BYD will bring its second SUV to India in 2025, may be introduced at India Mobility Global Expo

After making its debut a few years ago, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Build Your Dreams (BYD) is now looking to expand its sales in India. Next month, BYD will launch a new variant of its MPV, the eMax 7, while demand for its two other models, the Atto 3 SUV and the Seal sedan, continues to remain strong. However, BYD intends to further expand its customer base by adding a second SUV in 2025, and it is likely that the company’s fourth model for our market will make its India debut at the India Mobility Global Expo, which begins on January 17, 2025. In a conversation with CarandBike, a senior company official confirmed that BYD is exploring its options for the Rs 20-Rs 50 lakh SUV market.

Also Read: BYD eMAX 7 Electric MPV To Be Launched In India On October 8

“As the Indian market and Indian consumers want it, an SUV is definitely on the cards. We are strongly focused on our upcoming MPV (eMax 7) at the moment, and we want it to be a success as soon as possible. As for what comes next, it should be an SUV. We are looking at a few options. By the time the (India Mobility Global) Expo happens, we should be in a position to confirm the model. We are looking at introducing the new SUV in the price range of Rs 20 to Rs 50 lakh,” Rajeev Chauhan, head of electric passenger vehicles (EPV) business at BYD India, said in a conversation with CarandBike.

BYD India head Rajeev Chauhan says the company is keen to maintain its image as a maker of pure-electric vehicles in the near future

BYD currently has one SUV in its portfolio, the five-seater Atto 3, priced between Rs. 24.99 lakh and Rs. 33.99 lakh (ex-showroom). CarandBike understands that one of the SUVs under consideration for the Indian market is the BYD Seal U (sold as the Song Plus EV in China), which is much larger than the Atto 3, and also has a bigger battery and higher range. Available with 71.8 kWh and 87 kWh LFP ‘Blade’ battery options overseas, the Seal U is closer in size to the Volkswagen Tiguan and Hyundai Tucson, and has a range of over 500 km (WLTP).

Chauhan said BYD will participate in the upcoming India Mobility Global Expo “in a big way”, much bigger than its vehicle display at the 2023 Auto Expo this year. On the subject of launching hybrids, Chauhan said the company is keeping a close eye on the demand for hybrid cars, but in the near future it intends to maintain its position as a brand that sells only pure-electric cars.

“If (hybrid cars) start making a business case for us, we will be ready. But right now, we want to focus on our electric portfolio,” Chauhan said about the possibility of introducing cars with BYD’s DM-i hybrid technology in India.

The Seal U with its 87 kWh battery has a range of over 500 km (WLTP)

Like the Atto 3 and Seal, the eMAX 7 will also be brought to India as a full import. BYD sold 1,250 cars of the five-seat e6 MPV in 2023, which is being replaced with the three-row eMax 7, most of which were picked up by fleet operators. However, Chauhan hopes that the eMax 7’s bigger features – including a sunroof – will increase the MPV’s appeal to private-use buyers as well. The eMax 7 will be launched in India on October 8, with prices expected to range from Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh (ex-showroom).