BYD Seal Review & Prices

The BYD Seal was one of the Chinese brand’s first UK models, and yet it’s still the best BYD you can buy to this day. Not only is it handsome and full of standard equipment, but it’s also great to drive. Shame it isn’t very efficient, though, and it’s pretty expensive, too.

It’s a bit like a cutting edge TV…from five years ago. When it came out it was impressive and novel, but now there are plenty of even more capable alternatives around for less money.

Take the Mercedes CLA Electric, the BMW i4, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Polestar 2, for example. The Seal lacks legs compared to long-range versions of the aforementioned models, also being more expensive than the equivalent models. The Tesla Model 3 has been tempting owners away from the BYD since it was launched.

BYD Seal: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 323-354 miles
Efficiency: 3.4-3.7mi/kWh
Battery size: 83kWh
Max charge speed: 150kW
Charge time DC: 37mins, 10-80%, 150kW
Charge port location: Right side rear
Power outputs: 313hp / 530hp

None of the aforementioned cars are quite as handsome as the Seal, though. It has a properly sleek silhouette with big, pointy lights, intricate LED details and a perky little boot lid - all of which look very sporty.

The interior design is outrageous - and divisive. Continuing the nautical theme, the Seal’s cabin wraps all around you, with the wave-like dashboard flowing onto the doors cards in a dramatic fashion. The 15.6-inch infotainment and 10.3-inch driver’s display features crisp graphics, but the menus are a bit of a faff.

Some of the leatherette on the doors and dashboard doesn't feel very convincing, but at least the physical buttons on the centre console are easy to use.

A highly adjustable driving position and plenty of storage for small items up front make the Seal easy to live with, but the low roofline does hamper rear entry and exit a touch. The 402-litre boot lags behind an i4 and Model 3 for space, but at least there’s a 53-litre front boot, too.

There’s a sole battery offering in the Seal, which is good for a claimed 354 miles in the rear-wheel drive model and 323 miles in the range-topping, rapid, all-wheel drive Excellence trim. We only achieved 3.1mi/kWh during our testing of the AWD car, meaning just 256 real-world miles.

At least the Seal is pretty brilliant to drive, managing to be very comfortable both in town and on the motorway - where you notice just how little wind and road noise there is. It’s fun on a twisty road, too, where the Seal is agile and has plenty of grip.

Verdict

It’s a shame the BYD Seal is quite so expensive, because it’s easily the most capable Chinese electric car on sale. It’s stylish, comfortable, fun to drive and practical enough to consider against a Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4, but its range lets it down and it’s not quite as posh inside.

Still, the BYD Seal is a car that should definitely be on your shortlist. Interested? Check out our best BYD Seal deals, or get a great price on a BYD Seal lease. You can check out used BYD Seals for sale, or see other used BYD cars for sale. And remember that Carwow can even help you sell your old car when the time comes.

The Seal is actually a slightly expensive car. Or, at least, it doesn’t conform to the theory that all Chinese cars are automatically cheaper than more familiar brands.

It costs quite a bit less to buy than a BMW i4 or a Volkswagen ID.7 (although the Seal is a smaller car than the ID.7), and it’s slightly cheaper than the basic Hyundai Ioniq 6. However, the Tesla Model 3, in its basic form, is a lot more affordable than the basic Seal. I’s worth noting that the Seal is considerably better equipped as standard. The cheapest version of the Polestar 2 is also just slightly more affordable than the Seal too, with comparable range.

The BYD Seal feels agile and fun to drive on a flowing road, and it’s refined on the motorway, but very bumpy country roads can make it feel unsure of itself

In town

The Seal handles bigger bumps and road imperfections very well; it’s a comfortable and serenely refined way to make your way around town. Visibility is reasonable up front, although the Seal is pretty low, so you can’t peer over traffic.

Front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera are standard, and the Seal has a decent turning circle, making it easy to manoeuvre, even with its small rear window.

There are only two levels of brake regeneration and the difference between them is small. The brakes are a bit grabby at lower speeds, too, so it's difficult to come to a smooth stop until you’re used to them.

On the motorway

Both motor options have plenty of performance to get you up to motorway speed on a slip road, and it’s quiet and refined when you get there. The BMW i4 and Mercedes CLA Electric have more of a ‘gliding’ sensation at high speeds, though.

There’s a complete suite of assistance systems to keep you safe on longer journeys, especially the blind-spot monitoring system which helps overcome the poor over-the-shoulder visibility. The lower-powered Design model has an extra 31 miles of range, which is handy for frequent road trippers.

On a twisty road

This is where the Seal stands out, proving to be surprisingly adept and nimble when the road gets tighter and twistier, which is no mean feat for a car weighing over two tonnes. Minimal body lean entices you to have fun in a way most electric vehicles don’t.

It’s frustrating that you have to prod your way through touchscreen menus to switch off some of the intrusive driving modes, such as the lane-keep assist which is a bit too sensitive on our narrow roads.

There’s good space in the front of the Seal’s cabin, but slightly less so in the back, and the boot is quite tight

The Seal’s cabin initially impresses for quality and design, with a mix of materials making it eye-catching. There’s a huge stowage area between the seats, along with a pair of cupholders and a decent cubby under the armrest.

The glovebox and door bins are large, but they’re not lined and are made of cheaper plastic than most of the cabin, as are the door handles. The screen-operated air vents are a faff, but it’s an otherwise pleasant cabin.

Space in the back seats

There’s a good amount of legroom in the back, but tall people will have to duck a touch when getting in and out. They’ll be fine once in, thanks to the huge panoramic glass roof that stretches impressively far back behind the rear passenger. There's a bit more space in a Tesla Model 3, but not by much.

The car’s low profile means the back seats are quite low to the floor, and it's a bit tricky to squeeze your feet below the front seats. There isn’t much under-thigh support as a result. Rear passengers have a pair of power sockets to fight over - one old-style USB and a newer and more powerful USB-C.

The ISOFIX mounting points are easily accessible behind a flexible plastic flap, and the doors open nice and wide so it's easy to get a child seat in. You also get reasonably sized door bins, as well as a fold-down armrest with a pair of cupholders.

Boot space

At 400 litres, the BYD Seal’s boot is a reasonable size. It’s near-identical to the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Polestar 2 specifically, but the BMW i4 boasts 470 litres and the Tesla Model 3 a huge 594 litres, plus another 88 in the front. The Volkswagen ID.7 beats all of them bar the Tesla, with 563 litres of boot space, and that’s without even thinking of the estate version.

The Seal has a handy 53-litre front load area, which is plenty to stash the charging cables away from the rest of your luggage, as well as underfloor space in the actual boot. There aren’t tie-down points or power sockets, but you do get a little luggage net to one side for smaller items.

The Seal’s cabin looks good, and the touchscreen seems impressive, but even with recent software updates, it’s still way too tricky to use on the move

The cabin quality and design make a good impression when you drop into the BYD Seal, with the big 15.6-inch touchscreen dominating the dashboard. It’s crisp to look at and rapid to respond to your inputs, but too many functions are buried too deep in the menus.

You need multiple presses to change settings and then return to Apple CarPlay, for example, which is too difficult to do without taking your eyes off the road for prolonged periods. A three-finger swipe on the screen will change the temperature and fan settings, but there are still too many sub-menus, on-screen icons and buttons that are just too small.

Next to the drive select lever on the centre console is a volume scroll wheel, and on the touchscreen you can toggle between audio and navigation instruction volumes, making it about the simplest way to mute spoken guidance of any car on sale. Meanwhile, the standard-fit 12-speaker Dynaudio stereo is brilliant.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, keeping you comfortable on long motorway journeys with ease. The rear bench is pretty reclined, too, rear seat passengers won’t suffer either, while the enormous glass roof means the Seal feels light and airy inside - especially with light interior upholstery.

Speaking of which, interior quality is generally good. The dashboard feels well-assembled, but some of the door plastics and leatherette do feel rather cheap.

There are a pair of power options for the Seal. The cheaper car is the Design rear-wheel drive model, which offers 313hp, while the Excellence all-wheel drive car takes the power up to 530hp thanks to the second electric motor.

The Design model is more efficient, with a claimed 354 miles of range - and 323 miles in the AWD Excellence - from their 82.5kWh battery. This equates to decent efficiency of 4.3miles/kWh or 3.9miles/kWh respectively, but in our testing of a Seal Excellence we only achieved 3.1mi/kWh, or 256 real-word miles. Boo.

BYD quotes a charging time of 26 minutes to go from 30-80% at a charging speed of up to 150kW, which is reasonable, if not up with the best speeds. At least a heat pump, which helps preserve range in cold weather, is fitted as standard.

As with all electric vehicles, tax conditions are favourable compared to petrol or diesel, especially if you take it as a company car, where all full EVs sit in the lowest Benefit-in-Kind band. The Seal is subject to the lowest possible rate of first-year Vehicle Excise Duty, too.

BYD Seal Euro NCAP Score (2023): 5/5

Adult occupant: 89%
Child occupant: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 82%
Safety assist: 76%

The Seal has been tested by safety specialist Euro NCAP, and was awarded the maximum five stars, performing well across the board but especially around vulnerable road user protection.

The list of standard safety kit fitted to every Seal is vast, with highlights including lane change assist, intelligent cruise control, blind spot detection, seven airbags and door opening warning.

BYD came 16th out of 30 brands in the 2025 Driver Power owner survey ratings for reliability and customer satisfaction, which while a mid-table result is a remarkable jump on its poor 30th place result in 2025.

The Seal comes with a six-year or 93,750-mile warranty, this is less than Toyota, Aion and Kia, but not by much. The Seal’s battery and electric motors are covered for eight years, with mileage limits of 155,343 and 93,750 miles respectively.