2025 (25) BYD SEAL 230kW Design 83kWh 4dr Auto

The BYD Seal has a compelling argument to offer customers in search of an executive EV sports saloon. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the latest version.

Ten Second Review

The BYD Seal is the executive EV mid-sized sports saloon you probably won't have considered but probably should. Most of what a BMW i4, Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2 customer could want is also here - and then some. If you're browsing in this segment, a Seal simply has to be somewhere on your wish list. Here, we check out the latest lightly updated version.

Background

The Seal EV wasn't Chinese maker BYD's first model launched here - but it was the first one that showed us just what an impressive force this brand was going to be. Prior to this all-electric mid-sized saloon's arrival in 2023, all we'd had from BYD was the unimpressive Atto 3 EV hatch. But it was soon clear at the wheel of the Seal that this was an altogether more serious piece of automotive design, aimed directly at the European makers. The Seal name was used again later in 2024 for the Seal U DM-i Plug-in Hybrid mid-sized SUV, a car that really put its maker on the map with strong UK sales and subsequently in 2025 spawned saloon and Tourer estate Seal 6 DM-i models with the same PHEV petrol powertrain. By then, the Chinese market had received an updated version of the Seal EV saloon we look at here - though that update wasn't extended to European customers. But BYD did update the Seal EV saloon in Spring 2026 for Europe - to create the car we're going to look at here. It still takes on executive EV players like the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 2 - but the Seal has cleverer 'cell-to-body' technology, which is supposed to maximise the battery's usable capacity and boost the car's structural integrity. In theory making it both efficient and sporty. Sounds promising.

Driving Experience

Could you really countenance choosing this Seal over well established premium EV sports saloons like the BMW i4 and the Tesla Model 3? We'll explain why you might in a moment. First though, the core info you'll need. Nothing's changed in the powertrain as part of this update, so as before almost all Seal sales will be of the mid-range 'Design-RWD' model, which has a single rear-mounted 308bhp motor powered by an 82.5kWh battery good for 354 miles of range. The 62mph from rest sprint takes 5.9s, en route to 112mph. If you want more, there's the range-topping Seal 'Excellence-AWD' flagship variant which, as the name suggests, also includes an additional front-mounted motor for four-wheel-drive, hence a boost in power to 523bhp, providing for a 3.8s 0-62mph time that BYD's so proud of that it's advertised with a '3.8S' badge on the boot lid. The 82.5kWh battery of this range-topper is the same as the mid-range model, but the AWD system's extra weight means that here, it only takes the car 323 miles between charges. Earlier, we referenced what BYD hopes is its dynamic trump card here - class leading torsional rigidity. That comes courtesy of an innovative 'cell-to-body' battery installation that makes the 11cm-tall 'blade' battery pack part of the Seal's structure. The result is a level of torsional rigidity (40,000Nm/deg) that some competitors can only dream about; the industry average is around 25,000Nm/deg. You'll feel the benefit of that in the reduction of body roll around corners. Unlike lesser BYD models, mainstream Seals are rear-driven, with a double wishbone (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension set-up: this is upgraded on the AWD model with frequency-selective dampers to compensate for that top variant's extra 130kgs of weight. All Seals get four driving modes - 'Eco', 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Snow'.

Design and Build

You'd really have to be a BYD sales person to notice the visual updates made to this updated Seal EV saloon: for the record, the company has tweaked the car's brand logo on the boot, this badge now positioned above the full-width LED light bar. Otherwise, apart from redesigned 19-inch wheels, it's all as before, with still only a four-door body shape offered to EV customers. In this sedan form, this BYD remains a fairly dramatic-looking thing, styled using the brand's current 'Ocean Aesthetics' design language, which includes a few gill and fin details to fit with the whole maritime theme. The penmanship comes from ex-Audi stylist Wolfgang Egger, whose CV includes the gorgeous Alfa Romeo Competizione 8C sports car. Seal measurements are 4,800mm in length, 1,875mm in width and 1,460mm in height; which makes the car 80mm longer, 58mm narrower and 20mm taller than its Tesla Model 3 arch-rival. Under the skin sits the same 'e-Platform 3.0' chassis as smaller BYD models, but the 'cell-to-body' battery installation that sits on top of it is different. Here, the battery pack is actually part of the vehicle structure - so there's no metal platform between the cabin floor and the lithium-ion cells. That means a thinner floor and a consequently lower roof height. You enter the cabin via neat retractable door handles and BYD's NFC card. Once inside, there's a smartly furnished interior that hasn't changed as part of this update. That means you get a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel and a big 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen that, as with other early BYDs, can be rotated between portrait and landscape layouts. The interior all feels suitably premium - more so than a rival Model S - and the seats (which no longer have BYD-embossed headrests) not only look good but seem supportive. In the back, a 45mm advantage in wheelbase over that rival Tesla means a bit more leg-stretching space (though you can't push your feet very far under the front chairs). Headroom is a bit compromised by the sweeping rear roof line with its fixed panoramic glass top. Because this isn't a hatchback, you'll have to negotiate a rather narrow boot loading aperture, beyond which, somehow BYD has been able to expand boot space as part of this update - from 402 to 485-litres. There's now more space in the under-bonnet 'frunk' too, increased in size by 19-litres to 72-litres - enough for a charging cable or even a carry-on suitcase, BYD says.

Market and Model

You'll pay around £46,000 for the Seal in 'Design-RWD' form. And around £49,000 for the top 'Excellence-AWD' version. Interestingly for an unknown brand, BYD isn't looking to substantially undercut its main competitors on price. But equipment levels are high. Across the range, the cabin gets a 15.6-inch rotatable screen equipped with an intelligent voice control function that can be activated with the voice command "Hey BYD"; and seamless smartphone integration via 'Android Auto' or 'Apple CarPlay'. It also features a 10.25-inch full instrument LCD panel, while the impressive 12-speaker Dynaudio Performance Audio System provides premium quality sound. In terms of safety and advanced driver assistance, the Seal offers Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Brake, Lane Keep Assistance, Lane Change Assist and Emergency Lane Keep. There's also Adaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Cruise Control, a 360-degree Panoramic Camera, Blind Spot Detection System, ESP, Traction Control, Hill Decent Control, Automatic Vehicle Hold, Intelligent Speed Limit Information and Intelligent Speed Limit Control. Cutting-edge lighting technology provides a wider beam to aid visibility during night driving, with high beam assist, adaptive headlights and Follow Me Home as standard. As part of this model's light update, BYD says it has added a heavily revised driver monitoring system.

Cost of Ownership

The battery used here is of the unique-to-BYD lithium-ion-phosphate 'Blade' variety, which incorporates cells mounted in the strips directly to the pack. Which, the Chinese maker says, allows for a much higher cell density than a conventional battery could offer. So a much higher driving range then? Afraid not. The 354 mile range of the core 'Design-RWD' model is reasonably class-competitive, but way off being class leading. It's 323 miles for the 'Excellence-AWD' model. To preserve driving range in cold conditions, a heat pump is standard. Seal customers benefit from what the brand calls 'a high-voltage electric drive boost charging solution', which allows for faster charging. This technology innovatively uses the motor inductor to replace the boost inductor, to meet the 420-750V voltage range of charging piles with high-power DC charging. During the charging process, this BYD's drivetrain reduces the heat generation of the charging and distribution assembly for more reliable performance. The Seal offers an 11kW 3-phase on-board charger for AC charging, and can be fast-charged at a DC ultra-fast charging station with 150kW. With this amount of power, the battery can be charged from 30% to 80% in just 26 minutes. The AC charging time from a typical 7.4kW garage wallbox for both models is around 13 hours from empty to full. You'd think that BYD building, designing and owning this car's entire set of EV drivetrain components (including battery and semiconductors) would allow the company to make the Seal able to offer a truly modern 800V electrical architecture capable of allowing charging with the new breed of ultra-rapid DC public chargers - something we've already seen in this class with the Hyundai IONIQ 6. But no, it's the same conventional 400V system as everyone else uses.

Summary

It's just as well that the Seal EV saloon in its original form was so convincing because it hasn't been changed much since - unlike most of its competitors. It remains better value than a BMW i4, nicer inside than a Tesla Model 3, better to drive than a Hyundai IONIQ 6 and cleverer than a Polestar 2. That's a decent CV. Plus, because BYD manufactures virtually all the Seal itself in-house, there are fewer supply chain issues, so you're likely to get your car within weeks of your order, rather than months. Despite all of these attributes, the truth is that in the combustion era, this car would have struggled to make an impact in its segment. But things are different now. The average EV customer is much less badge-conscious and more likely to be attracted by the innovative technology being showcased here. It's all indicative of the current quite astonishing pace of Chinese automotive development.