Tesla Model Y vs BYD Sealion 7: the duel in Belgium

For a Belgian family that covers a lot of ground, the Tesla Model Y remains the rational choice: 12.7 kWh/100 km on the WLTP cycle against roughly 16.6 for the BYD Sealion 7, and an entry ticket at EUR 39,990. The Sealion 7 replies with standard equipment, six years of vehicle warranty and a battery covered up to 250,000 km.

Tesla Model Y or BYD Sealion 7: which one for a Belgian family?

The Model Y beyond 20,000 km a year, above all if the motorway dominates. The Sealion 7 under 15,000 km a year, in town and on A-roads, when long warranty cover weighs more than efficiency. Both hold a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

The table below cross-references the best-selling versions of each model on the Belgian market, with list prices recorded in August 2026.

The Model Y also exists in entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive form at EUR 39,990, but with a shorter battery: it is not the Sealion 7's direct rival. BYD does not publish WLTP consumption figures for its SUV, so we calculated them from battery capacity and homologated range (80 kWh usable for 482 km in Comfort, 91.3 kWh for 502 km in Excellence). It is an approximation, but it gives the right order of magnitude.

What do they really cost on the Belgian price list?

The Model Y opens at EUR 39,990 in Rear-Wheel Drive, the Sealion 7 at EUR 48,990 in Comfort. But BYD advertises discounts, which Tesla does not: EUR 2,449 on the Comfort in August 2026, EUR 3,954 on the Excellence.

On the Belgian market the Model Y range has four levels according to the list prices published by Moniteur Automobile: EUR 39,990 in Rear-Wheel Drive, EUR 50,990 in Premium Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, EUR 53,990 in Premium Long Range All-Wheel Drive and EUR 62,990 in Performance. The entry ticket therefore sits EUR 9,000 below the first Sealion 7, but it is not the same car: the base Rear-Wheel Drive is the short-range version.

On the BYD side, the brand's Belgian configurator shows three trims and, above all, a commercial discount valid from 1 to 31 August 2026: the Comfort drops to EUR 46,540, the Design to EUR 49,650 and the Excellence to EUR 52,536, excluding delivery costs. What we would avoid: signing on the strength of a discount whose validity date has expired, because these campaigns change every month.

The number that counts: at EUR 46,540 discounted, the Sealion 7 Comfort and its 482 km line up against a Model Y Premium Long Range at EUR 50,990 and 622 km. Four thousand euros apart for 140 km more homologated range.

What real-world range can you expect on Belgian roads?

Around 400 km in mixed use for the Sealion 7, more for the Model Y. The 482 to 502 km BYD claims on the WLTP cycle melt down to 325 km as soon as you stay on the motorway, and that is a measured figure, not an estimate.

The Automobile Propre Supertest on the Sealion 7 gives the exact conditions, which is rare: 22.6 kWh/100 km at the end of a 100 km mixed loop at 13 degrees C, between 16.5 and 20 kWh/100 km in summer use, and 15.4 kWh/100 km in urban eco-driving with regeneration set to high. In practice, that means 400 to 485 km depending on the route in summer.

The protocol matters more than the number. A test run at 13 degrees C is nothing like a winter test: at 2 degrees C on the E411 on a January morning, the heat pump and preheating elements easily add 15 to 20 % to consumption. We covered that effect in our analysis of the real-world range of electric SUVs in the Belgian winter.

Which one uses less energy on the motorway?

The Model Y, by a wide margin. Supertest measurements give 18.9 kWh/100 km to the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive on the motorway route against 28.1 kWh/100 km to the Sealion 7. Nine kilowatt-hours per 100 km is the real difference between these two SUVs.

The explanation lies in aerodynamics and weight. The Sealion 7 pushes 2.4 tonnes in Excellence trim and carries a taller body, where the Model Y was drawn around its drag area. BYD's LFP Blade battery, remarkable on safety and lifespan, is also less energy-dense than an NMC chemistry: for the same usable capacity, it weighs more.

What that costs in Belgium: over 100 km of motorway, a 9.2 kWh gap billed at around EUR 0.59/kWh on public fast chargers works out at EUR 5.43. A household covering 10,000 km of motorway a year therefore pays roughly EUR 540 more with the Sealion 7. Over six years of ownership that approaches EUR 3,200, more than the list-price gap between the two cars. If you charge at home at EUR 0.35/kWh, the gap falls to about EUR 320 a year. The home charger question stays central, as in our comparison of electric SUVs for a household with no home charger.

What warranty and what network sits behind each brand?

Advantage BYD, without argument. The Chinese manufacturer covers the vehicle for 6 years and has raised its Blade battery warranty to 8 years or 250,000 km, retroactively. Tesla sticks to 4 years or 80,000 km on the vehicle and 8 years or 160,000 km on the battery of a Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive.

For a household buying its first electric car and planning to keep it eight to ten years, that difference is concrete. Eighty thousand kilometres of vehicle warranty is three to four years of normal family use in Belgium. Past that point, any incident outside the battery is on you at Tesla, while the BYD stays covered two years longer. BYD also claims a two-year service interval, against an annual check recommended by most rivals.

And resale in five years?

This is the Sealion 7's weak point and it needs saying plainly. BYD has only been distributed in Belgium since late 2024, through Inchcape, and the used-car value of a recent brand on a market where nobody has resold one yet remains an unknown. The Model Y, by contrast, has a track record of residual values and a dense Supercharger network. We covered that question in depth in our feature on Chinese SUVs in Belgium.

Boot and cabin space: the gap in litres

The Sealion 7 claims 520 L, expandable to 1,789 L with the seats folded. Tesla claims 854 L for the Model Y and more than 2,000 L once the bench is down. Careful: the two manufacturers do not measure the same way.

The Tesla figure includes the underfloor storage, the front boot and a measurement up to the roof, where BYD sticks to a more conventional volume under the parcel shelf. Tape measure in hand, the real difference in floor length is around ten centimetres in the Model Y's favour, not double. Both swallow a pushchair, two cabin cases and a shopping run without argument.

Where the Sealion 7 scores is on board: ventilated and heated Nappa leather upholstery as standard on the higher trims, a 15.6-inch rotating screen, a V2L function to power an external appliance, and a full suite of driver assistance systems with no options to tick. The Model Y plays it sober, with software ergonomics and far less perceived material for the same money.

Should you look at a Kia EV3 instead?

If you do not need the size, yes. The Kia EV3 Business with the 81.4 kWh battery is listed at EUR 41,990 incl. VAT on the Belgian Kia price list and claims up to 605 km WLTP, more than the Model Y Premium and the Sealion 7 Excellence.

The trade-off is space: a 460 L boot and the dimensions of a compact SUV. For a family of four with a dog or sports kit, the EV3 gets tight where the Model Y and the Sealion 7 stay comfortable. The Belgian range starts at EUR 37,990 in Business 58.3 kWh (436 km WLTP), rises to EUR 46,490 in Business Plus and tops out at EUR 51,090 in GT-Line.

In practice, that gives three clear profiles. A couple or a family with one child gets a good deal with the EV3 in 81.4 kWh. A family of four covering a lot of kilometres takes the Model Y. A family of four that drives little and wants perceived comfort takes the discounted Sealion 7. The full segment ranking is in our comparison of the best electric SUVs in Belgium.

What we would avoid in this duel

To avoid first: buying the Sealion 7 to cover 25,000 km of motorway a year. At 28.1 kWh/100 km measured and 325 km of real range, a Brussels-Strasbourg run means one more charging stop than with a Model Y Long Range, and the annual bill climbs by several hundred euros.

Second trap: comparing the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive at EUR 39,990 with the Sealion 7 Comfort at EUR 48,990 and concluding that the Tesla is nine thousand euros cheaper. The entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive does not have the long-range battery; the honest comparison runs between the Premium Long Range at EUR 50,990 and the Sealion 7 Comfort, and there the gap falls to two thousand euros.

Third trap: overlooking the charging question. With no charging point at home, the consumption gap between the two cars is paid at public rates, close to double the Belgian residential tariff. The electricity budget then becomes the first point of difference, well ahead of the purchase price. For a first move to electric on a tight budget, our selection of affordable family electric SUVs offers other options.

Frequently asked questions

Tesla Model Y or BYD Sealion 7: which one to choose in Belgium? The Model Y if you cover more than 20,000 km a year with a lot of motorway: it uses around 9 kWh less per 100 km at steady speed, which changes everything on a Brussels-Luxembourg run. The Sealion 7 if you drive under 15,000 km, mainly in town and on A-roads, and long warranty cover matters more to you than efficiency. At high mileage the Tesla takes back the advantage within a few years.

How much does a BYD Sealion 7 cost in Belgium? The Belgian list price puts the Sealion 7 Comfort at EUR 48,990 incl. VAT, the Design at EUR 51,990 and the Excellence at EUR 56,490. For August 2026 BYD Belgium is showing commercial discounts of EUR 2,449, EUR 2,340 and EUR 3,954 depending on the trim, which brings the Comfort down to EUR 46,540 and the Excellence to EUR 52,536, excluding delivery costs. These offers are dated: check they are still valid before signing.

What is the real-world range of a BYD Sealion 7? Budget around 400 km on a mixed route and 325 km on the motorway. The Automobile Propre Supertest recorded 22.6 kWh/100 km on a 100 km mixed loop at 13 degrees C, and 28.1 kWh/100 km over 500 km of motorway. WLTP homologation claims 482 km in Comfort, 456 km in Design and 502 km in Excellence. In a Belgian winter, count on 300 to 400 km depending on the type of road.

Does the Tesla Model Y really use less energy? Yes, and the gap is clear. The Model Y Premium Long Range is homologated at 12.7 kWh/100 km for 622 km WLTP. A Sealion 7 Comfort needs around 16.6 kWh/100 km to cover its 482 km, close to 30 % more energy per kilometre. On the motorway, Supertest readings give 18.9 kWh/100 km to the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive against 28.1 to the Sealion 7.

What warranty does BYD offer compared with Tesla? BYD covers the vehicle for 6 years and has extended its Blade battery warranty to 8 years or 250,000 km, retroactively for European customers. Tesla applies 4 years or 80,000 km on the vehicle and 8 years or 160,000 km on the battery and drive unit of a Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive. For a household keeping the car ten years, that is the Chinese brand's strongest argument.

How much tax does an electric SUV cost in Belgium? Very little to run. A Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive is listed at EUR 61.50 of registration tax and EUR 92.93 of annual road tax in Brussels according to Moniteur Automobile, electric cars benefiting from the floor rate. As a company car, the monthly benefit in kind on that same Model Y works out at EUR 142.83, against EUR 188.54 for the Premium Long Range all-wheel-drive version.

Should you buy a Kia EV3 instead for the same budget? That is the real question if you do not need the size. The Kia EV3 Business with the 81.4 kWh battery is listed at EUR 41,990 incl. VAT on the Belgian price list and claims up to 605 km WLTP, more than the Model Y Premium and the Sealion 7. In exchange you lose space: a 460 L boot and the dimensions of a compact SUV, not a family car. For two children and a dog, the Model Y remains the more practical load carrier.