BYD launches pre-orders for the new Seagull, a larger version of its popular $10K EV — SkimNews
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- BYD opened blind pre-orders for the second-generation Seagull on Friday, announced on Weibo by Zhang Zhuo, general manager of BYD's Ocean series, with six exterior color options but no disclosed pricing.
- The new Seagull stretches to 4,205 mm long with a 2,650 mm wheelbase — 425 mm longer overall and 150 mm more wheelbase than the outgoing model — while gaining a redesigned cockpit with a larger infotainment screen, two-spoke steering wheel, and no traditional instrument cluster.
- It swaps the current 55 kW (75 hp) front motor for a 95 kW (127 hp) rear-mounted motor and adds a roof-mounted LiDAR to run BYD's God's Eye B intelligent driving system.
- Premium features new to the line include ambient lighting, massaging front seats, and physical buttons below the infotainment display and on the steering wheel.
- The current Seagull starts at roughly $10,000 (69,900 yuan) in China and €22,900 in Europe, and ranked as the world's sixth-best-selling EV through August with over 212,000 units sold, according to CleanTechnica data.
- The second-gen model is expected to launch by end of 2026 under the "Great Seagull" name, likely offering Blade Batteries 2.0 and Flash Charging on premium trims, and will reach overseas markets as updated Dolphin Surf and Dolphin Mini variants.
Why it matters: The current Seagull already anchors a ~$10,000 price point no US-market EV touches — layering on 425 mm of length, nearly doubled horsepower, LiDAR-based ADAS, and massaging seats at that same entry-level tier tightens the squeeze on rivals like the Geely EX2 and Xingyuan that BYD's own lineup is now chasing.
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![BYD offers a closer look at the new Seagull EV [Images]](https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/BYD-new-Seagull-EV-update.jpeg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1400)
![BYD’s $10,000 EV has a big sibling on the way, and here’s our first look [Images]](https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/BYD-Great-Seagull-EV-first-look.jpeg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1400)
