BYD Sealed U DM-i: Great value, a few surprises

nTo avoid confusion with the BYD Seal sedan, I imagine the “U” in the name of the BYD Seal U DM-i stands for “utility”, as it is, quite obviously and essentially, another suv Entering a very crowded area of ​​the car market. However, I think the “u” should mean “ubiquitous”, given that I looked at the “wild” numbers. They don’t look all that different, but once introduced, you can easily recognize them, and the front’s vocal style is at least a little more distinctive than the others.

This tells me a few things about the car. First of all, my casual anecdotal experience is in line with the company’s propaganda, which proclaims that “the SEAL U DM-i SUV continues to lead BYD’s sales charts and is Britain’s best-selling PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) year-to-date”, and the UK is their second-largest market after China (though I suspect it may also have something to do with Donald Trump’s tariffs shutting down the US market.)

Although BYD is presumably classified as a fully battery electric vehicle manufacturer, they are not ignoring the petrol-hybrid buyer, so, for now, the Sealed 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 variant, and are extensive – heads-up displays, lots of cameras, large touch-rotatable touchscreens, voice controls, well-tested semi-autonomous driving settings, ambient lighting for the cabin… a lot, really. More disappointing is the very narrow (and boring) range of colors and zero options on upholstery – black artificial leather.

specification

BYD Seal You DM-i Comfort

The reason for the sales success is quite obvious; General Sugar For models sold under Chinese badging (as opposed to “borrowing” a better-known European nomenclature such as the Volvo EX30 and Lotus Electra), the Seal represents excellent value for money. List prices for a good-sized, practical family car start at around £33,000; A plug-in hybrid set-up is extremely economical, provided you charge it at home; And benefit-type tax rates for business users are close to pure electric car levels – 8 percent for the Sealed U in the big battery “Comfort” version.

In other words, money talks, but the cost-of-living crisis means that even middle-class people buying new cars are keeping their ears open than before, and apparently not as concerned about buying a car from an unfamiliar manufacturer like BYD (which stands for “build your dreams”).

So Chinese brands breaking into the UK at the moment are having an easier time than previous waves of Japanese and Korean brands a few decades ago. Well, not all brands are as accomplished as BYD, and there’s a pecking order just like the European and American stuff, and BYD is what you might call a mainstream premium, borderline Peugeot, though not quite as much panache in interior design or exterior as, say, a 3008. (BYD’s “premium” sibling Denza is coming soon to compete with the likes of Audi.)

In terms of its drivetrain technology, it is on par with and reminiscent of the sophisticated kit and propulsion management systems found in Sealed U equivalent Hondas, which is praise indeed. Depending on the switchable drive settings you choose – Economy, Normal, Sport, even “Snowfield” – the car’s brain will balance performance and economy and bring the internal combustion engine and battery/electric motor to optimum effect. They claim the result, maximum range on a single tank, plus a full battery charge, is 700 miles – enough to go from London to Berlin.

I hope the picture is clear – you won’t have to compromise too much in return for this value offering, although I would advise anyone looking for a bit of driving thrills to shop around a bit more – a Cupra Terramar would be a better fit for you.

People aren’t afraid to buy BYD, and, with some reservations, I’d say they’re right. It is a regrettable fact that a combination of industry consolidation and consumer tastes have tended to homogenize the industry and, overall, the entry of Chinese giants has not changed that trend. However, they do offer more choice and competition, which shouldn’t be a bad thing, and the products – overall – are perfectly competitive.

In fact, I only have two reservations about the BYD Seal. There was a slightly noisy fan on my example, which could have been very easily noticed. Secondly, we don’t yet know much about the durability of BYD products in British conditions. There’s no reason to doubt that they’re comfortable (especially on long motorway runs), well built and reliable, and will give good service to their customers, but the company has only been in existence since 2003, and one wonders how many will still be on the road in a decade or two…?