Seal of approval
EDWARD STEPHENS ROCKET-LIKE NEWCOMER THAT CAN CHALLENGE TESLA
IT’S not a car company that’s well known in Britain, but all that is about to change now its latest model is being seen more on our roads. The BYD Seal is sleek, silent, sporty and – judging by the number of people who came up to me for a closer look during the week I spent with it – seductive. But there’s more to the Seal than just looks. This Tesla-challenging powerhouse in all-wheeldrive form boasts a hefty 522bhp, and that’s enough to rocket it from standstill to 62mph in a warp speed time of 3.8 seconds. And, believe me, that sort of power really does pin you back in your seat and is getting close to supercar territory.
The Seal Excellence is the flagship of the giant BYD company and along with the rear-wheel-drive Design version of the Seal is the third model the company has introduced to Britain in the last 12 months, so it’s now becoming a serious player in this country.
For most people range is just as important as power when it comes to electric cars and here the Seal Excellence measures up well with an official range of 323 miles. That’s some 30 miles less than the Design model but still impressive considering the extra weight it carries over its sibling. And BYD says the car can be charged from 30% to 80% in just 26 minutes on a commercial fast charger.
With its low stance, rakish roof line, retractable exterior door handles and swept back headlights the Seal is a very appealing looking car. Step inside and the appeal continues with premium quality electrically-adjustable leather seats with built-in headrests, a dashboard adorned with a combination of leather and suede trim and an
all-glass roof. But dominating the whole thing is a huge (15.6-inch) touchscreen which will swing from portrait to landscape view in an instant when you say, “Hey BYD rotate the screen”. Clever stuff.
Most the car’s functions are operated via the screen rather than with real switches and the number of drop-down menus takes some getting used to, so if you’re a technophobe beware.
You can, however, use the voice control to access several onboard features by simply touching the microphone symbol on the wheel or again just saying, “Hey BYD” followed by an instruction, although the success of the latter method on my car was somewhat inconsistent. My only other criticism of the Seal is the LCD instrument panel situated immediately behind the steering wheel, which in certain lights is not always easy to read.
Fortunately the Seal comes with a crystal-clear head-up display so no danger of unknowingly going over the speed limit. And if you do you get a gentle reprimand from a disembodied female voice.
By any standards the Seal is a large car and rear seat passengers have limousine-like legroom to stretch out. But despite its generous proportions it’s easy to park thanks to sensors and a superb rear-view camera, whose image fills the vast centre touchscreen. Not only can you see how close you are to objects behind but you also get a distance readout – new one on me.
On the road the Seal is smooth, comfortable and refined. As you open the driver’s door the seat moves back to allow easy access and then forward to your pre-set driving position.
You have a choice of three switchable driving modes, Eco, Normal and Sport, but the middle setting is so good in terms of economy and performance the other two are hardly needed.
The rocket-like acceleration can be somewhat addictive and you have to keep reminding yourself you have a driving licence to protect. The ride is first rate, however, and despite its low sportscar-like stance the Seal handles Britain’s potholed roads with ease and takes fast bends and corners in its stride with barely any body roll. And a five-star Euro NCAP rating means you can buy with safety in mind.