I don’t have a home EV charger, so whenever I have an electric vehicle on test for a week I tend to spent a small chunk of it parked at public charge points. One such car that drew a fair amount attention at the various chargers I was dawdled at, was the BYD Seal, the third model to launch here from Build Your Dreams (BYD) since the brand was introduced in Ireland last year. And it’s definitely a winner.
There are two powertrain variants to choose from – ‘Design’ and an all-wheel drive ‘Excellence’. The latter is the version I recently spent seven days with. My Excellence press car was powered by the brand’s own, in-house developed 82.5 kWh Blade Battery with a power output of 390 kW and a claimed range of up to 520km, which is fairly spot on – I went almost 500km before needing to charge. BYD says other key Blade Battery features include a 30 to 80 per cent fast charging time of 26 minutes, when charged at a 150 kW DC charging point. This is also a fair claim, as I managed to get a 10 – 100 per cent charge in just under 50 minutes at an Ionity fast charger. The Excellence model is priced from €49,836, while prices begin at €44,036 for the Design model (both after government subsidies).
The stunning design of the BYD Seal makes this all-electric, D-segment saloon a head-turner. I had several EV drivers ask me about it while I was stopped for a charge. At the rear, the BYD Seal proudly flaunts its 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.8 seconds – seriously impressive, even for a battery-powered car. BYD says its Seal boasts notable features such as its smooth silhouette, low front, sloping A-pillar, rounded roof, sloping fastback and subtle upturned ducktail shape.
The BYD Seal is a comfortable ride. Soft and firm padded front seats have a sporty appearance – the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable in eight directions with four-way power-adjustable lumbar support. Occupants can also count on plenty of light in the interior thanks to an oversized panoramic sunroof. Front doors are fitted with double layered laminated glass for excellent sound and heat insulation. Rear doors feature privacy glass, providing enhanced shade and privacy. Storage is amply provided: the luggage compartment of 400 litres is supplemented by a 53-litre under-bonnet space and more than 20 interior spaces. In addition to a centre armrest box, open-storage space and a wireless charging point for two mobile phones is provided beneath the sub-dash.
The 15.6-inch rotatable screen is the same as in the BYD Atto 3 and Dolphin. It’s easy to use and learn, but there are probably too many sub menus to navigate, particularly from a driver-distraction point of view. It does have an intelligent voice control function and smartphone integration via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. This is partnered with a 10.25-inch LCD full instrument panel, and a 12-speaker Dynaudio Performance Audio System.
The BYD Seal is a direct rival to the popular Tesla Model 3, which it beats on price, and in my opinion, looks and comfort. It gets my Seal of approval.
