BYD Seal U To Be Brand’s First PHEV For India; Launch Later This Year

BYD India has confirmed the launch of its first plug-in hybrid for the Indian market – the Seal U SUV. The SUV is slated to launch in India later this year. The SUV was previously showcased in India at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Expo, where it was displayed as the Sealion 6 SUV – note that the SUV is sold as either the Sealion 6 or Seal U depending on the market.

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On the design front, the Seal U shares some similarities with the Sealion 7 EV, including the shape of the nose and headlamps. Differences, however, show up in the bumper design, which features an integrated body-coloured grille and a prominent lower air inlet. In profile, the Seal U gets a more traditional SUV design with an upright D-pillar and stronger shoulder line. At the rear, the tail lamps are also more squared out than on the Sealion 7, and there is a prominent lip on the boot lid under the rear glass.

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Inside, the Seal U features a minimalist cabin design with a large freestanding 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen that sits above the central air vents and a digital instrument screen. Twin wireless charging pads sit at the base of the centre console, with limited physical buttons present around the gear selector. Other features present on the global-spec SUV include power adjustable front seats with ventilation and heating, a panoramic glass roof, ambient lighting, a head-up display and ADAS tech.

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Sold globally in all-electric and plug-in hybrid spec, India for now will only get the latter, which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with twin electric motors and a 18.3 kWh blade battery pack to give the SUV a claimed range of up to 1,080 km. The SUV has an EV-only range of up to 70 km. In terms of performance, the PHEV will hit 100 kmph in 5.9 seconds.