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Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nN<\/span>ot to be confused with the BYD Seal sedan, I imagine the \u201cU\u201d in the name of the BYD Seal U DM-i stands for \u201cUtility\u201d, seeing as it is, fairly obviously and inevitably, yet another SUV to enter a ridiculously overcrowded sector of the car market. However, I think the \u201cU\u201d ought to stand for \u201cubiquitous\u201d, given the number I\u2019ve noticed out \u201cin the wild\u201d. They don\u2019t stand out exactly, but once introduced, you can easily spot them, and the assertive styling at the front is at least a little more distinctive than most. <\/p>\nThis tells me a few things about the car. First, that my casual anecdotal experience is consistent with the company\u2019s propaganda, which declares that \u201cSEAL U DM-i SUV continues to lead BYD\u2019s sales charts and is the UK\u2019s best-selling PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) year-to-date\u201d, and that Britain is their second-biggest market after China itself (though I suspect that may also have something to do with Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs closing off the American market.) <\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>The Seal U boasts a wide range of equipment (Sean O’Grady)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAlthough BYD are probably best categorised as a fully battery electric vehicle maker, they\u2019re not neglecting the petrol-hybrid buyer, so, for now, the Seal U is only sold as a plug-in hybrid, with a choice of battery sizes and a four-wheel drive version. Equipment levels are the same for each variety, and are comprehensive \u2013 head-up display, loads of cameras, big touch-rotatable touchscreens, voice control, well-judged semi-autonomous driving settings, ambient lighting for the cabin\u2026 the lot really. More disappointing is the very narrow (and boring) range of colours and zero choice on the upholstery \u2013 black faux leather. <\/p>\n\nTHE SPEC<\/h2>\nBYD Seal U DM-i Comfort<\/h3>\nPrice:<\/strong> \u00a335,315 (as tested, range starts at \u00a333,315)<\/p>\nEngine capacity:<\/strong> 1.5l petrol, 4-cyl + 71.8kWh battery, auto fwd<\/p>\nPower output (PS):<\/strong> 217<\/p>\nTop speed (mph):<\/strong> 105<\/p>\n0 to 60 (seconds):<\/strong> 8.9<\/p>\nFuel economy (mpg):<\/strong> 706 (incl using electric mode)<\/p>\nCO2 emissions (WLTP, g\/km):<\/strong> 9 (incl using electric mode) <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe reason for the sales success is fairly obvious; like most Chinese models sold under their Chinese badging (as opposed to \u201cborrowing\u201d a better-known European nomenclature, like the Volvo EX30 and Lotus Eletre), the Seal represents excellent value for money. The list price starts at about \u00a333,000 for a good-sized, practical family car; the plug-in hybrid set-up is extremely economical provided you charge it up at home; and the benefit-in-kind tax rates for business users are close to pure electric car levels \u2013 at 8 per cent for the Seal U in the bigger battery \u201cComfort\u201d variant.<\/p>\n
Money talks, in other words, but the cost of living crisis has meant the squeezed middle classes who acquire new cars, also have their ears open more than in the past, and are apparently unperturbed about buying a car from an unfamiliar maker, such as BYD (which stands for \u201cBuild Your Dreams\u201d). <\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Interior design and colours are a little on the drab side (Sean O’Grady)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSo the welter of Chinese brands invading the UK right now are having an easier time of it than the previous waves of Japanese and Korean makes had some decades ago. Not all the brands, by the way, are as accomplished as BYD, and there is a pecking order just as there is with European and American stuff, and BYD is what you might call mainstream premium, borderline Peugeot, albeit with not as much panache in the interior design or exterior as in a 3008, say. (BYD\u2019s \u201cpremium\u201d sibling Denza will be coming soon to take the battle to the likes of Audi.)<\/p>\n
In terms of its drivetrain technology, this Seal U is comparable to, and reminiscent of, the sophisticated kit and propulsion management systems you\u2019d find in an equivalent Honda, which is praise indeed. Depending on the switchable drive settings you choose \u2013 economy, normal, sport, even \u201csnowfield\u201d \u2013 the car\u2019s brain will balance performance and economy and meld the internal combustion engine and battery\/electric motor to optimum effect. The result, they claim, is a maximum range in one tank, plus one full battery charge, of 700 miles \u2013 enough to get from London to Berlin. <\/p>\n
I hope the picture is clear \u2013 you don\u2019t have to make too many compromises in return for this value offering, though I\u2019d advise anyone looking for a bit of driving thrill to be thrown in should shop around a bit more \u2013 a Cupra Terramar would fit you better.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>This is what you might call mainstream premium, albeit with not as much panache in the interior design or exterior as in a 3008, for instance (Sean O’Grady)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPeople aren\u2019t frightened of buying a BYD, and, with some reservations, I\u2019d say they\u2019re right. It\u2019s a sorry fact that a combination of industry consolidation and consumer tastes has tended to homogenise the industry and, on the whole, the entry of the Chinese giants hasn\u2019t altered that trend. However, they do offer more choice and competition, which should be no bad thing, and the products \u2013 on the whole \u2013 are perfectly competitive. <\/p>\n
In fact, I only have two reservations about the BYD Seal. One was the slightly noisy fan on my example, which could be attended to very easily. The second is simply that we don\u2019t yet have much idea about the durability of BYD products in British conditions. There\u2019s no reason to doubt they are comfortable (particularly on a long motorway run), well-made and reliable, and will serve their customers well, but the company has only been around since 2003, and one wonders how many will still be on the road in a decade or two\u2026?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Not to be confused with the BYD Seal sedan, I imagine the \u201cU\u201d in the name of the BYD Seal U DM-i stands for \u201cUtility\u201d, seeing as it is, fairly obviously and inevitably, yet another SUV to enter a ridiculously overcrowded sector of the car market. However, I think the \u201cU\u201d ought to stand for \u201cubiquitous\u201d, given the number I\u2019ve noticed out \u201cin the wild\u201d. They don\u2019t stand out exactly, but once introduced, you can easily spot them, and the assertive styling at the front is at least a little more distinctive than most. This tells me a few things about the car. First, that my casual anecdotal experience is consistent with the company\u2019s propaganda, which declares that \u201cSEAL U DM-i SUV continues to lead BYD\u2019s sales charts and is the UK\u2019s best-selling PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) year-to-date\u201d, and that Britain is their second-biggest market after China itself (though I suspect that may also have something to do with Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs closing off the American market.) open image in gallery The Seal U boasts a wi…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8550,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8549"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8549\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}