31/05/2026

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY MAY 31, 2026

BYD commissioned a local Penang artist to create this one-off custom mural.

BYD Mansion Macalister 3S Showroom with 5 Service Bays and Tyre Allignment Bay.

Performance is the quicker and more exciting car, at least in terms of seating position and powertrain response. Both show that BYD already has products that can be taken seriously beyond just price and novelty. The more interesting part of the trip, however, was the opening of BYD Mansion Macalister in Penang. This is not a typical glass box showroom. The building preserves a cen tury-old facade steeped in local legacy while incorporating mod ern glass elements, Peranakan inspired tiles, a central spiral stair case, and a lounge located on the upper floor with a more heritage driven atmosphere. It’s a handsome space, and more importantly, suggests that BYD is trying to present itself as more than just another new EV brand entering Malaysia with aggressive pricing and packed with features. There is clearly an effort to localise the brand, or at least make it feel more rooted in the local market. It is interesting because BYD’s position in Malaysia could become more complicated soon. As of late, Miti’s updated regulation requires fully imported EVs entering Malaysia to have a minimum CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value of RM200,000 and a minimum power output of 245PS. If enforced as stated, this could affect several lower-priced CBU EVs, including almost every model from BYD. The safer long term solution would naturally be local assembly. That is why BYD VP and GM of the carmaker’s Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, Liu Xueliang’s

Performance feels low and sport ier behind the wheel. It also helped that the driver’s seat could be adjusted low enough for my large frame (184cm), something I wished the Sealion 7 could better accommodate. Despite its sportier positioning in the BYD line-up, the Seal Performance turned out to be a comfortable enough highway cruiser. The seats offered good support over longer distances, and the driving position felt more neutral. With a dual-motor AWD setup producing 530PS and 670Nm of torque, straight-line performance was never going to be an issue. But that’s also the thing with powerful EVs now. Being quick can no longer be a USP by itself. Once you have that much instant torque, the more important ques tion is whether or not the power feels well integrated with the car. The Seal Performance comes with BYD’s DiSus-C adaptive sus pension, with Comfort and Sport modes. In Comfort, the car feels a little too soft and floaty. Sport mode improves body control, and this is the most obvi ous change in the update. Though if you’re expecting sports-sedan level of control, then you might be disappointed. This is still a com fort-biased family car after all. Another thing worth mention ing is that both the Sealion 7 and Seal feature high-definition digital driver displays, though they could do with a cleaner interface, which would increase legibility while behind the wheel. Between the two, the Sealion 7 Premium is the easier-going cruiser, while the Seal

BYD Seal Performance interior.

appearance at the Penang flagship showroom launch, as well as his visit to Sime Motors’ Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah, is worth paying attention to. Nothing has been confirmed yet, so it would be premature to say BYD models will be assembled there. But given the direction of Malaysia’s EV policies, CKD pro duction would be the logical next step for the company. That’s the bigger question: Can BYD keep offering the kind of value that made it so competitive in Malaysia in the first place? The products themselves are already convincing enough. What comes next may depend on how quickly BYD can adapt to a market that is becoming less friendly to fully imported EVs.

We like: Comfortable ride. Supportive and plush seats and the solid interior build quality. Plenty of physical shortcut but tons, 12-speaker sound system is just right. We don’t like: Digital Driver’s display looked cluttered and affects legibility while driving. The seating position could do with more adjustment.

Power: 530PS Torque: 670Nm

Price (as tested): RM191,800 We like: Low seating position with supportive and comfort able seats. Interior feel solid and well put together. Good amount of seat adjustment. We don’t like: Digital drivers dis play looks cluttered and affects legibility while driving. Suspension in either comfort and sport mode needs further fine-tuning.

SPECIFICATIONS

BYD Sealion 7 Premium Battery: 82.5kWh Power: 312PS Torque: 380Nm Price (as tested): RM183,800

BYD Seal Performance Battery: 82.56kWh