BYD Seal U vs MG HS: both great value on paper, but which should you buy?

For a brand which has only been around in the UK for a couple of years, BYD is shooting up in popularity, currently selling more cars here than Tesla. It mostly focusses on electric cars, but the Seal U is a plug-in hybrid SUV to cater to those who don’t want a full EV just yet.

But there are plenty of other Chinese plug-in hybrids out there to choose from. We’ve already done a head-to-head between the Seal U and the Range Rover-esque Jaecoo 7, but how does it stack up against the MG HS?

Let’s compare the two side-by-side to find out.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

BYD Seal U vs MG HS: prices and deals

Let’s start with brass tacks. The BYD Seal U starts from £33,315, but you can save an average of almost £2,500 when you buy through Carwow at the time of writing. You can also lease a Seal U for £324 per month over four years.

As for the MG HS, it starts from £25,995. It has a lower starting price because you can get this car with a basic 1.5-litre petrol engine, whereas the BYD is only offered as a plug-in hybrid. Go for a PHEV version of the HS and it’ll set you back just over £32,000.

You can also save an average of almost £3,000 on one through Carwow at the time of writing, and lease prices start from £240 per month for the petrol or £273 for the plug-in hybrid.

So there’s not much in it in terms of list price, but the HS is quite a bit cheaper to lease. Both are considerably cheaper than a lot of alternatives though. A Hyundai Tucson with a petrol engine will cost you around £33,000, which is £7,000 more than the MG, and the plug-in hybrid costs almost £40,000.

BYD Seal U vs MG HS: value for money

So the MG is slightly cheaper, but what do you actually get for your money? Well, every version gets adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and dual 12.3-inch screens. Step up to the top-spec version and you get heated leather seats, a 360-degree camera system and a power tailgate.

The BYD’s kit list is vast, and there are no trim levels to choose from. Every version gets exactly the same standard equipment. That means heated and ventilated leather seats, a heated steering wheel, a 15.6-inch screen, a 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control and a panoramic sunroof.

The BYD Seal U may cost slightly more than the MG HS, but the more generous list of standard equipment makes it better value for money.

BYD Seal U vs MG HS: interior and practicality

Both of these cars punch above their weight in terms of interior quality, but the BYD does feel more posh inside. There’s loads of soft-touch leatherette material and nice stitching, plus padded armrests.

The MG does feel nice and solid though, and it’s miles better than the old HS. It’s seriously impressive for a car which costs £10,000 less than a Volkswagen Tiguan, although it’s a shame that the infotainment system is a bit fiddly to use.

This is a criticism you can level at both cars though, because the BYD’s screen isn’t the easiest to navigate either. The Seal U does have one trick up its sleeve though, the screen can rotate from landscape to portrait at the touch of a button. That’s a cool feature to show off to your friends, but in normal use it’s pretty useless – especially seeing as smartphone mirroring doesn’t work in portrait mode.

Moving to the back seats, the BYD has a huge amount of head and legroom, as does the MG. There’s not really much to separate the two here, but the BYD does have a fraction more space and the standard-fit glass roof makes it feel nice and airy in the back.

The MG has a bigger boot though, measuring 507 litres compared to the BYD’s 425 litres. It’s a close one, but the MG HS is ever so slightly more practical.

BYD Seal U vs MG HS: engines and driving

The MG HS is available with a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 170hp, or a hybrid engine with 224hp which can shuffle along at low speeds in electric-only mode. Then there’s the plug-in hybrid, which we’ll be focussing on here as it’s the closest comparison to the BYD.

It uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine, which is paired with an electric motor to make a combined 299hp. It can also do an impressive 75 miles on electric power alone, but the BYD can beat that.

The Seal U is only available as a plug-in hybrid, but there are three configurations to pick from. Entry level cars have a smaller battery with 50 miles of EV range, but the mid-spec cars with a bigger pack can do 78 miles on electric power alone. There’s also a dual-motor version which ups the power from 217hp to 323hp, and adds all-wheel drive, but the electric range drops to 43 miles as a result.

The hybrid system in the BYD is also impressively smooth – you hardly notice the transition as the engine kicks in. However, in terms of the overall driving experience the Seal U starts to show its biggest flaw.

That would be the suspension, which manages to be a strange combination of both crashy and wallowy. You get a harsh bang as you hit a bump, then the whole car sort of flobbers about for a while after you’ve hit it. It never really feels settled either, the constant jiggling may get on your nerves after a while.

As for the MG, it’s fine. That may seem like damning with faint praise, but if you’re just after something to get you from A to B in a fuss-free fashion then the MG can do just that. It’s not quite as refined as something more premium, like the Volkswagen Tiguan, but for the price it’s perfectly adequate.

Neither of these cars will set your pulse racing, nor should they, but the MG is the better of the two to drive by far.

Winner: MG HS

And that brings us to the final verdict. The BYD Seal U is a tempting proposition while stationary. The interior is nice, it’s really spacious and you get a shed-load of standard kit for the money. It’s just let down by the poor suspension.

And that’s why the MG wins this test. It’s slightly cheaper, a bit more practical and the driving experience, while nothing to write home about, won’t get on your nerves day-to-day. You may have to step up to the top-spec version to match the BYD’s kit list, but that’ll only cost you an extra £2,000 and it’s well-worth spending the extra.

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.