The Seagull is powered by an LFP battery manufactured by FinDreams, a BYD subsidiary, according to MIIT (via CarNewsChina). Although the capacity is unknown, previous local reports speculated that it would be 30.7 kWh. The battery powers an electric motor with a power output of 55 kilowatts (codenamed TZ180XSH) (74 horsepower).

The styling of the BYD Seagull is similar to that of the Dolphin, albeit a little more daring. Highlights include sharp LED headlights, a large windscreen with a single wiper, a floating roof design, a rear LED light bar reminiscent of the BYD D1 minivan, and a sporty roof spoiler. While MIIT did not release interior images, a set of spy images from August 2022 revealed a dashboard inspired by the BYD Dolphin, with a large floating central touchscreen, a smaller digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel, and a phone pad beneath the central display bordered by a block of physical buttons.

The BYD Seagull will go into production soon and will be available in China in April. Prices are expected to range between 60,000 and 100,000 yuan ($8,850-$14,750), making it an appealing proposition for young or first-time EV buyers.