► CAR magazine’s final report on life with a BYD Seal
► We’ve lived with two different versions
► Read month 5 here
At the start of this six-month test of a BYD Seal, I had said the mission was to find out if our initial positivity about it was more than skin deep.
I kept an open mind, having had mixed experiences of BYD before. The Dolphin hatchback felt like it was only competitive in certain versions, and the Seal U DM-i plug-in hybrid I road tested felt extremely soggy and bland. But, in the Seal’s case, it had come an extremely close second in a test against a Model 3 and a Polestar 2 in a test conducted by CAR’s unofficial Chief Helmsman, Ben Barry. High praise, then.
During the last six months, I’ve ran not one but two Seals – a blue all-wheel drive Excellence and then swapping at month 4 this green rear-wheel drive Design – and I can safely say that both have been among the most impressive EVs I’ve ever spent time with. Its relatively anonymous looks hide a fabulously appointed interior, with thick and soft seats and a driving position to die for. The ride was a good balance, offering a bit of cushioning on longer, high-speed drives without being too sloppy and the steering feels alert and communicative.
Performance has been plentiful, too. As said in previous reports, even the ‘slower’ Design version with its single motor wasn’t exactly lacking in shove – to the point that I’d suggest going for that one over the Excellence model. For that, you get a smidge more range and £5k off the price, making this even more competitive up against a similarly-specced Model 3 or Polestar 2.
Is it perfect? No. There are some weird quirks to the infotainment, like the daft rotating screen and some frustratingly fiddly swipes and taps needed to change the climate control or safety aids. Having no easily accessible switch for the regenerative braking meant I left it in one mode almost the entire time I had the car. And, despite two software updates, the cross-traffic alert was borderline terrified of roundabouts, and I’d personally prefer it to be a hatchback like Tim’s ID.7, too.
To top off the negatives, on a recent long-distance 200-mile motorway run in freezing temperatures, I needed to charge before I arrived. During the same trip, it had also struggled to charge quickly in sub-zero temperatures. But that seemed like a blip, in what was a car that would reliably get 300 miles to a charge and had charged quickly every other time I needed it to. I’ve not had the greatest efficiency, either, but I can chalk some of that up to my own propensity not to use cruise control on longer drives.
Not perfect then. And yet, overall, the Seal has become one of the best long-term test cars I’ve ever ran – up there with an Audi R8 Spyder (for obvious reasons) a VW Up GTI and a Mazda 3. The Seal has felt closest to how I felt running the Mazda, in that it was just very good at what it was designed to do, felt like a quality product and was perhaps more likely to be overlooked in favour of its competition.
Your eyebrow might raise at the price, given the stereotype of Chinese car makers usually being cheaper than the rest of the competition. With the Seal and BYD, I don’t think the aim is to undercut on price, it’s to offer more or better for similar cash. And if you asked me which I’d rather have: this, a Model 3 or a Polestar 2 – it would be this. The Polestar 2, post-facelift, still rides like it’s wearing leaf springs and the tech feels almost obstinately fiddly in places. The Model 3, meanwhile, doesn’t feel as well put together as the Seal’s does. And that’s even before we get to the image problem now bubbling in the background.
In the market for a car this size? I urge you to at least give the Seal the time of day. If you do, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Logbook: BYD Seal (month 6)
Price: £45,695 (£46,571 as tested)
Performance: 82.5kWh battery, single e-motors, 308bhp, 5.9sec 0-62mph, 112mph
Efficiency: 3.4 miles per kWh (official), 2.66 miles per kWh (tested)
Range: 354 miles (official), 342 miles (tested)
Energy cost: 5.8p per mile
Miles this month: 650
Total miles: 3070