The BYD Seal EV is fast and great fun to drive. It comes with plenty of equipment, too, but the touchscreen-dominated controls are too tricky to use on the move.
Is the BYD Seal a good car?
The BYD Seal is a bit like the kid who joins the school halfway through Year 11 and yet finishes the year as rugby captain, prefect and top of the exam tables. You see, while BYD has only been selling cars in the UK since summer 2023, the Seal is an electric saloon car that displays maturity and ability that you’d expect from a highly established European manufacturer.
In fact, in many ways it’s actually an improvement on the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 which constitute its two closest alternatives. Other electric cars you might consider are the Polestar 2 and BMW i4.
While BYD may have launched the Sealion 7 and Seal U in the years since, the Seal is still a better car than either. Ignore the slightly odd naming convention for a while, though, and focus for a second on the styling – which is great. The Seal is a similar shape to the Tesla Model 3, being a saloon car with a dropped snout and rounded roofline – but it has more intricate detailing around the headlights and a neat lightbar at the rear. It’s a bit less anonymous than the Tesla without being too glam.
On the inside, though, it’s like BYD’s stylists took one look at Tesla’s minimalist approach and simply said ‘no, thank you’. The dashboard is very distinctive as a result, with air vents that seamlessly mould into full-width panels running across the cabin. There are posh quilted seats and a panel of switchgear in the centre. It all feels quite upmarket, if unconventional.
