This is the best Chinese car I have ever driven, so why are all the best-selling alternatives SUVs instead?
Car changing is a big deal
The BYD Seal has been on sale since 2023, yet neither BYD nor the Chinese competition has managed to better it yet. Senior reviews writer Mario Christou spent a week with one to understand why.
If you’ve paid any attention to the roads lately, you won’t be surprised to hear that seven out of the top 10 best-selling cars on sale in 2026 are SUVs. Two of them are Chinese, in the Jaecoo 7 and MG HS, while the most popular electric car so far this year is the Tesla Model Y.
From what I’d heard through the grapevine, however, the BYD Seal is up there with – if not superior to – the best of them, so I decided to get behind the wheel of this electric saloon car. Would it live up to the hype?
The Seal isn’t an all-new, revolutionary car. It’s been on sale in the UK since 2023, with plenty of newer models having joined the market since its launch. BYD now has a full model range, the majority of which are SUVs, and its top-seller is the plug-in hybrid Seal U.
On appearances at least, I can’t fathom why. I understand that SUVs are the ‘in’ thing at the moment, and physics dictates that the popularity isn’t going to slow down any time soon. An object in motion stays in motion, after all, even if that object is a sea of generic-looking soft-roaders on the school run.
The BYD Seal is a properly handsome car by comparison, with a genuinely elegant silhouette, super-sculpted bumpers, sleek lights and some really rather smart wheel designs. Even the colour options are great, especially the light purple, while the Polar White my test car came in had a very pretty blue pearl finish. There’s no SUV that comes close to looking this good, in my eyes.
Even when I dropped down into the Seal’s (fairly) low-slung driver’s seat I was impressed, because unlike so many other Chinese cars, the Seal has a ‘real’ dashboard which features more than just a single screen on a horizontal bar.
Flowing trim details, bright accents and a mix of leatherette and suede mean the Seal’s interior genuinely feels posh, whereas a Tesla Model 3 is barren and sad inside. The American car can’t hold a candle to the BYD here.
There are even – wait for it – physical controls for the audio volume and drive modes, plus a cute little jewel-like drive selector in the middle. There are a couple of cheap plastics on the steering wheel and lower door cards, but otherwise the Seal does well inside.
Rear headroom isn’t amazing, but I spent the weekend away in the Seal with three tall mates of mine and I heard zero complaints. The 402-litre boot could be better, but we still managed to squeeze four people’s luggage between the Seal’s boot and extra storage in the nose.
Where the Seal did let me down, however, was in its efficiency. Fair enough the car may have been fully loaded and driven predominantly on the motorway, but 3.1mi/kWh really isn’t great.
The car’s on-board computer may have quoted 329 miles of range, but my maths indicated I would only have managed to eke 259 miles from the Seal’s 82.5kWh battery – which isn’t good enough. We saw 4.6mi/kWh in a rear-wheel drive Tesla Model 3 Premium, which is a far more impressive result.
At least the Seal is good to drive – and this monumentally fast in the dual-motor Seal Excellence – keen drivers might be able to forgive the efficiency if you enjoy its potential on a good B-road. No it’s not a sports car, but it’s comfortable in town, remains composed on a country lane and it’s easy to drive across long distances.
On paper then, and in practice, it’s hard to see why the Seal is outsold by the Tesla duo and the less interesting, less stylish plug-in hybrid fare from BYD and other Chinese brands – until you get to the price.
At almost £46,000 the Seal is noticeably more expensive than any other BYD product in the UK, while a comparatively priced Model 3 offers over 100 miles more range – even if it’s a far less interesting car.
So yes, it may be the best BYD on sale in the UK, but it costs too much. If it were £10,000 cheaper, I reckon the Seal would take over the world. It’s brilliant otherwise.
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*Savings are made up of the maximum dealer discount off RRP – subject to dealership, location and trim. Prices correct at the time of writing.