BYD’s cheapest EV spotted with an upgraded interior and a single large display screen — SkimNews
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- BYD is preparing an upgraded version of its Seagull EV — sold as the Dolphin Surf in Europe and Dolphin Mini in other overseas markets — starting at 69,900 yuan ($10,000) in China and ranked the sixth-best-selling EV globally in H1 2026 per Cleantechnica.
- China's MIIT approved the new Seagull for sale last month, revealing it stretches to 4,205 mm long versus the current model's 3,780 mm.
- Zhang Zhuo, BYD's Ocean series sales boss, previewed the model on social media about a month ago, posting blurry images showing a roof-mounted LiDAR to support new ADAS features.
- A spy shot from ThinkerCar shows the revamped interior with a single large center infotainment screen, redesigned center console, and retained physical buttons on the console and steering wheel.
- The new Seagull will get a 95 kW (127 hp) electric motor, up from 55 kW (75 hp) in the current model, and is likely to use BYD's new Blade Batteries and Flash Charging tech.
- The current Seagull ships with 30.08 kWh or 38.88 kWh battery packs, delivering CLTC ranges of 305 km (190 miles) and 405 km (251 miles) respectively.
Why it matters: At roughly $10,000, the Seagull is BYD's price-floor EV and a global volume leader, so upgrading it with a LiDAR, bigger screen, and a 73% power bump (55 kW to 95 kW) pushes semi-autonomous features and stronger performance into the budget segment — a move that tightens pressure on every sub-$15,000 competitor before the model reaches overseas markets.
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![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)