Review – BYD Seal

The last Chinese car I drove was about 10 years ago: the Great Wall Motors Steed pickup. It was neither great nor possessed the athleticism of a thoroughbred horse. Built like a tank, its ruggedness was its only redeeming feature. However, it was by no means a harbinger of the advancements we see today from China. Fast forward nearly a decade, and much has changed. Back then, companies like Volkswagen were firmly committed to a future centred on diesel technology. With legacy engine technology plateauing, Volkswagen instead chose to focus on developments that ultimately culminated in the Dieselgate scandal.

Meanwhile, China took a different path, choosing to revolutionize the industry by committing to electric vehicles and the necessary supporting infrastructure.

While legacy European automakers scoffed at China’s ambitions behind closed doors, the tables have turned. Now, China leads not only in EV powertrains and battery technology but across the entire EV manufacturing cycle. It’s often called vertical integration, and they’re doing it better and cheaper than European legacy manufacturers could have imagined.

BYD, established in 2003, now produces and sells over 3 million vehicles annually, primarily within its domestic market. By contrast, Jaguar Cars, founded in 1935, is a long-forgotten storied brand that no longer manufactures vehicles. It clings to a vision of rebirth as a luxury EV-only brand. With that brief history lesson out of the way, let’s dive into the car itself.

The Exterior

Apparently, the BYD Seal’s exterior design is inspired by the ocean… OK. In reality, it owes much to Wolfgang Egger, an industrial designer with a résumé that includes work for Alfa Romeo, Audi, and Lamborghini, among others.

The Seal boasts clean, flowing lines and a well-proportioned silhouette. It’s neither overly striking nor completely nondescript—like a well-groomed colleague who pairs a sleek hairstyle and designer glasses with a suit from Zara. But you know what? I like it—it works for me.

The Interior

With its flowing, curved lines, the interior design clearly draws inspiration from the ocean. However, an overabundance of curves can quickly overwhelm the senses and risk becoming dated. That said, the minimalist design maturity delivers a rewarding experience behind the wheel.

Interior space is generous in the front, though the side bolstering on the seats could benefit from being slightly reduced. Rear-seat passengers are well accommodated, but at 180 cm tall, I found headroom just about sufficient for my height. While knee room is more than adequate, there’s no footwell space beneath the driver’s or passenger’s seat, which forces you to sit slightly side-saddle.

Boot space stands at 400 liters—not class-leading—but the rear seats feature a 40/60 split-fold design, adding a degree of practicality. What’s truly noticeable, though, is how impeccably the Seal is assembled, both inside and out. Stepping into the cabin feels premium and verges on the luxurious in a way that BMW and Mercedes once epitomized.

The quilted and leather-clad seats exude quality, the switchgear feels solid, and the choice of materials—including the harder plastics—is impressively high-grade as is the fit and finish. The standard kit is exceptionally high featuring the latest in active and passive safety technology, it even has an alcohol detection system. Not going to detail all the specs but if you had like-for-like specs in a BMW 5 Series it would probably add an extra £20K to the list price.

The Infotainment System

The infotainment system’s design language seems more inspired by Tesla than by the ocean. It’s clean, crisp, and serious, with no playful touches like clapping seals to match the car’s name.

As with most infotainment systems, navigating through menus and submenus can be a convoluted process. The Seal’s system is no exception and demands the same mental gymnastics as its competitors. A notable omission is the lack of a movable digital shortcut key for heating controls, which would have improved ease of use.

That said, you quickly acclimate to the software, and operating it soon becomes second nature. If all else fails, the voice command functionality is excellent, especially for tasks like adjusting the temperature—voice control has never worked this well.

The Ride

With a heavy electric car, I’m just as interested in ride comfort as I am in handling. On both fronts, the BYD Seal impresses.

Riding on 19-inch alloy wheels, the Seal exudes a firm yet supple ride quality enough to easily handle the worst of the UK’s roads. Indeed the ride is on par with anything you get from the German tribes of car manufacturers.

The Drive

The BYD Seal is available in two trims: the single-motor RWD Design, priced at £45,000, and the dual-motor AWD Excellence, which retails for £48,000. Both trims are equipped with an 83kWh battery pack, though the Design trim is detuned to deliver 320 bhp, while the Excellence unleashes the full 530 bhp.

I can confidently say that the Design trim provides more than enough power. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds—not bad at all. However, the initial burst of torque feels even more ferocious and quicker than the numbers suggest.

The handling exceeded my expectations. There is minimal body roll when cornering at high speeds, and the chassis feels secure and well-planted. That said, it felt slightly skittish during motorway cruising, likely due to the overly light steering, which lacked feedback and tactile feel.

Another issue lies with the brakes. At low speeds—around 10–20 mph—the brake pedal becomes hypersensitive, where a small touch feels akin to emergency braking. Under normal driving conditions, the brakes operate as expected, and in most cases, you’ll rely on regenerative braking. A simple software update could resolve the low-speed braking sensitivity. However, the bigger question is why BYD deemed this hypersensitive low-speed braking acceptable for retail consumers in the first place.

The Range

Range has long been a sticking point for EVs—or at least it was. In just the last few years, battery technology and software engineering have made significant strides. Many modern EVs can now achieve over 300 miles of range.

Still, it’s worth noting that WLTP range figures—quoted by manufacturers—are derived from controlled lab conditions and tend to be optimistic. Most EVs realistically achieve around 75–80% of their stated range. The Seal offers superfast charging, so 50% of the battery can be recharged in 30 minutes.

To deliver its impressive range, the BYD Seal uses a large 83kWh battery pack. On a chilly 7°C December day, the car displayed a maximum range of 320 miles on a full charge. That’s enough to travel from London to Paris without stopping to recharge.

The Verdict

Like with any car—electric or internal combustion—the harder and faster you drive, the less range you’ll get. However, 320 miles of real-world range is more than sufficient for me and makes the prospect of owning an EV much more appealing.

While Tesla remains the reigning king of EV efficiency, the BYD Seal should not be dismissed simply because it’s named after an ocean-dwelling mammal often associated with slapstick humour.

For me, range and efficiency are the most critical considerations when it comes to EVs. With advancements in powertrain technology and the classy refinement of the BYD Seal, I’m finally ready to make the leap to an EV. The Seal proves itself a serious contender in a rapidly evolving market.