BYD Seal Review: Pure Electric Fun With 650 Km Range

When you think about the journey of electric vehicles in India, it’s almost surprising how far we have come. From being considered unattractive, slow, and unreliable, EVs today have become smart, feature-packed, and fast. All this has happened around the last 5 years. Today for an average car buyer, EVs have become an option that they can truly consider, and to add to the pool of choices, BYD India has launched the Seal electric coupe sedan. An EV that promises to have those characteristics I mentioned before - Smart, Feature-Packed, and Fast – and a maximum range of up to 650 km. 

Also, it’s the only 4-door electric coupe sedan you can get south of Rs. 50 lakh. I recently got a chance to spend some time with the new BYD Seal to find out how capable this new EV really is, and should other premium EV brands be worried. 

Design & Dimensions

I always say this - looks are subjective, however, I think most of you'll will agree with me when I say the Seal is possibly the best-looking model from BYD India yet. The car has those signature BYD traits like the curvy line and imposing chrome logos. Despite that, the Seal has a unique identity, thanks to its Ocean-inspired design.

Also Read: BYD Seal Electric Sedan Launched In India; Prices Start From Rs 41.00 Lakh

While this Arctic Blue shade certainly goes well with the theme, the subtle character lines add that flowing effect. This is further accentuated by what BYD calls Glistening Ripple Lamps, which we see on the bumper with illuminated lines. The sleek LED headlamps and LED daytime running lamps add sharpness to the face, while the bulges on the hood add muscle. At the same time, the glossy black treatment used for the front and rear diffusers and side cladding gives the car that sporty touch. 

The Coupe design becomes all too apparent from the sides and the roofline is nicely integrated into the tail. The taillamps are connected and are full LED units which look quite sexy thanks to the design element, which BYD calls Water Drop Dot Matrix lights.

Also, while the styling might give you a feeling of compactness, the proportions are that of a proper premium mid-size sedan. The car is 4800 mm long, 1875 mm wide and 1460 mm tall, which makes it bigger than models like the BMW 3 Series Gran Limousine, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the BMW i4, the only other electric sedan in this space. 

The Seal also comes with the longest wheelbase compared to the aforementioned models, and that translates to the cabin as well.

Also Read: BYD Seal Crosses 500 Bookings In India In Two Weeks Since Launch

Interior & Cabin Features

Step inside, and you’ll be welcomed with a cabin that’s so spacious that it almost feels illegal inside a sports coupe like the BYD Seal. The cabin has been treated in black and silver dual-tone colours with sleek horizontal lines. Continuing with the Ocean theme, the Seal starts with a water droplet sound effect. The dashboard houses the larger 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment screen that swivels from landscape to portrait view at the click of a button or a touch on the screen. There is also a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a multifunctional steering wheel, which depending on the variant is wrapped in artificial or genuine leather.

Up front, you have sporty bucket-style seats that are deceptively comfortable and get both heating and ventilation, along with power adjustability. At the same time, the rear seat is wide enough to accommodate three passengers with ease, and you get adjustable headrests. The centre console houses a small crystalline gear shifter surrounded by buttons to control volume, drive modes and more.

Also Read: BYD Seal: Variants Explained

The Seal also features a large panoramic glass roof with a whitish tint. However, you do not get a sunshade for the glass roof, and you cannot adjust the level of the tint as well, and that’s something that might not work for all. Having said that, the glass does get double glazing and it is UV resistant, which means you will be protected from ultraviolet rays and heat. The car also gets dual wireless phone chargers up front with both Type A and Type C USB ports at the front and back.

Infotainment & Tech

Interestingly, similar to its global rival, the Tesla Model 3, most in-car controls can only be accessed via the touchscreen. The interface of the infotainment screen is identical to any Android tablet, featuring everything - the dropdown menu, an app screen, a task manager and more. Quite a refreshing experience I have to say. You also get wireless connectivity for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, however, the screen orientation cannot be in portrait mode when using these applications.

What bothers me is that the screen is not bright enough. Because it’s flat, and not oriented towards the driver, under heavy sunlight it is barely legible. I also don’t like the fact that you have to use the touchscreen to control not just the temperature and direction of the air-con vents.

Safety Features & ADAS

When it comes to safety features, saying that the BYD Seal is loaded would be an understatement. Standard features include 9 airbags, ABS with EBD, 360-degree view cameras with blind sport monitor. You also get front and rear parking sensors, ISOFIX, traction control, hill hold control, and an electronic parking brake with auto hold.

The car also gets Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistant Systems, which includes adaptive cruise control, auto braking, Lane change warning and prevention, lane keep assist, front and rear cross-traffic alert and braking among others. 

Driving Performance

Now the BYD Seal is offered in three trim options – Dynamic, Premium and Performance. While the former two come with a single electric motor with rear-wheel drive function, the Performance variant gets dual motors and an all-wheel drive option. 

During this drive, I only got to experience the mid-spec Premium trim that comes with BYD’s 82.56 kWh Blade battery pack that it shares with the top-spec Performance variant. In this model, with the single motor, the output stands at 308 bhp and 360 Nm of torque. The Performance variant with dual motors offers a combined output of 523 bhp and 670 Nm of peak torque, but that review is for another day.

However, by going for the Premium trim, what you get is the highest range among all three models - 650 km (claimed) on a single charge. In comparison to the Performance trim's 580 km range. At the same time, the entry-level Dynamic variant, with the smaller 61.44 kWh battery pack, offers 510 km. Based on our short drive experience, I can say that these claimed ranges are very close to real-world figures.

Coming to performance, the numbers do not lie. This being an electric vehicle, the power delivery is instant, and the car feels quick and agile, a trait that I love about modern electric cars. There are three driving modes on offer – Eco, Normal and Sport. In Eco, the energy is conserved, and the performance is limited to offer more efficiency and range, while in Normal mode, the EV is more relaxed and offers balanced performance, which is the default mode. In sports mode, however, the performance is at an optimum level, making the car quicker, faster and more agile.

In fact, the Premium trim of the BYD Seal can do the 0-100 kmph sprint in 5.9 seconds. While the Dynamic trim does the same in 7.5 seconds, the top-spec Performance AWD option can do it in 3.8 seconds. And that’s sports car territory. One thing is for sure, no matter which variant you get, the BYD Seal will not disappoint you in terms of performance.

Driving Dynamics

 As for how the car performs on the road, I got to experience it on some different types of terrains in Gurugram during the drive. Right from clean tarmacs to broken concrete roads, and some more rough stretches. And nowhere did I regret being in this electric coupe. The BYD Seal took everything in its stride with the utmost grace and minimal harshness seeping into the cabin. This is because the suspension setup is spot-on; it’s neither too soft nor too stiff, thus striking the right balance to handle the Indian terrains. Having said that, the Seal comes with a ground clearance of 145 mm, which means you will have to be a bit cautious with large speed breakers.

The Seal also scores big in the handling department. The coupe has a 50:50 weight distribution, which aids in better stability and balance. What that means is it feels planted not just on the straight line, but also while taking corners. The steering too has a nice heft to it and offers great control when doing triple-digit speeds. It’s also quite responsive and reacts promptly to quick direction changes.

Variants & Charging Options

The BYD Seal is offered in 3 variants – Dynamic, Premium and Performance, and all three support 7.2 kW AC fast charging. While the base trim can also support DC fast charging up to 110 kW, the latter two have a capacity of up to 150 kW. All three trims also support the Vehicle-to-Load charging function as well.

Price and Verdict

The three variants of the BYD Seal are priced at Rs. 41 lakh (Dynamic), Rs. 45.55 lakh (Premium) and Rs. 53 lakh (Performance) – all prices ex-showroom, India. And looking at all the things on offer, I have to say, BYD India has literally hit the ball out of the park in terms of pricing. Now the closest electric sedan, in competition to the BYD Seal, is the BMW i4 which is about Rs. 30 lakh more expensive.

On the other hand, even if I consider some of the premium crossover EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or the Kia EV6, they are substantially more expensive. So yes, the Seal doesn’t have a direct rival in India at the moment and that might be a good thing for BYD India because it will allow the car to carve out a niche for itself.

So, in a nutshell, the BYD Seal has the looks, the performance and all the luxurious features and tech that are bound to attract any premium car buyers, and a price tag that will surely ‘Seal the Deal!

Photos: Pawan Dagia