John Challen reports back on our BYD long-termer.

BYD Seal Excellence Twin Motor Excellence AWD 3.8S

P11D: £48,640 BiK: 3% EFFICIENCY: 3.4mpkWh Miles (RANGE): 323 miles Miles (ON FLEET): 311 miles On fleet efficiency: 3.3mpkWh

Report 4:

As previously discussed, the Seal attracts a fair bit of attention, which often leads to conversations with admirers about it and, to a lesser extent, the merits of Chinese cars. With more and more entering the UK market, it’s a given that they have to be at least on a par with their counterparts from more established markets to get any traction.

Fortunately, the Seal ticks that box, with a plush interior that looks the part, high quality materials (apart from a passenger floor mat that had lost one of its fixings on arrival) and great performance. Having experimented with the power of the twin motors recently, it was back to the more sedate form of driving as I looked to conserve range on longer journeys.

I have, though, suffered the same fate as fellow long-term tester Julian Kirk reports with the Audi Q6 e-tron here in terms of smears on the vast touchscreen. I guess it comes with the territory and is a small price to pay for having all the information in one place (I’ll leave aside the ‘screens versus buttons’ debate for another time).

The other thing to mention is practicality. As a saloon, I was slightly concerned when I opened the really quite small boot lid when preparing to load up. However, the space is deceptive and stretches a long way back, meaning that you can cram in a lot of stuff.

Report 3:

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One thing I’ve noticed over recent weeks is that the Seal gets a lot of attention – and compliments, both from people I know and also strangers. I guess part of this reaction comes initially from not knowing what it is – BYD is obviously on a roll at the moment, but there are still a lot of people who are unaware of the Chinese brand. We might be used to a new brand from the Far East appearing what seems like every week, but Joe and Joanne Public are often blissfully unaware – but when they do get to experience the cars, they are pleasantly surprised.

There’s more than a hint of the Tesla Model 3 about the Seal, which grabs people’s attention, given the profile of that company at the moment. I don’t think BYD would argue that Elon’s car at least partly inspired a lot about the Seal, which is no bad thing at all, given the Model 3’s popularity. The Seal’s ‘shadow green’ exterior paint is another reason for people to stop and stare. For one, green cars are pretty rare these days, but also it’s not garish enough to really stand out. Subtly, clearly, is the way to get noticed.

Rear passengers have commented on the legroom, which certainly is plentiful. Driving with the gym-loving Challen Jnr and his mates often means some big units sat around the Seal, but there are no complaints about them being cramped. The panoramic sunroof is also another highlight – it really is vast – although the combination of the hot weather and the slightly ineffective air-con almost had me reaching for the roof’s interior shade from the boot.

Other grumbles are the fact that the audio cuts down to almost a whisper when reversing – no doubt a safety measure, but a bit OTT in my opinion.

Report 2:

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The plethora of Chinese car companies that have entered the UK market have made legacy manufacturers sit up and take notice in all sorts of ways. In the Seal, one example of this deviation from the norm can be seen in the infotainment. One of BYD’s USP’s is a rotating screen – something that seems like a great idea, but I’ve not really had reason to change it from its default landscape setting. I can imagine it would be great for some instances, such as navigation but as an Android Auto user, the display doesn’t function in portrait mode.

Talking of screens – something regular readers will know I’ve had a love/hate relationship with, but am learning to live with (quite literally) – the climate control offers something a bit different. Swiping left or right with three fingers increases or decreases the fan speed, while doing the same vertically changes the temperature. In lieu of physical buttons, it’s a straightforward alternative that is really quick and easy to do. Certainly safer than having to swipe through a load of sub-menus, too.

Performance-wise, the Seal’s dual-motor setup is something to behold. I know I’ve talked recently about driving more slowly and sedately, but there have been times when I’ve needed to optimise plenty of the 530hp and 670Nm torque. That said, I’m mindful that driving like that can eat away at the car’s range, so those moments are only fleeting – and where conditions allow (officer…).

On the subject of range and efficiency, the latter is more than adequate – and I even managed a couple of longer trips out the other week after forgetting to change the car. In terms of efficiency, I’m pleased to report that my occasional lead-footness hasn’t hampered my return, with the Seal’s 3.3mpkWh not too far away from the stated 3.4mpkWh in the car’s blurb.

First report:

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A first for us here at EV Fleet World towers, as we welcome a Chinese manufacturer’s car onto the long-term fleet. In the case of BYD, we’ve had the opportunity to sample most models in the ever-growing range, but the Seal has eluded us, so a few months spent with the much talked-about car seemed the best way to put that right.

The arrival of more and more Chinese brands into the UK market means it’s difficult to dismiss them, regardless of what drivers think about them or the vehicles they offer. From my first interaction with a BYD model – the Atto 3 – I was blown away with its suitability for European roads, driving styles and driver requirements. Certainly, in the case of our Seal – in Twin Motor Excellence AWD 3.8S trim – drivers will want for very little. Fully loaded is an often-used phrase, but it is one that perfectly describes LC25 EZU. All for under £50k, which seems pretty reasonable.

Performance is impressive too. The ‘3.8’ tag refers to the time it takes to hit 62mph from a standstill, aided by 530hp and nearly 670Nm of torque. However, as I’ve written about before, my driving is a bit more sedate these days – although such performance might change that (all in the name of a proper vehicle appraisal, of course).

It’s early days, so some things take getting used to, or figuring out. One being the air-con which initially seems a bit reluctant to help get to the required low temperatures as quickly as possible. It gets there eventually, but more than one of the Challens (including me) have had the fleetingly wondered if it is working correctly. Another obvious feature to get used to is the ‘Shadow green’ colour. I’m quite a fan – and so are many others, it turns out. Not only did I pass an identically coloured Seal the other day just along the road from me, but it’s a shade that more and more people are choosing in models from other brands.

Taking the whole ‘going green’ thing to a new level, I guess!