Is the BYD Seal the EV you didn't know you wanted?

The BYD Seal is a fully electric saloon car that rivals the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, Polestar 2 and Mercedes EQE, among others. It costs from just under £46,000 and offers an official range from a single battery charge of up to 323 miles for the dual motor all-wheel drive model, or up to 354 miles for the single motor Seal.

Straight line performance is impressive, with the dual motor able to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 3.8 second. However, the Seal is no one-trick pony. In this CarGurus UK review, Vicky Parrott assess how this Chinese EV rivals models from Europe and the US, examining its space and practicality, its design, interior quality, technology, charging speed and how it drives. Would you consider a BYD over a Tesla Model 3?

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#cargurusUK

[sparkytas]

And it has V2L which my Atto 3 has too, and no Tesla other than the Cybertruck has. We had a weather event late last year and I ran an extension lead inside and could run my portable induction cooktop, lights etc, and i even ran a lead over my neighbours fence so they could heat their baby's bottle.
We also use it when we're camping so i don't have to bother with gas stoves. A brilliant and useful feature.

[ateiviz]

Can confirm that the car has wireless android auto. Apple car play is wired but an update is expected to enable wireless.

[sebh]

5:02 - You can swipe down on the right side, then disable sign recognition and it won't bing at you when you go over.

[alancarolan]

Nice review. Lovely car. At least it HAS indicator and wiper stalks. Another plus for it.

[RickRobinsonDonnellan]

Correction:
The Seal does have wired Apple Car Play as well as Wireless Android Auto. 👍

[vasil]

The regeneration level is not the Brake Assist setting, so changing this will make no difference when lifting off the accelerator. The regen is the Energy Feedback setting found under New Energy.

[simonsays]

I’ve owned a Tesla Model 3 for 3 years. Had an order in for a highland but Tesla are a joke with the part exchange offer being nearly £5000 less than wbac. I’m getting a seal AWD now

[sevesellors]

Good looking car and the technology that BYD have is the start of the Chinese onslaught. The European manufacturers will have to up their game and drop their ridiculous prices. Let market forces decide.

[TheBadoctopus]

Great to see another competitor bring such a compelling car.

Interesting that every complaint/niggle you mentioned it's a software issue which can be fixed with over the air updates.

I'm also glad Tesla have more competition as they've arguably stagnated in few past few years.

[davidllewellyn]

Sensible down to earth presentation without all the noise and rubbish about cup holders! Thank you.

[Koulis_]

I think this is the first serious car BYD has launched in the UK. The Atto and Dolphin are aged designs in China and the interior quality isn't great in places.
This is only the beginning of the Chinese onslaught on the European market.

[richardcarter]

I don't want any EV, but this is another nail in the coffin of European car manufacturing

regeneration button is next to the gear are welcome

[Paul-owdd]

The Seal is a reasonably comfortable EV to drive, and the AWD is amazingly powerful. Yes, it does have stalks - unlike the new Model 3 but look carefully at the low ground clearance of the Seal before committing to purchase. Reviewers have never commented on the lower ground clearance on this sedan/saloon or whatever it's called in your market compared to other similar vehicles.
I had a Seal on order to complement our other BYD the Atto 3. I was concerned about the low appearance of the Seal from photos and numerous videos. Only ONE reviewer (in Australia) commented on the lowness of the chassis. My concern was damaging the front bumper on my steep driveway into my carport.
Yep, only 2 centimetres of clearance at the front of the bumper. Some speed humps and parking space wheel bollards as well as poor roads pose a real issue for this vehicle.
Make sure you're happy with its low clearance so you don't end up with buyer's remorse, as I would have.

I cancelled my order and now have a Tesla M3 LR on order. It has 6 centimetres of clearance on my driveway compared to 2. Not a lot, but I can safely negotiate with that. Even my VW Polo has 5 centimetres of clearance - and the Polo is quite low.

[AY-iy]

Ice fisherman here. When the battery power ice auger first came everyone was like NO i stick to my gas power auger for more power. Few years later... everyone's using battery power ice augers😂😂😂

[anthonystevens]

Another great review Vicky. This certainly looks like a serious contender for many EV's available. Price is still high though whichever way that you look at it but in comparison with what's available it's OK. I still don't like the lack of twisty knobs and buttons but having to scroll though menus is a downside but that's a general moan not just directed at this car. With a car this good in a year of the company bringing cars to Europe it does make me wonder where things will be in 3 to 5 years.

[paulroper]

Would be interested to see how a side by side comparison of efficiency would compare.

[BhupendraBabuItani]

Wow that's amazing 😍🤩
love from Nepal 🇳🇵🇳🇵

[jamiep]

I enjoyed watching the Video Review. Definitely the best BYD Model 😊

[tonyroberts]

I hate to say it, but damn this gives the German manufacturers a serious run for thier money.