2026 BYD Sealion 7 Premium owner review

For many Australian families, the jump from petrol to electric still comes with a few questions: will it feel too different, will the range be enough, and will the tech be more help than hassle?

For this BYD Sealion 7 owner, the answer was a family SUV that felt familiar enough to make the switch easy, but still delivered the smooth drive, low running costs and feature-rich cabin that make EV ownership appealing.

Chosen over rivals including the Tesla Model Y and XPeng G6, the Sealion 7 stood out for its value, comfort and more conventional interior layout. Matt Don, whose family also owns a BYD Atto 1, explains why the BYD electric SUV made sense as a family car, how home charging has changed the way they drive, and where there is still room for improvement.

Why did you buy an EV?

There were a few reasons. When I drove my first EV, I loved the way it drove – so smooth, instant torque and acceleration and the inside looked so futuristic and luxurious at the same time. The opportunity to charge at home, save thousands on fuel and not needing to use a petrol station again were also very attractive benefits.

Why did you buy the BYD Sealion 7?

The Sealion 7 represented such great value for money at the time. It was a really good segue into an EV. It felt like a conventional fuel car on the inside and wasn’t lacking much. Some EVs are very minimalistic and can feel quite daunting to get used to compared to a fuel car, so the learning curve coming from a fuel vehicle wasn’t very steep. The interior felt very luxe, it ticked all of the boxes in terms of features and looked great on paper. When we test drove it, we both loved it.

What were the BYD Sealion 7’s rivals?

The obvious one was the Tesla Model Y and I think at the time the Xpeng G6. Now the Zeekr 7X looks very appealing too but I don’t think that was out yet when we bought the Sealion 7.

How has driving and charging the BYD Sealion 7 been? Is the car’s charging rate fast enough for how you use the car?

We mostly charge at home and had a charger installed. When we do need to charge in public it’s able to charge pretty quick so that’s a plus.

Driving is great. Feels smooth and we have the Premium so although it’s not as fast as the Performance, it definitely has enough punch for the average car owner. I love putting my foot down mid-drive to overtake, it’s very quick whilst driving. It’s not super quick from a stop, but you still find because of the instant torque you’re able to leave most cars behind very quickly. Benefits of an EV!

How does the car drive overall? Is its performance and handling adequate?

Performance is enough for what we need and we love driving it. It is a heavy vehicle compared to others in the same category and you can feel that on the road. The suspension doesn’t feel the absolute greatest – it’s quite ‘floaty’ over bumps which I don’t really enjoy but you get used to it.

Has range been an issue? What kind of real-world range do you find you’re getting?

Range hasn’t been an issue. As long as we remember to charge at home we always have enough to get us going and we don’t do enough long road trips that we need to stop and charge – although it’s not really an issue if we do.

Has the BYD Sealion 7 represented value for money?

Absolutely. It’s definitely a great segue for someone looking for their first EV. It feels super luxurious and feature rich and it doesn’t break the bank. Though most Chinese EVs now are very good value.

Has the car been reliable? Have you had any issues maintaining it?

It has been mostly reliable. Only issue we’ve had was with the telecommunications box failing (this is a known issue with Sealion 7’s but doesn’t happen to all of them). The car still drove and everything, it just meant we couldn’t connect to the app or use satellite GPS (we use CarPlay anyway for navigation so that didn’t matter). It was about a 12 week wait before the part came in from China to get it fixed which was a bit annoying.

What have running and repair costs been like? More or less than you expected?

We haven’t had a service yet (first one is at one year/15,000km). Running costs are fine. Charging at home is amazing as we are on an EV energy plan with super cheap overnight rates for charging.

What do you think about the BYD Sealion 7 tech and styling?

It’s great. More than enough tech for most people. Has most of the bells and whistles and is only missing a few things compared to the Performance, like heated rear seats and heated steering wheel, but these didn’t matter too much to us. Styling is also great. Love the look of the car. It looks sporty but still EV-like and the interior presentation is very attractive.

Are there any standout features?

App connectivity (being able to turn on A/C ahead of time on hot days). Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Heat and cooled seats. Electric adjusting front seats. Front trunk (also known as the frunk). Big enough boot and under boot storage. Digital phone key. Auto start. Digital driver display and head-up display. You feel like you’re in a car that’s much more expensive than it is.

Room for improvement?

I think the app – although it is great to have – needs some work. I find sometimes it doesn’t respond or do what I want it to do, which is annoying. The self-steering isn’t great either. It could have more range, but as I said we don’t go on big road trips often so we are happy with what it’s got. And I think the infotainment OS (operating system) and OTA (over-the-air) updates could be improved as well. Finally, the screen is great when you first use it because it feels massive but after a while comparing it to something like the Tesla screen, it doesn’t come close.