BYD's New Seagull Grows Up: Bigger, Cheaper, and Flash-Charging Ready

When BYD introduced the Seagull in 2023, it was a tiny four-seater aimed at urban buyers. Three years later, the second-generation model has arrived with a starting price that undercuts its predecessor by 4,000 yuan, yet delivers more space, more power, and—on selected trims—some seriously quick charging.

The new Seagull, launched in Zhengzhou on Tuesday, is offered in five variants with guide prices from 65,900 yuan to 99,900 yuan. That entry point translates to roughly $9,810 at current exchange rates. BYD also announced trade-in prices that shave another 3,000 yuan off each trim, bringing the effective starting figure to 62,900 yuan.

Key Specs: 39.2 kWh battery · 420 km CLTC range · 10–70% charge in 5 minutes · 4,205 mm long · From 65,900 yuan ($9,810)

A Bigger Bird with New Bones

Stretching 425 mm longer than the outgoing car, the new Seagull now measures 4,205 mm in length, 1,810 mm in width, and 1,570 mm in height, with a 2,650 mm wheelbase—150 mm longer than before. That growth liberates room for a fifth seat, a 94-liter front trunk, and up to 1,380 liters of cargo space when the rear seats are folded. In size, it now edges closer to the BYD Dolphin.

Under the skin, the layout has been flipped: the motor moves from the front to the rear axle, driving the rear wheels. The rear suspension also swaps its torsion beam for a multi-link independent setup. Buyers choosing the 320-km variants get an 85-kW (114 hp) motor, while the longer-range models step up to 95 kW—both a healthy jump from the previous generation’s 55-kW unit.

Flash Charging Trickles Down

The headline technology is BYD’s flash charging, though it isn’t standard across the range. Only the three higher-spec variants—Comfort, Flying, and Smart—support it, starting at 75,900 yuan. Those models pack a 39.2-kWh battery and can sprint from 10% to 70% state-of-charge in just five minutes, provided you find a dedicated flash-charging station. CLTC range is rated at 420 km.

The two entry variants, Vitality and Freedom, make do with a 30.1-kWh battery, 320 km of CLTC range, and no flash-charging capability. BYD is also throwing in a year of free charging at its flash stations for buyers of the three quick-charging trims, as long as the car is used for non-commercial purposes.

Sales Momentum Turns a Corner

The Seagull remains a cornerstone of BYD’s Ocean series, and recent numbers suggest it is regaining traction. September sales reached 38,650 units, up 11.75% year-on-year and 7.05% over August—the second straight month of year-on-year growth. Still, the first nine months of 2026 saw a 33.22% decline to 265,901 units, a sharp pullback from the 529,537 sold in all of 2025. Since its April 2023 debut, cumulative Seagull sales have climbed to about 1.55 million units.

The second-gen Seagull’s lower entry price and richer feature set could help reverse the year-to-date slide. For budget-conscious EV shoppers, the proposition is now harder to ignore.