The BYD Seagull arrives in Europe: Here it is at the Beijing Motor Show [VIDEO].

The Chinese electric surprises with its quality of finish, equipment and performance. From 2025 in Europe with a price of around £10,000

By: Fabio Gemelli

Apr 27, 2024 at 7:20am ET

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In the coming months we will be hearing a lot about the BYD Seagull, the Chinese compact electric car that will arrive in Italy in 2025 and is being considered in the UK which could really change the small EV market.

Before seeing it for ourselves, we flew to the Beijing Motor Show and got a first-hand look at the five-door Made in China car that promises so much with its 155 mile WLTP range and a price that in China starts at the equivalent of £7,000 and could translate into €12,000 once it arrives in Italy and potentially £10,000 in the UK.

Let's find out what it looks like in our live video from Beijing!

Small, but well made

The BYD Seagull (literally 'Seagull') belongs to the Chinese brand's 'Ocean' series of electric cars. It has five doors and is 3.78 metres long, which is little more than a Fiat Panda.

BYD Seagull, the front three-quarter view

Seen from close up, the Seagull is very well made and with a style that pleases the eye, sketched under the direct control of design chief Wolfgang Egger (formerly of Alfa Romeo and Audi).

In front there is no room for a 'frunk', i.e. a small front luggage compartment, while in the rear there is a load compartment with a maximum capacity of 930 litres when the rear backrest is folded down.

The BYD Seagull at the Beijing Motor Show

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Interesting interior

Entering the BYD Seagull one immediately notices the good finish of the door trim, seats and handles, with front seats with integrated headrests of good perceived quality and dual digital instrumentation.

BYD Seagull, the interior

Behind the steering wheel there is a small 5-inch display for the instrument cluster, while in the centre of the dashboard is a 12.8-inch screen for infotainment and various controls, and upholstery and materials that are pleasant to the touch.

BYD Seagull, the boot

BYD Seagull, the rear seats

Up to 186 miles on a full battery?

At the moment the powertrain available on the small BYD is the 75 PS front-wheel-drive electric motor, with a choice of either the 30.08 kWh LFP lithium iron phosphate battery or the 38.88 kWh BYD Blade (also LFP).

The BYD Seagull on the road

With the 30.08 kWh battery, the Seagull is expected to cover around 155 miles in the WLTP cycle, while with the BYD Blade it could reach 186 miles WLTP.

In Europe the updated Seagull in 2025

As a reminder, the BYD Seagull was launched in China a year ago, in April 2023, and the one that will arrive in Europe in 2025 will be an updated version, probably an upcoming restyling of the car shown in Beijing.