BYD Seal vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV6: Specifications, prices compared

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD launched its third product in the Indian car market recently. The BYD Seal comes in as a performance luxury sedan and will be offered along with the e6 electric MPV and the Atto 3 electric SUV. The BYD Seal is also the flagship model of the company at present.

While BYD is hardly a household name in India at the moment, the company is looking at expanding its presence and bringing on board newer customers in major cities of the country. The BYD Seal is priced between ₹41 lakh and ₹53 lakh in the market, before taxes, and makes some very big promises as it looks to go head on against the likes of Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. Both Korean models are rivals in terms of being at comparable price points.

Watch: BYD Seal EV launched in India: Worry for Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6?

Specifications Comparison	BYD Atto 3	Hyundai Ioniq 5	Kia EV6
Engine	N/A	N/A	N/A
Transmission	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic
Mileage	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fuel Type	Electric	Electric	Electric

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BYD Seal: Variants, battery, range and key specifications

BYD Seal has been launched in India in three variants. The base Dynamic variant comes with a 61.44 kWh battery pack and gets a rear-wheel drive set up. It offers 201 bhp and 310 Nm of torque while claiming to go 510 kilometres before requiring a charge.

BYD Seal Premium gets a 82.56 kWh battery and also has a rear-wheel drive setup. It offers more power and torque when compared to the base variant - 308 bhp and 360 Nm and the highest range of any of the three variants - up to 650 kilometres.

Then there is the top-end BYD Seal Performance variant. It too gets a 82.56 kWh battery but as the name of the variant indicates, offers even more power and torque - 523 bhp and 670 Nm. This is also the only variant of the three to get an all-wheel drive system. The claimed range, however, is at 580 kilometres.

Charging the BYD Seal from 0 to 100 per cent using a conventional 7 kW AC charger will take up to 12 hours but the Dynamic variant can go from 0 to 85 per cent if plugged in to a 110 kW charger. The higher two variants can even support 150 kW charger.

BYD Seal vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV6: Battery, range and performance credentials compared

The Korean EV models are built on the same platform and as such, share several similarities. But while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 gets a 77.4 kWh battery pack, the Kia EV6 gets a slightly bigger 77.4 kWh battery pack at its core. On the Hyundai model, there is also a smaller 53 kWh unit available. All of these battery pack options are smaller than the one on top two variants of BYD Seal.

In terms of range, Hyundai Ioniq 5 promises a range of up to 630 kilometres while the Kia EV6 has a claimed range of a little over 700 kilometres. So when compared to BYD Seal, the two Korean models are either comparable or have a slight edge even if the BYD Blade battery technology has been gaining acclaim the world over for being safe and durable.

While BYD offers both rear and all-wheel drive options on the Seal EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5 only gets a rear-wheel drive setup. The Kia EV6, however, offers both as well.

In terms of performance, the top Performance variant of BYD Seal has a clear advantage against the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. The Ioniq 5 puts out 225 bhp and offers 350 Nm of torque. This is what the EV6 single-motor version also offers while in the dual-motor version, the EV offers 320 bhp and 605 Nm of torque.

BYD Seal vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV6: Prices compared

The BYD Seal pricing ranges between ₹41 lakh and ₹53 lakh (ex-showroom). The Dynamic and Premium variants of BYD Seal make it the most affordable option among the three EVs in this comparison.

The sole variant of Hyundai Ioniq 5 is at ₹46 lakh (ex-showroom). The Kia EV6 is significantly pricey when compared to the other two models here. The base EV6 GT line variant of the electric car is at ₹61 lakh (ex-showroom) while EV6 GT line AWD is at ₹66 lakh (ex-showroom).