AutoGear was present at the dynamic presentation of the Seal U, the SUV that BYD proposes as an alternative to the Tesla Model Y, the best-selling car in 2023! At launch, two versions, both with 160 kW (214 hp). The only difference is the battery capacity (and the approved range): 71.8 kWh in the Comfort version, 87.0 kWh in the Design version.
BYD is currently the leading Chinese manufacturer and the brand that sells the most hybrid or electric vehicles globally, with a 62% increase in sales in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 3,024,417 units – Tesla only saw a 35% increase, delivering a record 1,808,581 vehicles. It is called Build Your Dreams, presented with the acronym BYD, and is committed to rapidly expanding in Europe. The Seal U is a new addition to its catalog, joining the Dolphin, Atto 3, Han, Tang, and Seal. And the promise is for more launches during 2024!
The Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), which is the origin of the addition of the letter “U” (for Utility…) to the name of the car with a length of 4.785 m and a wheelbase of 2.765 m, is positioned in the mid-size segment (D), just like the Seal, a sedan with which it shares the e-Platforma 3.0 technical architecture developed “tailor-made” for electric vehicles. The model presented by BYD in Portugal is expected to be commercially available in the national market by the end of the 1st semester of the year, with prices to be announced soon (starting at € 41,990 in Germany, for informative purposes only).
If the Seal combines the excitement of power or speed with the reason of an electric motor, the U is characterized by a much more family-oriented approach, focusing mainly on comfort, space, and practicality, but without neglecting BYD’s brand features such as design, quality, or technology. In practice, the Chinese now have valid alternatives to the Tesla Model 3 and Y. In China, this car is sold under the name Song Pro and is in its 2nd generation.
In the Seal U, there are two versions, both with front-wheel drive and a motor with 160 kW (214 hp), enough power for 0-100 km/h in 9.6 s (the top speed is limited to 175 km/h): Comfort and Design. In the first version, the lithium iron phosphate battery has a capacity of 71.8 kWh, which allows for a range of up to 420 km. In the second version, the capacity of the “Blade” increases to 87.0 kWh and BYD claims a range of up to 500 km.
The Seal U benefits from a general warranty of 6 years or 150,000 km, while the battery is covered for 8 years or 200,000 km. As an SUV, the trunk capacity is almost as important as the interior space, which is surprising, especially in the rear seats: depending on the position of the rear seatbacks, which can be easily folded down, the trunk offers a minimum of 552 liters and a maximum of 1440 liters. In terms of standard equipment, it is quite complete, including the multimedia system with the typical BYD rotating digital monitor (the screen is 12.8” in the Comfort version and 15.6” in the Design version).
The charging operation takes 11 hours in the Comfort version and 15 hours in the Design version, using an AC power point with 7 kW. With a fast charger, it takes 27 minutes to go from 30% to 80% in the Comfort version (maximum of 115 kW) and 28 minutes in the Design version (140 kW).
Comfortable and (very!) efficient
BYD selected the Lisbon region for the dynamic debut of the Seal U in Europe. AutoGear participated in the event and will share the first impressions of this SUV, which does not have (and also does not aspire to have!) a sporty positioning, much less the “firepower” of the Seal with 313 hp and rear-wheel drive or 530 hp and all-wheel drive (according to the brand, the 0-100 km/h acceleration takes 5.9 s for the first version and 3.8 s for the second version). We tested the top-of-the-line Design…
Unsurprisingly, the placement of the battery under the cabin benefits the behavior of the U, optimizing the weight distribution between the axles, which greatly improves the stability of the SUV without the need for any active system to optimize suspension performance. However, this fact does not negatively affect ride comfort or driving precision, although the former is more surprising than the latter. In this regard, applause is also due to the quality of the interior insulation, which keeps unwanted noises outside the cabin, enhancing the feeling of well-being on board.
The Seal U has three driving modes (Eco, Normal, and Sport), which can be selected using a dedicated button on the console between the front seats, next to the crystal gear selector. It is also possible to adjust the intensity of energy regeneration, which is more noticeable at high speeds. The 2147 kg of the Design version represent a significant obstacle to the speed of the BYD, but the electric motor has enough power (330 Nm) to move it quickly. However, more acceleration means less range. BYD claims an average consumption of 20.5 kWh/100 km for this version, which decreases to 15.2 kWh in the city. During this test, we didn’t consume much more. An efficient system!
