Filenews 25 May 2025 - by Charalambos Zakos
The Chinese automaker BYD is making its official entry into the Cypriot market with three models, through the Alpan Group, a member of the Sfakianakis Group. In this context, the company's first showroom in Nicosia is expected to open its doors in the coming days, while the second will be operational in June in Limassol.
The investment for the implementation of the two showrooms amounts to approximately €2 million. According to company representatives, Cyprus becomes the first country in the European Union to implement the new concept designed by BYD for its showrooms, differentiating from traditional operating standards.
The first showroom opens towards the end of May on 28th October Avenue, in Makedonitissa, next to the Electroline store, which also belongs to the Sfakianakis Group.
The company's second showroom is scheduled to open in June, in the area of Agios Athanasios, in Limassol. It should be noted that the BYD workshop will operate in the near future in the Tseri area.
Pick-up without delay
According to Alpan Group executives, the first sales of BYD's electric and hybrid vehicles in Cyprus can start immediately, as there is already available inventory. At the same time, in case of increased demand, it is assured that the company has the ability to immediately order and import new vehicles within a few days.
If this operating model is confirmed in practice, it is estimated that it will differentiate the company from the competition, as all buyers wish to receive their new vehicle without long delays, avoiding the long wait that is observed in many cases.
He wants first place in Cyprus
Last week we were in Athens to drive the first BYD models that will come to the island. Apart from the technical characteristics of the cars, what stands out at first glance is the design line, but also the quality of the materials used by the company to manufacture the cars.
Essentially, the first impression one gets from looking at BYD's models up close is that the company has gone beyond the stereotype of "made in China", which in many cases was accompanied in the past by negative prejudices regarding manufacturing quality.
The interior of cars can be likened to a saloon, while the quality of the materials competes – perhaps even surpassed – much more expensive models of traditional European car manufacturers.
The driving experience they offer moves to impressive levels, with a sense of quality, precision in response and comfort that one finds in more expensive models. In particular, during the road test, our cars offered confidence, offering a sense of total control and stability.
Although the prices of BYD's cars in Cyprus have not yet been officially announced, however, representatives of the company hint that they will be fully competitive. According to the same sources, the prices are expected to cause a sensation and a small "electric shock" in the Cypriot car market.
Characteristic of BYD's ambitions for the Cypriot market was the statement of Stavros Takis, CEO of the Sfakianakis Group – to which Alpan Group belongs – during the presentation of the company's models in Athens. As he said, the company's goal is to conquer the first place in vehicle sales in Cyprus.
The three models in Cyprus
Cyprus will have three BYD models for sale immediately, while more models will be added in the process. Two of them are purely electric, while one is plug-in hybrid.
More specifically:
- The BYD SEAL, the new all-electric D-Class sedan, is launched in the Cypriot market, which is available in two versions: the Design with rear-wheel drive and 313 hp, and the Excellence-AWD with all-wheel drive and a combined power of 530 hp. Acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h is achieved in 5.9 seconds for the Design version and just 3.8 seconds for the all-wheel drive version. The range is 570 kilometers in the combined WLTP cycle, while in the AWD version it reaches 520 kilometers. The model incorporates Cell-to-Body technology, BYD's Blade Battery and is based on the advanced e-Platform 3.0 platform, combining safety, performance and driving dynamics.
- The second model to be sold in Cyprus is the BYD SEALION 7, which is also pure electric but is a mid-range SUV. The version with an electric motor and rear-wheel drive delivers 313 horsepower, accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and offers a range of up to 550 km (WLTP). The most powerful version with two electric motors and all-wheel drive reaches 530 hp, with an acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and a range of up to 520 kilometers. Both versions support DC fast charging of up to 230 kW.
- The third model that will be immediately available in Cyprus is the BYD SEAL U DM-i, the company's first plug-in hybrid SUV with Super DM technology. It is available in two versions: Boost with front-wheel drive and Design with all-wheel drive. The Boost version delivers 218 horsepower, offers a purely electric range of 80 kilometers and a total range of 1,080 km. (WLTP). The Design version reaches 324 hp, accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and offers a purely electric range of 70 kilometers, with a total range of 870 km. Both versions are equipped with the 18.3 kWh Blade Battery and support 11 kW AC charging and DC charging up to 18 kW.
