BYD Sealion 08 Debuts at Chengdu With 900 km Range and DiSus-A

BYD unveiled the Sealion 08 — the new flagship SUV of its Ocean Network — at the 2026 Chengdu Auto Show on August 21. It is a 5.1-meter family SUV offered in five- and six-seat layouts, with the pure-electric version reaching 900 km on the CLTC cycle on the second-generation Blade Battery. Pricing opens at 230,000 yuan (about $31,700) and tops out at 280,000 yuan ($38,600), slotting it straight into the heart of China’s large-family-SUV market.

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Photos: BYD Auto official

What the Sealion 08 is

The Sealion 08 is the largest SUV in BYD’s Ocean lineup, sitting above the Seal and the smaller Sealion models. It is built on the same playbook BYD used for the Seal 08 sedan: pour flagship hardware into a mainstream price band. Dimensions are 5,115 mm long, 1,999 mm wide and 1,800 mm tall, on a 3,030 mm wheelbase — about the size of a BMW X5 — with a drag coefficient of 0.27 Cd.

Buyers get a choice of five- or six-seat cabins. The six-seat version uses a 2+2+2 layout with a walk-through between the second-row captain’s chairs for third-row access, while the five-seat version drops the rearmost row for maximum cargo and second-row space. That flexibility puts it against BYD’s own Da Han sedan in the same 230,000–320,000 yuan band, as well as the Li Auto L6, Zhiji LS6, AITO M6 and Deepal S09.

Powertrain and range

Two powertrains are on offer. The plug-in hybrid pairs a 1.5T engine (115 kW) with a single 200 kW motor or a dual-motor 200 kW + 200 kW setup, delivering WLTC pure-electric range of 275 km and 300 km, and a maximum CLTC electric range of 400 km.

The electric version is the headline. It comes with three outputs — a 320 kW single motor, a 370 kW single motor, and a 585 kW dual-motor (215 kW front + 370 kW rear) — backed by 92.093 kWh or 115.072 kWh packs. CLTC range lands at 710 km, 800 km and 900 km respectively. Every variant runs the second-generation Blade Battery with CTB body integration and flash-charging support.

Chassis and driver assistance

The Sealion 08 carries the full flagship chassis kit: DiSus-A dual-chamber air suspension, rear-wheel steering for a tighter turning circle, and a road-preview system that reads the surface ahead and pre-adjusts the dampers. Up front it uses a double-wishbone setup; the rear is a five-link.

On the software side it ships with God’s Eye 5.0, BYD’s top-tier assisted-driving stack, anchored by a roof-mounted LiDAR. The system covers city and highway navigation on autopilot and automated valet parking. It is the same LiDAR-equipped suite BYD is now standardizing across its upper trims.

Inside the cabin

The interior follows the Ocean Network’s wraparound “family cabin” language, closely related to the Seal 08. A 15.6-inch floating center screen dominates the dash, with the instrument panel integrated into the same surface rather than standing alone. For rear passengers there is a 21.4-inch roof-mounted screen, a 25-speaker Devialet audio system, a fridge, a rear control screen and a fold-out table.

The six-seat version is where BYD makes its comfort argument: the second row gets independent zero-gravity seats with ventilation, heating and massage, and the chairs can slide laterally for easier third-row access. It is the “fridge, screen, sofa” formula BYD has turned into a near-standard expectation in this segment.

Author’s Take

BYD Sealion 08: frequently asked questions