BYD Sealion 07 DM-i Launches at $23K to Undercut ICE SUV Market

BYD has released the Sealion 07 DM-i, a mid-to-large plug-in hybrid SUV priced between $23,460 and $28,450.

The launch expands BYD’s Sealion lineup and strengthens its grip on China’s mainstream SUV segment, where gasoline vehicles continue to dominate sales volume but offer no upgrade path for drivers demanding lower fuel consumption or semi-electric range.

The Sealion 07 DM-i is powered by BYD’s fifth-generation DM 5.0 hybrid system, introduced less than a year ago. It combines a 1.5T combustion engine, 60L fuel tank, and a 26.6 kWh Blade battery pack.

The system delivers up to 1,320 kilometers of total range and 135–150 kilometers of electric-only range — enough to eliminate fuel use across typical daily travel patterns while maintaining long-distance capability on demand.

Three configurations are offered. The base and mid-level trims use front-wheel drive with 200 kW peak power and 315 Nm torque, reaching 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds. The highest trim adds a rear motor with 150 kW and 340 Nm, reducing 0–100 km/h time to 4.7 seconds.

All models feature BYD’s DiLink 100 cockpit and a DeepSeek-powered voice assistant. Driver assistance systems include DiPilot 100 with highway NOA for lower trims and DiPilot 300 with extended urban functionality for the top-tier model.

Buyers can opt for drone integration through BYD’s Ling Yuan system co-developed with DJI.

The Sealion 07 DM-i is the fourth model in the series, following the compact Sealion 05 and electric Sealion 07 EV. Combined Sealion sales in April reached 26,220 units, a 44.66% increase over March. BYD reported 380,089 new energy vehicle deliveries for the month, continuing its scale advantage over foreign and domestic rivals across hybrid and electric formats.

This launch reinforces BYD’s platform logic. Instead of isolating EV and hybrid development in separate silos, the company builds powertrain families that allow model reuse, pricing variation, and geographic targeting.

The Sealion 07 DM-i sits in a price band that disrupts both legacy hybrid imports and mid-tier gasoline SUVs, while giving range confidence to buyers in regions where public charging remains unreliable or underbuilt.

The hybrid system functions as a combustion displacement mechanism within existing urban and peri-urban use cases. It removes dependency on public infrastructure and lowers cost-per-kilometer without introducing behavioral friction.

This is a design calibrated for high-volume adoption, not regulatory compliance or niche electrification targets.

Global automakers have yet to match BYD’s speed, pricing, or drivetrain modularity in this segment. The Sealion 07 DM-i is structured as a product for national replication, dealer network leverage, and maximum monthly throughput.

No incentives are required. No cultural shift is assumed. The market conditions already exist. The vehicle simply fits them.