2026 BYD Seagull: All-New Five-Seat EV From $9,829, Up to 420 km, Flash Charging

The second-generation BYD Seagull is a different car from the small four-seat city hatchback that has carried the name since 2023. BYD launched it in Zhengzhou, Henan on 20 October 2026 with five trims priced from CNY 65,900 ($9,829) to CNY 99,900 ($14,900), converted here at the ECB rate of 6.7048 CNY per US dollar from 6 October 2026. The battery-electric (BEV) hatchback grows to 4,205 mm long on a 2,650 mm wheelbase, seats five, moves its single motor to the rear axle and adds a 94 L front trunk. Two second-generation Blade battery packs of 30.1 kWh and 39.2 kWh give 320 km and 420 km on the CLTC cycle, and the three 39.2 kWh trims also get BYD's flash charging, which BYD says takes the battery from 10 to 70 percent in five minutes at its own stations. China is the only market confirmed so far; BYD has not announced an export name, although the first-generation Seagull is sold abroad as the Dolphin Surf and the Dolphin Mini.

Performance & Specs

Both motor outputs are permanent-magnet synchronous units driving the rear wheels. The two 30.1 kWh trims (Vitality and Freedom) use an 85 kW (114 hp) motor, and the three 39.2 kWh trims (Ease, Flying and Smart) use a 95 kW (127 hp) motor, according to CnEVPost and CarNewsChina. Peak torque is quoted at 130 Nm, and Chinese launch coverage gives a top speed of 150 km/h. BYD has not published a 0-100 km/h time or a kerb weight in the material read for this article, so neither appears here.

The layout is the biggest change. The first-generation Seagull put a front motor over the front wheels, while this car has a rear-mounted motor and rear-wheel drive, with an independent multi-link rear suspension replacing the earlier torsion beam. BYD quotes a 4.95 m turning radius and a drag coefficient of 0.28, and it says energy consumption can be as low as 9.0 kWh/100 km on the CLTC cycle. That is consistent with the batteries: 39.2 kWh over 420 km works out at about 9.3 kWh/100 km, and 30.1 kWh over 320 km at about 9.4 kWh/100 km, so 9.0 is a best-case figure rather than a typical one. CarNewsChina estimates the WLTP-equivalent ranges at roughly 259 km and 340 km; these are its own estimates, not official numbers. CLTC is a lenient test cycle, so real-world range will be lower.

Powertrain	Single rear motor RWD BEV
Power	95 kW (127 hp)
Torque	130 Nm
Top speed	150 km/h
Battery	39.2 kWh
Range	420 km CLTC

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	4,205 mm
Width	1,810 mm
Height	1,570 mm
Wheelbase	2,650 mm
Rear cargo	380 L / 1,380 L seats folded
Front trunk	94 L

The new Seagull is 425 mm longer, 95 mm wider and 30 mm taller than the 3,780 x 1,715 x 1,540 mm car it replaces, and its wheelbase is 150 mm longer at 2,650 mm. The body is now a five-seater instead of a four-seater, with a rear hip width of 1,242 mm. The rear boot holds 380 L with the seats up and BYD quotes up to 1,380 L with the rear seats folded; its launch demonstration fitted two 24-inch and two 20-inch suitcases in the standard state. The 94 L front trunk opens electrically and takes one 20-inch suitcase, which gives a small hatchback a second luggage space that most rivals lack. BYD counts 31 storage spaces in the cabin, including a hidden tissue-box compartment, and offers six exterior colours: Lime Green, Berry Pink, Cream White, Mango Orange, Ice Coconut Blue and Sesame Grey.

Charging & Battery

The two cheaper trims carry a 30.1 kWh pack and the three upper trims a 39.2 kWh pack, both second-generation Blade batteries using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry. Flash charging is limited to the 39.2 kWh trims. BYD's claim is a charge from 10 to 70 percent in five minutes at its dedicated flash-charging stations, and about nine minutes to a full battery, with roughly three extra minutes in minus 30 degree weather. BYD did not state a peak charging power in kW for the Seagull in the material read for this article, and no AC charging rate was found, so neither is given here. BYD says it has 12,165 flash-charging stations across China and expects to reach 20,000 by the end of 2026, which matters because the five-minute figure applies only at those stations and not at ordinary DC chargers.

The launch offer also covers charging. Buyers of Ease, Flying and Smart who are non-commercial owners get 12 months of free charging at BYD flash-charging stations from delivery, and buyers of the two cheaper trims get a free 7 kW home charger with installation within two years of delivery. BYD also offers 5-year financing with 50 percent down and 18 months at zero interest, and a lifetime warranty on the battery, motor and electronic control systems for the first non-commercial owner, with a whole-vehicle warranty of 6 years or 150,000 km.

Design & Interior

The front end has been redesigned with trident-style light units, and the press pictures show a short nose, a roof spoiler and black lower body cladding on a green car. The cabin in the press pictures has cream-coloured seats, a slim dashboard and a wide central screen; BYD offers three interior colours, Shell White, Clear Sky Pink and Polar Star Grey. The front seats are electrically adjustable, with six-way adjustment for the driver and four-way for the passenger, and both front seats are listed with three-level heating and ventilation. The driver's seat adds a multi-mode massage function, according to CarNewsChina and Chinese launch coverage, although the sources read do not say which trims have each seat feature, so buyers should check the configuration of the specific trim.

Other cabin equipment named in launch coverage includes a 50 W wireless phone charging tray, 127-colour ambient lighting, an eight-speaker audio system, automatic air conditioning and a front trunk that opens with a double tap.

Technology & Features

The infotainment system is BYD's DiLink 150 with a 12.8-inch central display on four trims and a 15.6-inch display on the top Smart trim, according to BYD's Chinese parameter table. CarNewsChina reports that it runs a full version of the DeepSeek AI model, which is a single-source detail. The digital instrument cluster can switch between a three-section view that wakes when the car is put in Drive, a seven-section view and a full-screen view. Keyless entry, passive unlock, an NFC key and automatic parking in and out of a space are standard according to launch coverage. BYD also bundles two years of free cloud services and one year of free mobile data at 5 GB per month, with free over-the-air updates across the range.

Safety & ADAS

Chinese launch coverage lists automatic emergency braking, a 360-degree camera view, a 24-hour Sentry Mode with remote monitoring, and tyre-blowout stabilisation between 60 and 140 km/h, and the body structure has up to six airbags. The driver-assistance system is DiPilot 300, branded God's Eye B, in a version with LiDAR that supports city and highway navigation assist and automatic parking. BYD's official China parameter table (bydauto.com.cn, checked 22 October 2026) shows the LiDAR, the God's Eye B function set with city and highway navigation assist, three millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors and 11 cameras only on the Smart (Zhiqu) trim, while the other four trims list four driver-assistance cameras and no LiDAR, and the same table lists automatic emergency braking only on Smart. No price for a separate LiDAR option was found. BYD has not published a crash-test rating for the new car.

Available Versions

Pricing & Availability

BYD announced the guide prices at the Zhengzhou launch on 20 October 2026, after opening blind pre-orders on 9 October without prices. The five official guide prices are CNY 65,900 ($9,829) for Vitality, CNY 72,900 ($10,873) for Freedom, CNY 75,900 ($11,320) for Ease, CNY 82,900 ($12,364) for Flying and CNY 99,900 ($14,900) for Smart. BYD's trade-in offer takes CNY 3,000 off each, giving CNY 62,900 ($9,381) to CNY 96,900 ($14,452) for buyers who exchange an old car. The entry price is CNY 4,000 below the CNY 69,900 at which the outgoing Seagull started, for a car that is much larger. BYD's China site (bydauto.com.cn, checked 22 October 2026) lists the five trims by their Chinese names only: Huoli, Ziyou, Zizai, Feixiang and Zhiqu. The English names differ between outlets, with CnEVPost calling the third trim Comfort and the fourth Flying and CarNewsChina calling them Ease and Flight, and this article uses Vitality, Freedom, Ease, Flying and Smart.

The model is on sale in China only. The first-generation Seagull sold about 83,600 units in China from January to September 2026, down 66 percent from a year earlier, and 266,000 units worldwide, down 33 percent, according to CarNewsChina, and BYD says the first generation has passed 1.55 million cumulative sales. For overseas buyers, the first-generation car is sold in Europe as the Dolphin Surf and elsewhere as the Dolphin Mini, and CarNewsChina also lists the Atto 1 among its export names. BYD has not said whether the second generation will be exported, under which name or when, so as of October 2026 any overseas name or price for this car would be a guess.

How It Compares

All four are Chinese-market BEV hatchbacks priced in CNY, with ranges on the CLTC cycle, and the dollar figures here use the same 6.7048 rate. The Geely EX2 (Xingyuan) is the closest match: its 410 Xiangwang trim has a 40.16 kWh battery, 410 km and 114 hp for CNY 71,800, CNY 4,100 less than the Seagull Ease, which offers 127 hp, 420 km and flash charging, while the EX2's wheelbase is the same 2,650 mm but its body is 70 mm shorter. The Leapmotor A05 405 Comfort is cheaper at CNY 63,900 and has a similar 405 km, but it is front-wheel drive with 94 hp. The Chery QQ3 EV is also rear-drive and spans CNY 58,900 to 78,900, with a 420 km top version and 121 hp. The Seagull's distinguishing points are its 94 L front trunk, against the 70 L frunk listed for the EX2 in our coverage, its five-minute flash-charging claim and LiDAR driver assistance on the Smart trim; its price disadvantage is real, since the 420 km Ease costs more than the equivalent EX2 trim. EX2 prices here are list prices and do not include its limited-time discount.