Saying goodbye to my BYD Seal U: Here’s my honest opinion on this Chinese SUV

I can’t believe that six months have passed since I took delivery of my BYD Seal U. It seems like yesterday that this SUV turned up at my house, and now it’s already time to hand the keys back.

The Seal U is very cheap on paper, especially when compared to alternatives like the Volkswagen Tiguan, but I wanted to find out if it was cheap and cheerful, or just cheap. After six months, I have my answer.

Six months with a BYD Seal U: should you buy one?

I’ve been very impressed by certain aspects of this car. The interior looks and feels quite posh for the price, it’s packed with kit and the hybrid engine is really smooth and economical. I’ve managed to average around 40mpg, which considering I can rarely plug it in to make the most of the electric-only range is pretty good going.

There is also plenty of space in the cabin, which proved especially useful when my firstborn arrived in 2025. However, the boot is less impressive thanks to the sloping roofline, and there’s something else letting this car down.

I’m talking about the driving experience, which is lacklustre to say the least. The suspension is a strange combination of being soft and wallowy most of the time, but then it crashes over bumps with a nasty thump. This is where something like a Volkswagen Tiguan feels more premium – it’s just a lot nicer to drive.

The Seal U’s price makes this quite easy to forgive. My car with the slightly larger battery giving it up to 78 miles of electric-only range costs just over £35,000, which is nearly £9,000 less than the cheapest plug-in hybrid Volkswagen Tiguan.

That makes the Seal U look far more appealing, and if you want a great-value, well-equipped and spacious plug-in hybrid SUV, you could do much worse than this.

However, if I was looking for such a car then the MG HS would also be on my radar. It’s slightly cheaper than the BYD, offers a similar amount of tech and, while it’s still not exciting to drive, it does feel a bit more refined.

Living with a BYD Seal U: three things I love

Here are three things I loved about my BYD Seal U over the last six months.

1. The hybrid engine is brilliant

The BYD Seal U’s engine is among the best hybrid setups I’ve encountered in a long time. It may not be all that fast, but the petrol engine is so quiet that you barely notice it firing into life when you put your foot down.

Even though I don’t get to charge this car often, it still manages to remain in electric-only mode a lot of the time. I’ve managed to average around 40mpg in this car, which is pretty good going for a big, heavy SUV running in one of its least efficient configurations.

2. Really handy tech

This car has a few clever bits of tech which make day-to-day driving easier. The surround-view camera is really high-definition, and if you switch it on then it stays on regardless of speed or time. This has proven useful on tight London streets with multiple width restrictors, because you don’t have to push the button every time you get to one.

The standard-fit adaptive cruise control is lovely to have on long journeys, as are the heated and ventilated front seats. I’ve also been making use of the voice commands, and when you hit the button it’ll lower the fan speed so it can hear you more clearly. That’s something I’ve not seen before.

3. The interior is nice and roomy

The arrival of my son was a real test of the BYD’s practicality, and thankfully it’s been really easy to live with as a first-time parent. Fitting the bulky rear-facing child seat was a breeze thanks to the easy-access ISOFIX points, and there’s enough room in the back to fit it without moving the front seats forward. There are also plenty of cubby holes to keep all your bits and bobs hidden away.

Living with a BYD Seal U: three annoying features

There’s no such thing as a perfect car, and there are some features on the Seal U which grind my gears.

1. I can’t trust the parking sensors

The parking sensors on this car are a bit strange. They give you a readout in centimeters showing how close you are to an obstacle, but I can’t really trust the readout. According to the screen, this is a 50cm gap to the wall when in reality it’s about half that. I tend to just use the cameras.

2. Rear end issues

This car has a pretty sloped rear end which is meant to make it look more sporty, but the trade-off for this is pretty poor rear visibility thanks to the tiny rear windows. The boot is also pretty small as a result, making it less practical than something like a Skoda Karoq.

3. It’s not the best SUV to drive

The hybrid engine may be excellent, but the rest of the BYD Seal U’s driving experience leaves a bit to be desired. The suspension feels really soft and wallowy, but it still crashes through potholes. The steering is also incredibly light, unless you put it in sport mode which just makes it feel artificially heavy.

I get that SUVs like this don’t need to handle like sports cars, but I’d still like the Seal U to be a bit more composed and refined than this.

The thing is, every time I think about these shortcomings I’m reminded of how cheap this car is. For £35,000 very few plug-in hybrid SUVs offer this much equipment, so it’s easier to forgive the slightly slopping handling.

My time with the BYD Seal U is almost at an end, so check back soon for my final verdict on this car.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Click here to follow us on WhatsApp, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos.