BYD

Seal

The BYD Seal is a luxuriously-styled, all-electric saloon car that offers dynamic handling, a great driving range and it won’t break the bank either. It’s available in two generously-equipped trim levels called Design and Excellence with the choice of rear or all-wheel drive.

The good

Styling, handling, range and price

The bad

Glare on screens if driving on a bright day

Tech Specs

Price from

£45,695

Combined Fuel up to

354 miles range

0-62 from

3.8 seconds

max speed up to

111mph

co2 from

0g/km

Test Drive

BYD Seal – First Drive (2023)

BYD may not be a brand name that immediately springs to mind when looking for a new car, but the Chinese company is certainly making quite an impact here in the UK.

It stands for Build Your Dreams and since March this year the carmaker has launched three new all-electric models into the mix.

Initially we had the Atto 3 SUV followed by the Dolphin hatchback, but now we are seeing the arrival of the car we’ve all been waiting for – the BYD Seal, which is an executively styled four-door saloon.

BYD is by no means a newcomer to the industry and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of new energy vehicles. It employs 90,000 engineers, has 15 patents authorised each and every day and supplies parts for the likes of Sony, Google, Nokia and LG. Half the Apple iPads in the world have some input from BYD and one fifth of mobile phones globally feature a BYD part too.

But back to the Seal which is available in two trims. The Design version features a single motor for rear-wheel drive and costs £45,695, while the Excellence grade has two motors (one on each axle) for all-wheel drive and this model is priced at £48,695.

Both vehicles deliver impressive range between charges with a WLTP-tested 354 miles for the Seal Design and 323 miles for the Seal Excellence. And both are equipped with the same 82.5kWh battery developed, not surprisingly, by BYD.

It’s worth going into a little bit more depth about this battery technology as it is 100 per cent cobalt-free and it uses ground-breaking technology to offer new levels of safety, performance and durability. During its development it was put through the most stringent tests such as being bent, crushed, overcharged by 260 per cent and heated in a furnace at 300 degrees centigrade. None of these tests resulted in a fire or explosion. So undeniably an area of expertise for BYD then.

The Seal is definitely an attention-grabber with sleek, yet dynamic  streamlining. The front end has a Porsche look about it but introduces an X-styled face that takes its inspiration from the ocean.

Eye-catching features include integrated LED headlights with distinctive daytime running lights, door handles that are flush to the body, a low bonnet, sloping roofline, angled A pillars, a panoramic sunroof, a full width rear light bar, dot matrix taillights and two-tone 19-inch alloy wheels.

The interior has a high-end, premium feel about it with seats that are finished in leather and feature intricate stitching. They can be heated or ventilated and are powered for added convenience. The steering wheel can also be warmed to fend off the winter blues.

The main focal point is a centrally-positioned 15.65-inch infotainment screen which acts as the car’s nerve centre. It can be rotated at the push of a button to be viewed in either portrait or landscape guise and this is the access point to the likes of the sat nav, smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a pitch-perfect 12-speaker Dynaudio Performance sound system with DAB radio and lots more besides.

Behind the steering wheel is a 10.25-inch driver information display with all the vital data such as speed, battery charge levels and remaining range. And there is the ‘Hey BYD’ voice assistant that can help with a number of tasks without causing any driver distraction.

Light floods into the cabin via the panoramic sunroof, but it can cause some glare issues on the screen readouts as there is no shade option for brighter days.

It was the range-topping Seal Excellence that we tested on a varied route and it certainly copes very well when put through its paces. With a total output of 530PS, the AWD Seal can power its way to 62mph from a standing start in just 3.8 seconds and tops out at 111mph. There is a badge on the back of the car that reads 3.8s and this is a nod to the rapid sprint time.

It’s a very capable motorway cruiser eating up the miles with ease, but is deceptively agile when faced with more testing B roads complete with lots of twists and turns. Thanks to its low centre of gravity and advanced intelligent torque control set-up, the car is exceptionally well balanced no matter how enthusiastically it is pushed into corners.

There are drive modes called Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow that alter the driving characteristic of the vehicle accordingly and it is also possible to adjust the steering and braking strengths with two separate settings for regenerative braking.

The suspension system seems to be ideal for the UK’s pitted roads and the cabin is well insulated to protect occupants from any outside noise.

On the downside, the Seal does tend to beep quite a lot, mainly due to the wealth of safety features and driver assistance aids, but these sounds can be turned off quite easily.

The Seal stretches 4.8 metres in length and there is bundles of space up front for a couple of six footers to sit comfortably. Rear legroom is also generous and the completely flat floor is a bonus for anyone asked to sit in the middle seat. While the sunroof does not impact on head room, the sloping roof design of the car means taller passengers in the back may find their hair brushing against the headlining.

The boot has a 400-litre capacity and there is a further 53 litres of space beneath the bonnet. In addition, throughout the cabin is a large central cubby, glovebox, door bins, cup holders, a double charging pad and a large storage area beneath the centre console. This is where the USB ports are located although getting to them can be a bit awkward.

When it comes to charging the 82.5kWh battery, the BYD Seal offers an 11kW 3-phase on-board charger for AC charging as standard. But it can also be fast charged with a maximum of 150kW and this will see a 30 to 80 per cent boost in 26 minutes.

When you also factor in the generous range of safety tech that helped the BYD Seal gain a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, this newcomer is likely to make quite an impression in the sector, provided potential customers can get over any badge snobbery issues of course.