BYD Sealion 7 Print History In Japan, Becomes The Best Imported Car RJC 2026

JAKARTA BYD has again recorded interesting achievements at home to a number of global automotive manufacturers. The electric vehicle manufacturer from China officially won the "35th RJC Import Car of the Year 2026" award for the BYD Sealion 7 (SALION 07 EV) model, as announced through the X BYD Global account today, November 19, 2025.

The prestigious award from Japan's Automotive Researchers & Journalists Conference (RJC) has a big weight in Sakura Country, because the assessment was carried out by independent automotive journalists and researchers. What makes this achievement even more historic is the fact that Sealion 7 was the first car from China to win the category since this award was held. The previous year, BYD also won the RJC Technology of the Year title for the SEALed BYD sedan model.

Performance And Technology Are The Key To Victory

RJC assesses Sealion 7 as a vehicle capable of presenting an ideal combination of high performance, driving comfort, and electric vehicle technology innovation. Several aspects that received appreciation include:

Machine Performance: Carrying the dual AWD motorcycle configuration, this model is capable of accelerating 0100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, faster than the Tesla Model Y which is in the range of 4.8 seconds.

Battery Capacity and Tempuh Distance: Using Blade Battery technology, Sealion 7 records a distance of more than 590 km.

The CTB (Cell-to-Body) structure: Battery unification technology to the body structure provides a high stiffness and more stable handling.

Security: Equipped with the latest active and passive safety features, including collidement avoidance and driver fatigue monitoring, and has won a five-star assessment of Euro NCAP.

Cabinet comfort: Interior is equipped with a 15.6-inch screen, zero-gravity seats, to a Dynaudio 12-speaker audio system. For the Japanese market, this model also gets a refinement of the handling to match the character of the local urban road.

Exterior Design: Present as a midsize crossover with a length of 4,830 mm, Sealion 7 adopts futuristic design language Ocean X, including Y-shape LED lights and 20-inch rims.

Marketed starting from 4.9 million yen or around Rp526 million, Sealion 7 immediately attracted Japanese consumer interest. It was recorded that more than 1,200 units were ordered in six months since its introduction in April 2025. A more competitive price than the Tesla Model Y, with competing specifications even superior to certain aspects, became one of the main attractions.

The Sealion 7 victory confirms BYD's position as a strong player in the Japanese market, as well as marks a shift in consumer preferences in countries that have tended to be protective against imported automotive products.