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By Jonathan Crouch

The BYD Seal U DM-i SUV was the first model to extend PHEV tech into BYD's range. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 70

The Seal U DM-i mid-sized SUV was BYD's first attempt at a Hybrid and is a PHEV that aims to broaden the brand's sales base beyond EVs. It's possibly not the most exciting or engaging segment choice you could make, but value and practicality are both strong points that make this a family car worthy of consideration if you're looking at electrification but aren't quite ready for an electric vehicle.

Backgroundword count: 210

Just when we got used to the idea of Chinese maker BYD being an all-electric brand, along came this car back in 2023, the Seal U DM-i - a Plug-in Hybrid mid-sized SUV. Back then, BYD was almost exclusively known as an EV maker. You'd have thought that if the Chinese maker was going to offer Plug-in Hybrid tech, it would have done it before selling us full-EVs (as rival Polestar did). But BYD has its own way of doing things - as the unusual design of its early EV models showed. One of these was also badged 'Seal', a mid-sized EV saloon that we really liked - and an electric car with premium aspirations. We're not sure why the Plug-in Hybrid Seal model we look at here also uses a 'Seal' moniker because it shares virtually nothing with its EV showroom stablemate in terms of looks, price, powertrain or market positioning. Instead, the Seal U DM-i is a five-door mid-sized SUV. The Seal U SUV can also be had as an EV in other markets, but here we only get the DM-i PHEV version, the 'DM' letters standing for 'Dual Mode', BYD-speak for designation of the fact that an engine assists the electric drivetrain. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 314

It's a little-known fact that BYD was the first manufacturer to mass-produce a PHEV - a model called the F3DM back in 2008 that hardly anyone bought. But the Chinese learn quickly and BYD can justifiably claim cutting-edge Plug-in Hybrid technology with this Seal U DM-i. There's a choice of three versions of this front-driven four cylinder 1.5-litre petrol powertrain, things kicking off with an entry-level 'Boost' version offering an 18.3kWh battery with 50 miles of EV range and 215bhp of output from its front-mounted motor. Most Seal U DM-i customers though, choose the mid-level 'Comfort' version, which has the same output but uses a larger 26.6kWh battery that increases range to as much as 78 miles. Before a frugal normally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine cuts in as you cruise past the queues at your local charging station. Still want that EV? The other Seal U DM-i model is the top 'Design'-spec version, tuned very much for performance. Here, the 1.5-litre engine gets a turbocharger and switches to the Miller cycle aimed at high speed frugality. Plus an extra e-motor is added to the rear axle to create AWD. Power jumps to 319bhp, improving the 8.9s 0-62mph sprint time you get with the front-driven models to just 5.9s. The 'Design' version supplements the usual 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' drive modes with extra 'Mud' and 'Sand' settings too. The battery on offer though, is the smaller 18.3kWh one and is supposed to deliver up to 43 miles of EV range. Whatever kind of Seal U DM-i you choose, expect the drive experience to be very EV-like - the complicated powertrain ensures that there's always a minimum battery charge of at least 25%. But don't expect the engaging driving dynamics we enjoyed with the Seal EV saloon. The Seal U DM-i has a soft ride and light steering, but compensates with effective brakes and outstanding refinement.

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