BYD Seal – electric dream-maker

LIKE it or not, Chinese-built models will soon be dominating the UK electric car scene.

There are some serious players already here – brands like the once iconic British sports car maker MG, which is now Chinese-owned, Omoda, GWM Ora, XPENG and Jaecoo – with dozens more waiting in the wings.

But none are larger than the outfit happy to be labelled the biggest car company  nobody has heard of, BYD.

BYD actually stands for Build Your Dreams, and far from being a start-up outfit the brand has building its now considerable power base for 30 years, expanding from just 20 employees to today’s one million.

Their business, based at 30 industrial parks and 40 branches worldwide, also covers electronics, new energy and rail systems and is listed on the Stock Exchange in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

And with more than 120,000 engineers and technicians across 11 research institutions it is the automaker with the largest R&D team globally.

Although their initial UK focus was on electric buses, BYD really burst onto the scene here with the Atto 3 compact electric SUV in 2023 and has since swiftly added models like the Dolphin, Seal and Sealion 7.

Arguably the pick of the line-up, and without question the most stylish, is the all-electric executive sports saloon Seal, which comes in two variants – a rear-wheel drive single motor model called Design and a twin-motor all-wheel drive version badged Excellence.

At £48,695, our tested Excellence model costs £3,000 more than Design, though both boast some compelling features apart from that low-slung, almost menacing, profile.

For instance the single motor version has a range of 354 miles compared to the 323 of Excellence, which in turn can scorch from 0-62 in just 3.8 seconds as opposed to the Design’s 5.9 seconds. They both top out at 111mph.

The Seal is an engaging car to drive too, even in the Eco setting of the three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – while the higher spec model also gets a torque-vectoring set-up to help boost traction.

Most BYD buyers will no doubt use a home wallbox, otherwise the Seal’s battery can be charged from 30-80 per cent at a public rapid charge station in 26 minutes.

Move inside and the cabin is both upmarket and welcoming with ample room for driver and front seat passenger to stretch out plus a huge amount of rear passenger space where there are two comfortable, slightly angled, back seats, though the centre position is perched and tight.

The cabin also benefits from feeling bright and airy, largely thanks to wide side windows and a huge full-length glass roof. Rear head and legroom is also exceptional.

Oddment space comprises door bins, stowage flaps (three in each front seat back), several cup holders, a glovebox, deep lidded central container and a pair of smartphone charging trays.

Meanwhile the centre console, which BYD says is designed to resemble a seal emerging from the sea as part of the car’s ocean theme, features an easy-to-operate and rotatable 15.65-inch multimedia touchpad and there is also a 10.25-inch full instrument LCD panel. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included as standard.

It’s certainly easy enough to travel in comfort, the soft leather driver’s seat being adjustable in eight directions and (in Excellence) also having four-way adjustable lumbar support.

Due to the Seal’s design the sloping roof does hinder rear visibility, so the 360-degree panoramic camera, blind spot detection system and parking sensors are extremely welcome.

Boot space is adequate at 402 litres – sufficient for suitcases and shopping – and there is also underfloor space for cables and a 53-litre ‘frunk’ beneath the bonnet for smaller items.

Standard kit is comprehensive on both models with the like of keyless entry, electric bootlid, heated and ventilated front seats, a heat pump, dual-zone climate control, 19-inch alloy wheels and a raft of safety features all included.