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're finding out...
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 7208 List price £48,695 Target Price £45,936 Price as tested £49,571 Test range 270 miles Official range 323 miles
20 January 2025 – All in the details
In any long-term relationship, little things can make a big difference one way or another – and it’s much the same story when you live with a car. Indeed, that’s one of the main reasons why we conduct these long-term tests, even though we’ve already rated the models in question in 16 areas and driven them back to back with their rivals.
It was only when winter arrived, for example, that I started to become properly frustrated by the fact that my BYD Seal’s parking sensors don’t provide an audible warning when you’re approaching an object (only a beep to tell you that you’re in reverse). When the weather was warmer I didn’t find this a major issue because of the numerous camera angles the Seal offers. But as the roads became grimy, so – inevitably – did the camera lenses, leading to a blurred view.
More positively, while exploring the menus that let you customise the Seal’s various driver assistance systems I discovered it can visually display your distance from objects down to the nearest centimetre. With this functionality switched on, my hankering for an audible warning eased again – although I’d still rather have one.
Another thing that winter revealed was just how good the Seal’s heated seats are. You see, in some cars, the heating elements are concentrated in the base of the seat, but BYD has spread them right up through the backrest as well, so you quickly become (and then stay) toasty warm. It puts a hot water bottle to shame. And as a bonus, it's actually good for efficiency because heating the seats (and the steering wheel) requires a lot less power than heating the whole car.
Oh, and having complained about the inaccuracy of the Seal’s range readout in a previous report (it always started on the car’s official maximum of 323 miles, but then lost about three miles for every two miles I covered) I’ve discovered that you can get a much more accurate estimate by switching the readout to ‘Dynamic’ mode.
Again, this is something that requires you to delve deeply into the sub-menus of the touchscreen infotainment system. Plus, I’m struggling to understand why anyone would prefer their range readout to be ‘less’ accurate. Still, at least there’s the option to have a realistic figure, minimising the risk of you having to make an unplanned charging stop.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Read more about our long-term BYD Seal >>
Read about more long-term test cars >>
Buy a new car with What Car?
Like the sound of the BYD Seal?
If so, check out our New Car Deals pages to see how much you could save on a BYD Seal.
We’ve got the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.
