Forget the Tesla Model Y: 2024 BYD Seal U locked in for launch with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Nissan X-Trail e-Power and Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid in its sights

BYD has confirmed what we have long suspected – that the plug-in hybrid SUV that will take on everything from the Toyota RAV4 to the Mitsubishi Outlander will be the Seal U, which will launch within the next four months.

The brand has long since confirmed a new SUV featuring BYD's DM-i plug-in hybrid technology would launch in the second quarter of 2024, but local executives had stopped short of confirming it was the Seal U.

But new EVDirect CEO David Smitherman locked in the model today as one of four model launches coming in 2024.

“BYD is the most exciting automotive brand in the world, we have huge plans for 2024 and our product portfolio. The Dolphin, Seal and Atto3 will be complemented by the hotly anticipated Seal U in Q2 and a further three product launches before the end of 2024,” he said in a release.

One of those launches is the promised BYD ute, again a plug-in hybrid.

The Seal U is expected to combine a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 81kW with a 145kW electric motor, and a 18.3kWh lithium-ion battery. BYD says you can expect a sizeable 100km EV-only driving range.

The model would be BYD's most mainstream vehicle to date, launching into one of the county's most popular vehicle segments. Importantly, it's also a sizeable SUV - meaning ample space for passengers and cargo - with its reported dimensions coming in at 4785mm long, 1890mm wide and 1660mm tall, and with a wheelbase of 2765mm, and inside you can expect BYD's 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen.

"It is the best of both worlds – 100kms range on pure electric, and then switch over to the dual-motor technology. So we're going to have a vehicle of circa-1000kms, if not more range, but when you're driving around the city you'll be fully electric," EVDirect founder Luke Todd has said of DM-i tech.

The BYD Seal U has already been spotted testing in Australia, with a local launch imminent.