BYD Seal Review

The Seal is BYD's statement that it can do more than volume. The blade battery is integrated into the body structure rather than bolted underneath it, which stiffens the shell and lowers the floor, and the combined drive unit packages motor, inverter, transmission and control electronics into one housing. The all wheel drive version makes 523 horsepower and reaches sixty in under four seconds. At roughly forty six thousand pounds in Britain the standard equipment list is where it lands hardest, because a heat pump, a 360 degree camera, vehicle to load, ventilated and heated seats and a panoramic roof are all included where European rivals charge for each one separately.

The rough edges are where you expect them. The infotainment screen rotates through ninety degrees, which is a party trick rather than a feature, some menu translations read oddly, and the driver monitoring nags. The ride is firm on poor surfaces. Resale is untested and the market treats an unfamiliar badge cautiously.