BYD Seal Excellence AWD review

Driving position

If you've ever sat in one of the BYD Seal's rivals, such as the Tesla Model 3 or BMW i4, you'll know the vibe – low-slung and sporty. But crucially, it never feels like you've just dropped into a bathtub, because visibility is good and judging where the corners are is easy.

All models come with front and rear parking sensors plus a 360-degree parking camera, which includes some handy views like downward facing side cameras to help you judge how close you are to the kerb.

Visibility out the back? Pretty decent, and a noticeable improvement over the Tesla Model 3, which insists on hiding following traffic behind its oddly high boot design. That's a big tick in the BYD's box.

Tech and features

Tech-wise, there's a massive 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen infotainment display. Portrait or landscape, your choice, though to be honest, neither feels perfect.

Landscape mode stretches out too wide, meaning you'll likely brush past one of the shortcuts on the screen when you're indicating, and portrait mode isn't all that good because it doesn't support certain apps, like Apple CarPlay.

On the plus side, the system is snappy and smartphone-like to navigate, but a few too many functions are buried behind multiple taps. If you're adjusting the temperature, it's just the one small menu. If you want to adjust fan speed, that'll require a second, full-screen menu. And for the heated and ventilated front seats? That'll be a third press.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument display is pretty busy with information if you're expecting Tesla levels of minimalism, but it's nice to have the option to display readings like efficiency on the go.

Standard kit is strong across both trim levels – a powered boot lid, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, an impressive 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, wireless phone charging for two phones and keyless entry are all included.

In fact, both trim levels get all the good stuff. The top-spec Excellence model just adds a head-up display and mind-boggling performance from two electric motors.

Electric motors and power

Here's where the Seal gets serious. The Design version, with its 312hp rear motor, is already quick – a 0-62mph time of 5.9 seconds puts it neck and neck with rivals.

Excellence is where it's at, though. All-wheel drive. 530hp. 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. that's faster than a BMW i4 M50, and more than £20,000 cheaper when new, too.

When we tested the Seal Excellence's 0-62mph time using the onboard computer displayed on the digital instrument cluster, we managed to get as little as 3.3 seconds and never got slower than 3.7 seconds, so BYD certainly isn't lying about performance.

Handling and ride comfort

The Seal doesn't ruin the ride chasing lap times, because it's noticeably softer and more forgiving than a Tesla Model 3, especially around town, which makes it a nicer place to be day-to-day.

But that plushness comes at a price, and it's agility. With that much power, you'd maybe hope for a bit more precision. You won't be flinging it around hairpins for fun – the Model 3 has a more accurate feeling to the steering – but it's still confident and comfortable for most people and at most speeds.

In fact, there's very little in terms of wind noise, and tyre noise only becomes evident on poorer road surfaces.

Boot space

The Seal's 400-litre boot is fine, if not class-leading. A little smaller than the Model 3 and i4's, its opening isn't exactly generous, but that's a trait of all saloons and not just this BYD. Unless you're regularly transporting large and bulky items, it's more than usable.

Bonus points for the 53-litre froot (front boot), which is perfect for your cables and charging bits. That's if you're not keeping them in the under-boot storage area around the back.

Not every EV bothers with a froot, so we're very happy to see it here.

Rear seats

Leg room in the back is excellent, even for taller adults, and despite that swoopy coupé-style roofline, headroom is surprisingly strong too.

The middle seat does draw the short straw – it's perched a little higher than the outer two, which eats into headroom just enough to make taller passengers feel a bit squashed. Still, it's well-padded, so it's not exactly uncomfortable.

Storage solutions

In the back, you get the usual seatback pockets plus two smaller pouches sized perfectly for phones – no more devices rattling about or slipping down the side of the seat, never to be seen again. Handy stuff, especially in the fast-accelerating Excellence model.

Rear-seat passengers also get a fold-down armrest with two cupholders.

Up front, the floating centre console is well-designed, offering two wireless charging pads and two cupholders – one of which with an adjustable bottom to accommodate taller bottles.

Under this, there's a large open cubby that'll swallow a handbag or other slightly larger items, and the glovebox is generously sized, too.

The door bins, while not huge, do at least include cutouts for bottles.

Safety

Safety-wise, the Seal has it all.

A full five-star Euro NCAP rating sets the tone, and the roster of assistance features goes on: blind spot monitoring, collision warnings front and back, cross-traffic alerts and a clever system that stops you knocking cyclists off their bikes when opening doors.

In modern cars, drivers may wish to switch off safety systems because they can be overly intrusive – a counterproductive move. The Seal's systems go unnoticed for the most part, including the very quiet speed limit warning fitted to all news cars, so you'll never want to turn them off, helping to improve safety on the road.

Range and charging times

Both Seal models pack an 82.5kWh LFP battery pack under the floor, and that's good news for day-to-day life.

Unlike many other EV batteries, which don't tolerate full charges very well, LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry actually encourages it. So you can go ahead and brim the battery regularly to get full access to the full mileage.

The Design model claims 354 miles of range, and the Excellence with all its performance still manages a claimed 323 miles. Real-world figures can be lower, naturally, but these are solid starting points.

Charging isn't class-leading, but it's decent. 11kW AC charging is a welcome addition, but most buyers are limited to 7kW at home anyway, and rapid charging from 10-80% in 37 minutes is slightly disappointing. That's due to the 150kW limit – rivals offer higher speeds and sub-30-minute top-ups.

Reliability

As a relatively new model, long-term reliability data is limited, but initial reviews indicate solid build quality. Owners haven't reported any major issues during their ownership that we're aware of.

Insurance groups

Yep, it can be pricey to insure – group 48 of the Design and 50 for the Excellence. But remember, the car itself costs a lot less than rivals, so replacement costs can be lower, driving premiums down slightly.

And if you're coming from petrol or diesel, fuel savings will more than make up for it in the long run.