BYD Seal Saloon (2023 - ) Electric review

Thanks to its large capacity 82kWh battery, the fitment of a heat pump as standard boosting efficiency and a good single-charge driving range of up to 350 miles, the BYD Seal should be a relatively economical car to run. That range could save many from having to stop at more costly rapid chargers during a journey, allowing owners to take advantage of cheaper domestic overnight rates. With demand for EVs continuing to grow, the Seal should be popular with private buyers and company car drivers, which could mean a positive boost for residual values even though the BYD brand is relatively new to the market. The more powerful Excellence AWD model could entice buyers away from more traditional performance saloons from brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, not to mention providing an alternative to the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

In what is a very short period in the automotive world, BYD has become the largest producer of electric vehicles globally, a feat that wouldn’t be easily achieved if it were manufacturing shoddy products. Unusually, BYD also produces a high percentage of its components in-house, unlike other manufacturers that use suppliers for big items such as batteries, motors and transmissions. This approach should help BYD manage its reliability and as the Seal is fully electric there are fewer moving parts in comparison to a car with an engine, further reducing the risk of a mechanical failure.

To ensure that the Seal meets the latest standards for safety BYD equips it with an array of systems to help drivers – and all of this safety equipment is fitted as standard across the range. This means the Seal has automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with a steering function that can steer the car back into its lane, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert to help when reversing out from a space and a 360-degree camera system to assist when parking or when in tighter confines. On Excellence models, a colour head-up display can also show the current speed limit. Unfortunately, some of the driver assistance systems, particularly the lane-keeping function, are overly sensitive and keen to intervene. In another common issue on modern cars having so much of the car’s functionality within the touch-screen can be distracting. Adjusting the cabin temperature requires interaction with the display or using the voice control, for example.

The BYD Seal’s cabin isn’t as stark as the Tesla Model 3’s, but nor is it as premium in feel as the BMW i4’s. Nonetheless, it’s a very solid effort. Underneath is a sophisticated suspension system to give the Seal a mature ride quality. For the all-wheel drive Seal, BYD further upgrades the chassis to add another layer of finesse to how it drives. By not going overboard on the wheel sizes, there is a generous amount of tyre sidewall to help soak up bumps, too, while the sports seats do a good job of holding you in place without sacrificing comfort. It’s easy to find a suitable driving position thanks to plenty of electric adjustment. The steering is light in its standard setting, and drivers can switch to a sport calibration that adds a more weighted feel. The Seal handles keenly in either mode, feeling easily manoeuvrable in an urban setting while demonstrating a fair level of feedback to the driver out on an open, winding road. Noise levels within the cabin are impressively low, thanks partly to acoustically optimised front windows that help block out road and wind noise.

The fact the 15.6-inch touchscreen can rotate through 90 degrees is a talking point to show your friends, but the novelty soon wears off. It does have a practical use for navigation in some instances, but polarised sunglasses sometimes distort the appearance of the screen. The display reacts very quickly to inputs and the native infotainment system is easy to learn your way around, mostly made up of switchable toggles for adjusting settings and modes. It is possible to use Apple CarPlay, too, though only with a wired connection, and the USB ports are awkwardly located beneath the centre console. A 10.25-inch digital instrument display has equally crisp graphics, too. Having two wireless charging pads for phones just below the display screen is useful and underneath the central armrest is a good amount of storage.

Two versions of the BYD Seal will be available from launch, both using an 82kWh battery. The Seal Design is a rear-wheel drive car with a 312 horsepower. It can accelerate from rest to 62mph in a respectable 5.9 seconds. For those seeking greater performance, the Seal Excellence features a second electric motor and all-wheel drive, bringing the total power output to 530 horsepower, slicing the zero to 62mph time to an impressive 3.8 seconds. Both cars have the same 111mph top speed. The Seal Excellence drives smoothly despite its considerable performance, especially if you stick to the Eco or Normal driving modes. It’s very easy to modulate the output of the electric motors with the accelerator pedal. Shifting to the Sport setting increases the ferocity of that power delivery. With so much torque instantly available, planting your foot at any speed will ensure your head is pressed firmly against the headrest. However, even with some enthusiastic driving, the trip computer indicated better-than-average energy consumption. While the official 323-mile range of the all-wheel-drive model might not always be attainable, it certainly is within reach. Range figures aside, the Seal is a refined car that happens to pack some serious performance.