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Fast wagons whitethorn beryllium disappearing from Australian showrooms, but BYD could subordinate the inclination with a hotter mentation of its caller Seal 6 Touring.
Aussies are nary strangers to show wagons, having antecedently embraced V8 versions of the Holden Commodore. In much caller times, Volkswagen, Skoda, and Subaru person kept the conception alive.
However, fewer affordable options remain, with the cheapest being the Skoda Octavia RS wagon priced from $62,990 drive-away.
That could permission country for BYD to undercut the established players with a spicier mentation of the plug-in hybrid Seal 6 Touring, which is presently priced astatine $39,990 earlier on-road costs.
"I conjecture we volition hold to spot the effect from the Australian marketplace and however this exemplary goes," BYD Australia main merchandise serviceman Sajid Hasan told CarExpert.
“There are a batch of enthusiasts moving astatine BYD successful the merchandise team, and we’re each reasoning that, if this goes well, we could motorboat thing with the mid-life update oregon immoderate it is.
“But, yeah, we’ve got a fewer ideas astir what we could do. We would conscionable request to enactment done HQ and Europe arsenic good to spot what that concern lawsuit looks like.”
The Seal 6 Touring was launched successful Australia past period successful a azygous Premium trim, powered by a mentation of BYD’s DM 5.0 Super Hybrid system.
Unlike the all-electric Seal mid-size sedan, the Seal 6 wagon combines a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol motor with a 19kWh lithium robust phosphate (LFP) artillery battalion and an electrical motor.
The strategy produces 163kW and drives the beforehand wheels exclusively. BYD claims the Touring tin accelerate from 0-100km/h successful 8.1 seconds.
By comparison, the Octavia RS wagon produces 195kW and 370Nm and is claimed to deed 3 figures successful 6.4 seconds, portion the WRX Sportswagon cranks retired 202kW and 350Nm for a claimed 6.1-second 0-100km/h sprint.
One imaginable way to bridging the show spread would beryllium adapting BYD’s much almighty dual-motor, all-wheel thrust plug-in hybrid exertion for the Seal 6 Touring.
Currently featured successful the Sealion 8 ample SUV, the DM-p – which stands for ‘Dual Mode Performance’ – strategy combines a turbocharged petrol motor and 2 electrical motors for up to 359kW and 675Nm.
In the astir 2.6-tonne, seven-seat Sealion 8, that is capable for a claimed 0-100km/h clip of little than 5 seconds.
A lighter, little Seal 6 Touring fitted with a akin powertrain could perchance beryllium quicker, putting it up of the Octavia RS and WRX Sportswagon connected paper, and perchance into the territory of much costly European show wagons.
However, Mr Hasan’s comments suggest immoderate hotter Seal 6 Touring would beryllium improbable to look earlier the model’s mid-life update.
Based connected BYD’s accustomed merchandise cycles, that could spot a imaginable motorboat astir precocious 2027, though nary timing has been confirmed.
For now, the thought remains nether consideration, but adjacent the imaginable of different attainable accelerated wagon should entreaty to Australian enthusiasts.
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