One has more power and torque than a BMW M3 Competition for nearly half the price. The other is the new hot hatch king, accelerating faster than the Audi RS3.
And neither uses a single drop of petrol.
Meet the two cars that may change your mind about electric vehicles – the BYD Seal and MG4 XPower. These two Chinese-made EVs are due in Australia before the end of the year to shake up the established performance car order.
READ MORE: Can China create an iconic global car brand?
BYD unveiled the Seal and revealed its pricing in Sydney overnight, showing it off at its new ‘Megastore’ that underlines its commitment and investment in becoming a major challenger to both Tesla and the likes of Toyota, Hyundai and Mazda.
The Seal is a mid-size sedan that will be available in three different variants – Dynamic, Premium and Performance AWD. The latter is the undisputed hero of the new range, boasting a dual-motor powertrain that makes a very healthy (and M3-beating) 390kW of power and 670Nm of torque.
It takes just 3.8 seconds for the Seal Performance AWD to run 0-100km/h and it has a driving range of up to 520km.
Pricing for the new model is sharp too, with the Seal Dynamic starting at just $49,888 (plus on-road costs), which is more than $12,000 cheaper than the equivalent Tesla Model 3. The Seal Premium is priced from $58,798 and the Performance AWD will start at $68,798; again undercutting the equivalent Model 3, which costs $71,900.
Meanwhile, at MG, the new MG4 XPower has been confirmed to cost just $59,990 (plus on-road costs) making this electric hatch one of the best ‘bang for your buck’ performance cars. That’s because it will be packing 320kW and 600Nm from its dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain and will take just 3.8 seconds to run 0-100km/h.
Both models are expected to be in local showrooms by December.
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