2023 BYD Seagull electric city car under consideration for Australia

China’s BYD is developing a pint-sized electric car however it could be ruled out for Australia if it does not meet five-star safety standards.

Photos of the BYD Seagull electric car – the Chinese brand’s smallest model, with a similar footprint to a Kia Picanto – have surfaced online and is “under review” for Australia.

The images appeared overnight on a website for the Chinese government’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and was spotted by Car News China.

The Seagull is expected to sit below the Dolphin hatch in BYD’s model range in China, with boxy proportions, a city-friendly dimensions, and an expected starting price there equivalent to about $AU13,000.

The Australian distributor for BYD, EVDirect, says the Seagull is under consideration for local showrooms however it is not locked in.

If the BYD Seagull was given the green light for Australia it is not likely to arrive until 2024 at the earliest.

“The Seagull is still under review,” EVDirect managing director Luke Todd told Drive.

“We would like to bring it to Australia and [we are] reviewing it, and have no firm decision … it is not on the 2023 [launch] calendar.”

In an interview with Drive last year, Mr Todd said the Seagull would need to achieve a five-star safety rating for EVDirect to get the go-ahead for local showrooms.

“It’s under discussion to bring that vehicle into the country. At the moment I would say that we’ve made the commitment that we’re targeting our passenger vehicles that we bring into the country [to have] five-star [ANCAP safety] ratings,” Mr Todd told Drive last year.

“The Seagull, because of the size and compact nature of that vehicle … it’s very hard to obtain five stars on compact cars, and that is a compact car. That’s the decision we’re working through at the moment,” the executive said at the time.

The Seagull is said to measure 3780mm long, 1715mm wide and 1540mm tall, riding on a 2500mm wheelbase, according to Chinese government filings.

That makes it 185mm longer overall, 120mm narrower, 55mm taller and 100mm longer between the front and rear axles than Australia’s smallest and cheapest car, the petrol Kia Picanto.

Meanwhile, compared to BYD’s Australia-bound Dolphin hatchback – which is a similar size to a Volkswagen Polo, MG 3 or Toyota Yaris – the Seagull is 345mm shorter in overall length, 55mm narrower and 30mm lower.

The images published by Chinese authorities show the Seagull will adopt boxy, upright proportions, with five doors, four seats, LED headlights up front, flush door handles, small 15-inch or 16-inch wheels, and only one windscreen wiper.

All past reports have said the vehicle would wear the Seagull name – in line with BYD’s ‘Ocean’ range of electric cars with nautical names, such as Dolphin, Seal and Frigate.

However, the photos in the Chinese government filing show badges on the tailgate (above) that point to two alternate names for the car: Dolphin Q, and Dolphin Mini, referencing the city car’s larger sibling.

Spy photos of the car’s interior show a large centre touchscreen, small instrument display, and a three-spoke steering wheel from BYD’s other cars.

Power will come from a single electric motor developing 55kW – but it is believed this output is a peak figure for a brief period of time, as the government filings list a ‘continuous’ power output of 25kW.

The battery size is not listed in the documents, but past reports have suggested it will be a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack of BYD’s ‘Blade’ design, with a capacity of 30.7kWh.

Driving range is not quoted, however the larger Dolphin hatch with the same battery pack is capable of 300km of claimed range in lenient Chinese testing – or closer to 200km in real-world test conditions.

The 2023 BYD Seagull is expected to be revealed in China in the coming months. Australian availability is yet to be locked in.

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