SEALED WITH A HISS (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

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 Reviewword count: 66

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.

Backgroundword count: 233

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 Experienceword count: 299

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'.

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