BYD Seal long-term test

Can a brand that's relatively new to the UK show established names a thing or two in the highly competitive executive car class? We've been finding out...

Published23 March 2025

The car BYD Seal 390kW Excellence AWD Run by Steve Huntingford, editor

Why it's here To see if BYD's flagship electric car is a worthy alternative to the Tesla Model 3 and prestige German saloons

Needs to Combine comfort and refinement with cutting-edge tech and a good real-world range

Mileage 9428 List price £48,695 Target Price £45,936 Price as tested £49,571 Test range 280 miles Official range 323 miles Private price now £32,857 Dealer price now £36,964

23 March 2025 – Shifting perceptions

Last year, a representative from the Chinese embassy visited What Car? and expressed a hope that one day Chinese car brands would be associated with more than just their country of origin and low prices. So, when I later interviewed BYD’s UK marketing manager, Mark Blundell, I was keen to hear what he wanted BYD to become known for.

His answer: “We’re trying to carve out a brand that people associate with advanced technology, because we really are a tech company.” Then he backed this up by pointing out that BYD makes half of the world’s iPads and that one-in-five smartphones use its technology.

Blundell’s job of shifting perceptions should be made a bit easier by recent reports that BYD is planning to build a network of 1000kW public chargers capable of topping up its next generation of batteries in as little as five minutes. But given that these ultra-rapid units won’t be seen outside of China anytime soon, the heavy lifting will have to be done by the cars themselves. Cars like the BYD Seal, which I’ve been running for the past six months.

This has a rather more modest maximum rate of 150kW, which allows a 10-80% charge in 38 minutes. By comparison, the rival Tesla Model 3 can handle up to 250kW, for 10-80% in 27 minutes. And, of course, Tesla already has its own network of 'Superchargers' in the UK that – while increasingly open to all electric cars – cost less to use if you own something with a ‘T’ badge on its nose.

BYD gets some points back by loading the Seal with standard equipment, including a powered bootlid, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, a 360-degree parking camera, adaptive cruise control, and heated and ventilated front seats with electric adjustment.

Then there’s the brand’s signature feature: a huge, 15.6in infotainment touchscreen, which rotates between landscape and portrait orientation at the touch of a button. At first, I thought this was just a gimmick to impress first-time passengers – something it absolutely did. However, I quickly discovered that both modes have real advantages: landscape brings the controls within easier reach, while portrait lets you see farther ahead when you’re viewing the sat-nav map.

True, the screen was initially rather sluggish to resond, but this was fixed with the help of an over-the-air software update. And while the lack of physical buttons and dials wasn’t ideal, I found this less of a problem than it is in some other cars, due to the Seal’s key icons being large and therefore relatively easy to hit.

Instead, it was the voice control that I found frustrating – not because it couldn’t understand what I was saying, but because it appeared to lack confidence in itself, requiring repeated assurances that it had indeed heard me correctly.

BYD Seal LT - child showing off rear leg room

Looking beyond technology, I was impressed by the Seal’s practicality, with it actually roomier inside than the longer BMW i5 that I ran previously. In particular, it offered more rear leg room so, unlike with the i5, I didn’t find myself having to clean my eight-year-old daughter’s footprints off the back of the front passenger seat.

I reckon perceived quality is also a strength, thanks to the solid construction and the appealing, suede-like material on the dashboard and the insides of the doors. Plus, I’m pleased to report that the slight smell of plastic, which I mentioned in my first report, quickly disappeared.

It is worth noting, though, that if I had my time again, I’d specify black rather than light blue upholstery. For, while the latter looked great when the car was new, it appeared rather grubby by the time the car went back, despite the efforts of myself and the local valet service.

My Seal was the range-topping AWD (all-wheel drive) version – a car that can blast from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. But more usefully in the real world, it delivers its huge power in a very predictable and linear fashion that made the car easy to drive smoothly.

As for range, across my time with the Seal, I averaged around 280 miles, while the most I ever got out of it was just over 300. That's likely to be enough for most people's needs (it was for mine), but these days it's a figure that's competitive rather than outstanding. In fact, that sums up the Seal itself; it's not better – or more technologically advanced – than a Model 3, but it's good enough to be well worth considering if you want something more unusual.

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