The Seagull is BYD’s most affordable electric vehicle, starting at around $10,000 in China and sold overseas as the Dolphin Surf. BYD is preparing to unveil a new version that will likely be an even “bigger” hit.
BYD opens pre-orders for new Seagull EV
BYD is best known for its ultra-low-cost vehicles, but the Seagull is much cheaper than anything sold in the United States.
In China, BYD’s electric hatch starts at 69,900 yuan, or about $10,000. Meanwhile, the cheapest vehicle in the US is the 2026 Hyundai Venue, which costs just over $20,000.
Even in markets outside of China, such as Europe, the Dolphin Surf, as sold, starts at just 22,900 euros ($25,000). In places like Brazil and Mexico, the electric hatch is rebadged and sold as the Dolphin Mini.
As one of the most affordable electric cars in many markets, the Seagull (Dolphin Surf/Mini) has been among the best-selling electric vehicles in the world.
According to the most recent data from Technical CleaningBYD’s entry-level electric vehicle was the sixth best-selling electric vehicle in the world as of August, with more than 212,000 units sold. It ranks only behind BYD’s Yuan Up (Atto2), the Tesla Model 3, Geely Xingyuan (EX2), BYD Song (Seal U), and the Tesla Model Y.
For its second generation, BYD is updating the Seagull to compete with the incoming wave of entry-level electric cars hitting the market.
The new Seagull is bigger, smarter and adds a bit more luxury than its predecessor. Last month we got a glimpse of the second generation of the Seagull when Zhang Zhuo, general manager of BYD’s Ocean series, revealed the first official images.
BYD said shortly after that part of “Growing Up” means living up to expectations. As such, the new Seagull adds premium features such as ambient lighting and front seat massage.
It will also offer more legroom for rear passengers and a refined and immersive cabin design. The setup includes a larger infotainment screen, a new two-spoke steering wheel, and a redesigned center console for additional storage.
From what is shown, the new Seagull will not include a traditional instrument cluster behind the steering wheel.
Instead, it will display the information on the central infotainment screen. It also gains physical buttons below the infotainment and on the steering wheel.
Zhang announced on Weibo that blind pre-orders for the second-generation Seagull officially opened on Friday with six exterior color options.
However, it did not reveal pricing, which is common in China when blind pre-orders for a new vehicle are opened.
BYD has not confirmed the battery specifications or any other details. Zhang said during the Chengdu Auto Show in August that the second generation of the Seagull will be launched as the “Big Seagull,” confirming that it will go on sale in late 2026.
After the new model appeared in the regulatory filing from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in August, we learned some key details.
On the one hand, the new Seagull is 4,205 mm long, 1,810 mm wide and 1,570 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,650 mm. This is 425mm longer and 150mm longer in wheelbase than the current Seagull, which measures 3,780mm long.
The presentation also revealed that it will get a more powerful 95 kW (127 hp) electric motor, compared to the 55 kW (75 hp) offered by the current Seagull.
Instead of a front motor like the current Seagull, the new model will switch to a rear-mounted electric motor.
Like many of its new vehicles, the second-generation Seagull now has a roof-mounted LiDAR. As such, it is expected to offer an ADAS system upgraded with BYD’s God’s Eye B intelligent driving system.
We’ll learn more details soon, with an official launch expected by the end of 2026. While not yet confirmed, the new Seagull is expected to offer BYD’s latest Blade 2.0 batteries and flash charging technology in more premium versions.
After its launch in China, BYD is expected to introduce a larger version abroad, probably as a variant of the Dolphin Surf and Dolphin Mini.
Source: Autohome, WORLD
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