BYD Seal U DM-i
There seems to be a common consensus amongst the car buying public that BYD only makes electric cars. To be fair, the majority of models the Chinese manufacturer currently offer in the UK are fully electric but scroll down their homepage and you’ll find this; the Seal U DM-i, and it’s a plug-in hybrid.
The U stands for utility which is conveniently the middle letter in SUV, and that’s what the Seal is. It’s a sort of Kuga, Qashqai etc competitor and with prices starting at a shade over £33k it has the Ford and Nissan firmly in its sights.
Looks familiar
At first glance the Seal U could easily be mistaken for a last-gen Ford Kuga with its rounded off, smooth-as-a-pebble SUV silhouette. When compared to the rest of the BYD range it’s more reserved, more grown up on the whole.
More grown up than Atto 3
It’s the same story inside the Seal U. Step into this from an Atto 3 for example, with its guitar string door pockets and funky dashboard and everything feels like it’s aimed at a different kind of buyer; older, if we’re completely honest. The only standout feature that reminds you this is a BYD is the huge central infotainment screen and specifically its rotate function.
Three specs
Whichever of the three specs (Boost, Comfort & Design) you go for, the Seal U comes with vegan leather, a panoramic sunroof, a 10 speaker Infinity sound system and that huge 15.6″ rotating touchscreen we mentioned, so it’s fair to say it’s generously specced. Considering there’s some battery tech stashed somewhere, the floor height in the rear doesn’t impinge on leg room and there’s plenty of headroom too, even with that glass roof. The only real issue we found was the three-quarter rear view from the driver’s seat which is practically none-existent. Various cameras and traffic sensors do their best to make up for this blind-spot but actually seeing other road users is our preference.
AWD an option
So, we’ve already established this is BYD’s only hybrid currently on sale in the UK, but what’s powering it? If you go for the Boost or Comfort spec you get a 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor that combine to give 215bhp & 300Nm torque. Both are FWD, both get from 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds and they both accept rapid charging, giving 30-80% charge times of 35 & 55 minutes respectively.
If you want a touch more performance, well, actually quite a bit more performance there’s the Design spec that also comes with a 1.5 litre, 4 cylinder engine but this time it’s turbo-charged. This means 0-62 mph in a far more tempting 5.9 seconds and the electric-only range is still impressive at 60 claimed miles. Overall range does drop to 540 miles, though, so there is some compromise.
What’s the electric range?
You’ll probably have gathered that the Comfort’s higher charge time is down to a larger Blade battery; 26.6kWh vs 18.3kWh in the Boost. What this gives you is an electric only range of 77.6 miles in ideal conditions compared to the 49.7 miles the Boost can manage. What’s perhaps more impressive is the combined electric and petrol range of 671 miles and that’s in the cheaper spec version. Go for the Comfort and that raises to 699 miles.
How does it drive?
When it comes down to how the Seal U drives, it’s important to remember that this car is primarily about ferrying you and your significant others around as comfortably and economically as possible. This is probably best demonstrated by the fact that the petrol engine, regardless of output isn’t actually linked to the wheels directly. It’s a range-extender so essentially a generator for the electrical system.
This approach has been used before and it does work well. It can be a touch unnerving when the engine revs don’t match how much pressure is on the accelerator but the Seal U’s far quieter than other manufacturers’ attempts.
Snowfield?
Regardless of which Seal U you opt for, this isn’t a car that like to feel rushed and the steering is light as a feather. This AWD version we had on test has some brilliantly named drive modes; Sand Land & Snowfield are alongside the usual Sport, Eco etc but we can’t help but feel the AWD system is best trusted on slippery, autumnal tarmac rather than across a farmer’s field.
How much is it?
The BYD Seal U starts at just £33,315 OTR with the larger battery Comfort spec only costing a couple of grand more at £35,315. That’s a heck of a lot of clever, spacious car for the money so, unless you really need AWD and faintly ridiculous-for-an-SUV-performance, the range-topping Design isn’t necessary at £40,015.
Should I buy a Seal U?
If badge-snobbery and heritage is your thing, the BYD Seal U probably isn’t for you and won’t be for a while. If you’re one of those people who remembers when Kia Sportages were cheap and longs for those days to return, this is as close as you’ll get. The range is excellent, it’s well equipped and spacious, but it does feel very much like the consumer product it inescapably is.
By Ben Harrington
2025 BYD Seal U DM-i Design Specifications:
Engine – 1.5l 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol + electric motor, Transmission – N/A, Layout – Front engine, AWD, Power – 322bhp,Torque – 550Nm, Emissions – 26g/km CO2, Economy – 38mpg combined, Maximum Speed – 112mph, Acceleration – 5.9s – 0-62mph, Price – £40,015 OTR
The BYD Seal U is available now, priced from £33,315. For full details go to:www.byd.com
Leave a Reply