Since Euro 2024, the BYD name should be familiar to most of us. The Chinese automotive colossus is rapidly charging towards the top of the world’s largest electric car manufacturers. The BYD SEAL is expected to be a key player in this success. We took the sporty electric saloon for a spin to find out whether BYD is more than just marketing hype.
Curtain up for the star of Euro 2024. No, we’re not talking about the Spanish football team, and neither of our new favourite, former “Cross-Pass” Toni. We’re referring to something that was in the spotlight just as much as the most valuable players of the tournament, the BYD SEAL. Yes, you heard that right: an electric car. But not just any electric car. This sporty saloon is meant to pave the way for China’s largest automotive brand to claim the throne of electric vehicle manufacturers. BYD have been there before: with 526,409 units sold in the fourth quarter of 2023, BYD briefly overtook the long-standing leader, Tesla, although the latter has since reclaimed its crown. It remains a tight race – particularly between the two sedan models, the Tesla Model 3 and the BYD SEAL, which are similarly priced. But in this battle of electric car giants, an outsider is looking to steal the spotlight: the Polestar 2. Could the Swedish hybrid deliver the final crescendo? We’ve put the BYD to the test, comparing it to its two archrivals to see where it stands.
The “Build Your Dreams” slogan behind the BYD acronym definitely awakes positive emotions, we get excited too! From the moment the BYD SEAL made its debut, it screamed “premium” at the top of its voice. Even without the eye-catching Euro 2024 decals on our test car, BYD’s saloon boasts a sporty, confident appearance but more on this later. BYD also know how to stand out from the competition in less obvious ways with their current EV range The key factor is the traction battery, which was developed and manufactured in house by BYD. The BLADE battery isn’t just a crucial component of the vehicle’s platform; it also differs in construction from all other EV batteries currently available on the market. By using particularly flat but very long cells – hence the “Blade” name – BYD achieve a high overall cell-to-pack ratio in the battery. While the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry used in these cells doesn’t offer as high an energy density as the lithium-ion technology found in Tesla and Polestar vehicles, BYD managed to design the BLADE battery so that over 80% of it consists of battery cells. This high cell-to-pack ratio allows for significant capacity despite the lower energy density, without increasing the volume or weight of the battery. In comparison, conventional lithium-ion batteries have a cell content of only about 60%, with the rest made up of the casing, wiring, cooling, and heating systems. As a result, BYD’s battery delivers a net capacity of 82.5 kWh, which is considerably more “fuel” than what’s offered by the Tesla Model 3 (75 kWh) and the Polestar 2 (69 kWh).
The BYD SEAL takes centre stage – Prices and features
After the conductor, it’s usually the first violin that steps onto the stage. For BYD, that role is currently played by the SEAL. With prices starting at € 44,990, the Chinese manufacturer presents a sporty electric saloon that, even when stationary, sets high expectations – much higher than its moderate price might suggest. During our test drives in the Stuttgart area, we were repeatedly approached by curious onlookers. Amongst them were fellow EV drivers at charging stations, who were eager to finally see the SEAL in the flesh. It looks like the marketing drumbeat around UEFA Euro 2024 has already made an impact.
The entry-level model retails at just under € 45,000 and comes fully equipped with everything included in our test vehicle. The “Design” trim only differs from our “Excellence AWD” test model in terms of motor and drivetrain. The Design variant features a single motor paired with rear-wheel drive, which delivers 230 kW (313 hp) and goes from 0–100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. The top-tier model, on the other hand, boasts a dual-motor setup, all-wheel drive, and a robust 390 kW, translating to a sporty 530 hp in traditional combustion engine terms. Both variants are electronically limited to 180 km/h, which makes sense for preserving range but might deter some sporty drivers from taking the plunge. The impressive acceleration time isn’t just listed in the spec sheet but also displayed at the rear of the BYD SEAL: 3.8 seconds. For comparison’s sake, Tesla claim a 4.4-second sprint for the Model 3 LR, with the Performance version managing to shoot to 100 km/ in just 3.1 seconds. Price-wise, our BYD SEAL test car sits comfortably between the two Model 3 variants.
Configuring your ideal SEAL is a piece of cake. Aside from choosing the motor and drivetrain, you can select from six different colours and two interiors. There are only two optional extras: Indigo Grey and Shadow Green, both of which cost an additional €1,000. Additionally, you can opt for an OEM tow hitch, which allows the single-motor model to tow up to 750 kg, while the AWD model can handle up to 1,500 kg.
Accelerando in the second movement– The BYD SEAL inside and out
A good symphony really picks up pace in the second movement. Music lovers call this the “Accelerando.” Similarly, the BYD SEAL gains even more momentum after making an solid first impression. The sporty 19-inch turbine-style wheels and the cool Ice Blue colour underline the dynamic look of BYD’s electric saloon, which, upon closer inspection, reveals no signs of poor craftsmanship. On the contrary, BYD’s design team did a rather fine job. With a hint of a diffuser, aerodynamic plastic covers, and a coupé-like roofline, the 4.80 m, four-door feels more like a sports car than a family sedan. The narrow headlights and low-slung bonnet add to its sporty presence too. Design enthusiasts will appreciate the side creases, the “fins” in front of the rear wheel arches, the flush door handles, short overhangs, and the continuous light strip at the rear. Not to mention, the absence of unnecessary spoilers adds a touch of understated elegance. Despite its 530 electric horses, the SEAL is far from a brash show-off. It’s the kind of car that makes you want to jump in and enjoy the electric symphony.
And at first glance, it all works quite well. The light blue leather seats are comfortable and even feature ventilation, which we really appreciated on hot summer days. This feature also helps save energy, because you’ll instinctively raise the interior temperature a little, which, in return, is great for those who tend to catch a summer cold with the air-con! Sure, the Tahiti Blue interior colour might look a bit dirty and doesn’t perfectly match the dark headliner – but that’s a matter of taste. The airy feel above your head and the huge panoramic roof, which benefits above all rear passengers, are undeniable advantages. So too are the high-quality materials and flawless craftsmanship. There it is again, the keyword of this review: premium. The BYD SEAL exudes this feeling throughout most of the interior. Only in the less visible areas, BYD engineers relied on plastic. But so what? Even the finest symphony orchestra doesn’t hit all notes perfectly. And for those who like to bring their own bubbly to the concert, the BYD SEAL offers plenty of storage space, especially in the wide centre console, which also houses wireless charging for two smartphones.
However, our initial enthusiasm about the car’s spaciousness is slightly dampened by the centre console. Some test drivers kept bumping their right knees against the trim of the centre tunnel. Up front, you feel a bit more cramped than the exterior suggests. At the back, however, there’s plenty of room to stretch out, which is mainly because the centre console doesn’t extend all the way to the rear. Although we really enjoyed the huge amounts of space, we weren’t entirely happy with the rear seats, which is mainly due to a 10 cm ridge at the bottom of the backrest that presses against your lower back. The front seats don’t have this issue and are significantly more comfortable, though they do lack a bit of lateral support. The integrated headrests look great but aren’t adjustable. Well, there’s always something, isn’t there?
Sleek design is one thing, but good all-around visibility is another matter altogether. In the BYD SEAL, the low-slung bonnet is hardly visible while driving, and the narrow rear window doesn’t help matters either. To assist with parking, the manufacturer has integrated two small visibility cutouts into the C-pillars. But we can only give BYD credit for good intentions here, because their practicality is virtually nil. In the end, you have to rely on the built-in cameras, which do an exemplary job. With the rear and side cameras, you can park right up to the curb with millimetre precision. The well-animated 360° camera is a lifesaver when things get tight at the front.
Things can get tight in the boot from time to time. While 400 litres of cargo space sounds decent on paper, the flat opening and uneven surface when the seats are folded down make loading unnecessarily difficult. But to be fair, the Tesla Model 3 doesn’t fare much better in this regard. At least the SEAL’s seats can fold down despite the traditional saloon design. On top of that, the extra boot compartment and the frunk under the bonnet can easily accommodate charging equipment, dirty shoes, and other small items. Brilliant! However, the separate frunk lid seems practical only at first glance. Forget to close it once, and the bonnet becomes an unforgiving hazard.
Assistance systems in the BYD SEAL– A shift to a minor key
Up until now, the BYD SEAL has been playing the score of a grand symphony, with only minor cacophonies. But in classical music, as in cars, the third movement often decides whether it all comes together harmoniously or not. The sporty electric saloon is well-equipped to make driving and entertainment a real pleasure, even on long journeys: a 10.25-inch display behind the steering wheel, a massive 15.6-inch touchscreen in the centre, and – as a little solo from the first violin – a head-up display. The soundtrack is provided by a Dynaudio sound system, complete with a subwoofer built into the boot. So, curtain up for the third movement!
But the first signs of disappointment appear within moments. Some buttons aren’t where you’d expect them to be. And there are quite a lot of them! For example, the button to rotate the main display (yes, it can be rotated electronically!) from landscape to portrait mode is on the steering wheel, while the drive modes are selected via a dial in the centre console. It’s all very confusing, like the woodwinds in an orchestra suddenly not sitting next to the brass section. On top of that, the menu system is very deep, and the translations are clunky at times. At this point, we’d even prefer to use the system in English rather than German. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that some settings are hard to find. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto could offer some relief, both of which the BYD SEAL supports. However, Apple CarPlay only works via cable. The split-screen function, which would make total sense given the enormous display, is laughably limited: it only works with Spotify and navigation. Everything else is displayed in full-screen mode. So, if you want to listen to Mahler’s 5th symphony somewhere other than Spotify, you’re out of luck when it comes to split-screen.
All in all, it takes quite a while to get used to the controls of the BYD SEAL and navigate them intuitively. For those who don’t want to spend time searching, the well-functioning voice control is a real lifesaver: navigation, climate control, seat heating, and ventilation – all respond perfectly to voice commands.
One thing that interrupts you constantly is the extremely annoying speed alert, which emits four long tones, similar to a perfect fourth. If that’s not enough, you can even complement it with a voice notification – but that’s only if you’re mentally strong. If you aren’t, we recommend deactivating it – it’s not that simple though! The only way to turn off the alert is to disable the entire traffic sign recognition system. That’s certainly a bold choice, especially given that the cruise control doesn’t account for speed limits, and the sign recognition isn’t very reliable to begin with. During our 10-day test, BYD released a software update for the SEAL. After installing it, the system suddenly stopped issuing warnings for speeding. We don’t expect that to stay like this, and it’s very likely that a minor update will follow soon. Hopefully, it will bring more useful apps than the karaoke feature included in this update.
Overall, the adaptive cruise control of the BYD SEAL works reliably. It brakes and accelerates smoothly yet quickly enough to keep a comfortable distance from the car in front. The lane-keeping assist also does a good job for the most part. We did notice it tended to position the car a bit too far to the right, and in narrow construction zones, the steering wheel sometimes twitched nervously. However, it still guided us safely through tight spots, which is something you can’t always say for a Tesla Model 3, where phantom braking is a known issue. Thankfully, the BYD SEAL spared us from that. When we tested the Polestar, we were genuinely disappointed with its assistance systems.
Navigation in the BYD SEAL is based on Google – and that’s not a criticism. Route planning is quick, with suggestions for alternative routes and real-time traffic information providing realistic arrival times. BYD complements Google navigation with useful information like traffic lights, expected traffic disruptions, and construction zones. However, integration into the steering wheel display isn’t available yet. On the bright side, the head-up display excels with superb readability.
We were also very impressed with the Dynaudio sound system, which offers plenty of customisation options and, together with the subwoofer embedded in the right side of the boot, delivers an excellent audio experience. You can even hear a well-defined stereo stage – the perfect setup not just for classical music.
Test and driving impressions of the BYD SEAL – Scherzo: powerful yet controlled
In a symphony, Scherzo is a brisk, lively movement. This description fits the BYD SEAL’s character quite well. With its 390 kW, the electric saloon is impressively powerful, but doesn’t deliver its power abruptly. You can still feel the commanding power at all times, and in Sport mode, things can get a bit wilder. However, the all-wheel drive reliably puts that power onto the tarmac – at least on dry roads. It didn’t rain during our tests.
The suspension matches the sporty ambitions of this powerful electric saloon, but it doesn’t quite manage to double as a smooth cruiser. Transverse joints, in particular, are clearly noticeable, making the BYD SEAL better suited for fast motorway drives rather than short stints on rougher country roads. The steering also poses a challenge: while providing plenty of feedback in Sport mode, it’s almost too direct and twitchy. In other modes, it’s very light but lacks a sense of connection to the road.
Drivers with EV experience might also miss the option for one-pedal driving (which is expected to be added via an update) and stronger regenerative braking. We didn’t quite get that true EV feeling; in fact, the SEAL almost drives like a traditional combustion engine vehicle. However, it does have the distinct advantage of an extremely low noise level. Even at higher speeds, wind and road noise are barely noticeable on the inside. Combined with its surprising agility in city traffic, the 4.80 m SEAL is well-suited for relaxed cruising, even in urban environments.
Grande Finale? – Charging and range of the BYD SEAL
The specsfor battery capacity and charging power might seem a bit contradictory at first glance: a hefty 82.5 kWh usable battery size, but only 150 kW for fast charging. However, upon closer inspection, it all makes sense and works well in everyday use. The LFP cell chemistry is known for its high cycle durability (BYD claim 5,000 charge cycles or 1.2 million km lifespan) and is relatively insensitive to extreme states of charge, whether nearly full or almost empty. This makes it a truly worry-free technology, especially for EV newcomers. The 8-year warranty up to 150,000 km further complements this.
The downsides are a lower maximum charging power and only moderate energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries. However, BYD skillfully mitigates this with its BLADE technology. When it comes to charging, the curve is more important than the often fleeting peak power. The Tesla Model 3 LR is a perfect example: at very low states of charge (SoC), it can achieve over 200 kW of charging power. But this drops significantly as the SoC reaches 20%. At around 50%, the Model 3 struggles to maintain even 100 kW, and by the time you hit 70% SoC, fast charging becomes practically pointless.
The BYD SEAL, on the other hand, might have a comparatively modest maximum of 150 kW, but it maintains this level across a wide SoC range up to over 50%. Even after that, the charging speed decreases gradually. We were still able to charge at 80 kW between 80% and 90% SoC, which is an excellent performance.
However, to determine the potential cruising range, you’ll have to take into account not just the charging power but also the realistic energy consumption. During our mixed driving tests, which included brisk motorway stretches and plenty of city traffic, we averaged a consumption of around 17 kWh/100 km in summer temperatures. That’s a decent figure that allows for a range of about 450 to 500 km. However, like most EVs, the BYD SEAL doesn’t quite reach the specified WLTP range of 520–600 km. Especially in winter, you’ll likely need to stop for a charge every 350–400 km. Even the Tesla Model 3 with a smaller 75 kWh battery can manage that. When it comes to efficiency, Tesla is still hard to beat. The Polestar 2, on the other hand, lags behind with over 20 kWh/100 km consumption and a relatively small battery, crying out for a charging station after just 300 km.
Speaking of charging stations: the BYD SEAL’s navigation does a good job of showing nearby charging points, those along your planned route, and at your destination, complete with information on charging power and availability. However, the system doesn’t integrate charging stops into your route automatically – that has to be done manually. Why, we wonder? It’s just one small step missing, but it would make your EV experience with the BYD SEAL so much more relaxing. It’s the kind of detail that could discourage EV newcomers, which is especially frustrating given that the large battery and impressive charging curve should easily prevent range anxiety on long journeys.
Who should take a closer look at the BYD SEAL?
Considering its size and potential range, the BYD SEAL positions itself as an affordable family car. However, the poorly utilised boot space somewhat undermines this appeal. EV newcomers and frequent drivers might find the lack of integrated charging planning frustrating. Ultimately, it’s a car for individualists who appreciate design and technology but are willing to rely on their smartphone to plan their charging stops or stick to familiar charging stations in their area.
Conclusion about the BYD SEAL – A concert with a few cacophonies.
The BYD SEAL makes a solid impression both in terms of looks and build quality, but ultimately falls short of claiming the title of EV star. While raising high expectations, the SEAL doesn’t fully deliver in some areas. The lack of integrated charging planning, the complex menu navigation, and the impractical boot space create some dissonance. Price-wise, it competes in the same arena as the Tesla Model 3, which, despite its age, remains the more accomplished composition. However, the BYD SEAL easily outpaces the Polestar 2. In the end, the BYD SEAL is just a touch short of being a truly convincing electric car.
Tops
- Excellent build quality and materials
- Modern, sporty design
- Spacious interior
- Comfortable seats with ventilation
- Advanced battery technology with good charging performance
Flops
- Complex and confusing menus
- Extremely annoying warning tones
- No integrated charging planning
- No one-pedal driving
- Shallow, poorly designed boot space
For more information, visit byd.com.
Words: Patrick Gruber Photos: Mike Hunger