BYD Seal: Sedan Supremacy

The drizzle, persistent throughout the day, did little to calm my nerves as I sat ready behind the lead car at the Zhuhai International Circuit. As a Nepali automotive journalist, opportunities to drive a fast car around a racetrack don't come around every day, so I had to make the most of this one. In front of me was another BYD Seal, driven by the lead marshal. Behind me was a convoy of six more Seals, each piloted by automotive journalists from various Southeast Asian media outlets.

Read here: EXCLUSIVE: Experiencing the Nepal-bound BYD Seal At The Zhuhai International Circuit, China

At the starting line, I was alert, eagerly waiting for the eerie silence of the electric motor to be interrupted by the impending cackle over the radio that would set us off. Then it happened. The marshal signaled the beginning of the countdown, and three seconds later, we were off.

I floored it, and the traction control did well to mitigate the errors of an overzealous right foot. Then, it was a simple matter of navigating through the turns as fast as I could. Linear throttle inputs, hard braking as I entered the corner, turning sharply to kiss the apex, and shooting out to meet the next bend.

Easier said than done when you're pushing your vehicle, and I was. I was demanding everything from the BYD Seal, and despite the slick track, the all-wheel drive, coupled with the advanced driving tech, matched my enthusiasm beat for beat.

It wasn’t until I approached Turn 7, a tight right-hand hairpin, that I truly appreciated the driving prowess of the BYD Seal. I felt like I went in a little too hot, so I had to brake hard before entering the corner and maintain speed through the exit. The Seal remained unperturbed; the only sign of the challenging turn was a slightly more pronounced tyre squeal before I barrelled forward towards the next turn.

Then, on the final straight, the BYD Seal (Performance) got a chance to stretch its legs. With a claimed 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h, it was no slouch. I clocked in at a maximum of 168 km/h before I chickened out of glancing at the speedometer; I wanted to cross the line shiny side up.

This was back in October 2023, when Cimex Nepal, authorized distributors of BYD cars in Nepal, invited me to represent Nepal Drives at the media drive of the BYD Seal in Zhuhai, China. It was an experience of a lifetime where I got to test the BYD Seal to its limits at a race track. I also got a chance to do a slalom test where I could test the composure and manoeuvrability of the Seal. As you might have expected, the flagship car of the company passed with flying colours and managed to impress all of us who drove it. 

That was on a race circuit, though. I never got the chance to test out its real-world performance, until now. 

Fast forward almost a year and I now find myself in a calmer environment. Coincidentally, once again under another drizzle; only this time I get to appreciate the water droplets landing on the full-length glass roof as I sit comfortably in the Seal’s integrated sensory seat that has ventilation and heating. You get high-quality material throughout the cabin and all the touch points feel premium. I found myself gently running my fingers through the suede-type fabric on the dash several times throughout the review.

Visually too, the cabin of the BYD Seal is a great place to be in. The infotainment system on the center of the dash is a familiar setup from other BYD models. It is a crisp 15.6-inch rotating display similar to the Atto 3. It's responsive, thanks to a super-fast processor. You control your navigation, music (with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), and climate control from this unit. 

While the rotating feature is intriguing at first, I prefer to keep it in landscape orientation. You also have to be careful to move your knee out of the way before rotating the screen if you usually rest your knee on the side of the centre console. Another feature I appreciated is the supplementary 10.25-inch screen in front of the driver, which provides essential information such as speed and trip data right where you need it.

A convenient shortcut menu in the centre console near the drive selector allows for basic climate control adjustments, supplemented by buttons on the steering wheel. However, accessing the full range of climate controls still requires exiting the main display, where dedicated buttons would be less distracting.

The standard sound system is a 12-speaker Dynaudio setup, delivering powerful and high-quality audio. Music streaming is supported through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with two wireless charging pads provided to keep devices powered.

Performance and Safety

The BYD Seal is built on the e-Platform 3.0, shared with the Atto 3 SUV and Dolphin, but it has been scaled up for the sedan’s larger size. More importantly, it features rear-wheel drive, with the top-spec Performance version adding an additional motor on the front axle for all-wheel drive.

There are three variants to choose from: Dynamic, Premium, and Performance. The Seal Dynamic is powered by a 150kW PMSM. It comes with a 61.4kWh LFP Blade Battery with a 460 km range. On the other hand, the Seal Premium is powered by a 230kW PMSM featuring an 82.5kWh LFP Blade Battery with a 570km range. The Performance variant packs a 390 kW AWD Motor with an 82.5kWh LFP Blade Battery with a 520km range.

The performance variant utilises BYD’s Intelligent Torque Adaption Control (iTAC) system, which is essentially a torque-vectoring set-up that helps reduce slip and increase traction in slippery conditions.

Furthermore, the all-wheel-drive version feels like the most driver-focused Seal to drive. This was the one that I was driving in the race track in Zhuhai. The rear wheel drive variant that I drove in this test drive was also splendid. On my drive up the twists and turns of Phulchowki Hill, I made a point to ask my rear passengers about the body roll they were experiencing.

Accustomed to the throws of compact SUVs, the team was gleefully unaware of the minimal body roll of a low sedan. With this low ground clearance, however, you will encounter some roads that require delicate manoeuvring to pass through unscathed. Thankfully, the roads of late have become significantly better to drive on. Someone named SA.BI is to thank for I hear. Better roads meant that I could drive the BYD Seal as it was meant to be driven. And let me tell you, driving a sedan after years of reviewing nothing but compact SUVs and hatchbacks was a breath of fresh air.

When it comes to cars, the driving beauty and grace of a sedan is inimitable. You can drive the most expensive, feature-rich SUVs and hatchbacks you want, but their driving finesse will pale in comparison to that of a decent sedan. Sedans are gracious and elegant when they move, purposeful and effortless. And this is what made the Seal such a delight to drive.

Performance-wise, the BYD Seal impresses with its quick acceleration. It is sharp off the line and with a controlled right foot you can extort a linear power output from the motor. You can then use this power for a leisurely drive around the city cocooned in luxury or opt to put the pedal to the metal and truly unleash your inner driving demon. Switching the steering controls for better feedback is also very important, and I do advise that you switch to sports mode as well.

One thing that you have to keep in mind is your safety and those around you. With the advent of EVs that are ready to unleash torque at the drop of a dime, the number of idiots on the roads has increased at a worrying rate. Nevertheless, we are certain that our readers are responsible when behind the wheel and will not indulge in on-road idiocy.

On the safety front, the BYD Seal is no slouch. Having bagged a 5-star Euro NCAP Rating, the Seal boasts a long list of safety features including, but not limited to, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning system (FCWS), adaptive cruise control system (ACCS), one-lane integrated cruise, traffic jam assistance (TJA), lane departure warning system (LDWS), lane-keeping assistance (LKA), blind spot detection (BSD), and more. You can find the full list of safety features in their brochure on their website.

In our review, we found that the adaptive cruise control system worked very well, even in the unpredictable driving conditions that always seem to present themselves on our roads.

Verdict

BYD are at the top of the proverbial EV hill in Nepal. Every other electric vehicle finds itself vetted against the fleet of BYD cars, and for many, that hill proves to be a difficult climb. All of the cars in the segment make good sense to the rational consumer.

Except for the BYD Seal. It is their flagship sedan and comes in for Rs. 1.10 Crore for the Dynamic variant, Rs. 1.45 Crore for the Premium variant, and Rs. 1.95 Crore for the Performance variant. The ground clearance isn’t the best and you will be driving the Seal gingerly on many roads of Nepal.

The BYD Seal does not make sense for the rational buyer, but it is my favourite from their roster. It is a car that brings a smile to your face. Whether you are a passenger lounging in the back seat or chasing the horizon from behind the steering wheel, the BYD Seal is a car you look forward to being in.