BYD Seal review

Overview

The BYD Seal is an electric saloon with 5 seats, a 82.5 kWh battery and a quoted WLTP range of 285 miles. On paper it suits drivers who want a straightforward everyday electric car. Prices start at around £45,695, with leases quoted from about £349 a month.

Its headline specification point is straightforward: luxury-feeling cabin at a mainstream price. The sections below break the published figures down and set them against the other electric cars in our Your UK region database.

Design & practicality

Bodystyle is a saloon with 5 seats and 400 litres of boot space. Against every EV in the database that puts it below average for outright carrying capacity, and below average among other saloons.

Boot volume is typical of the class: fine for a weekly shop and a couple of cases.

Range & charging

The quoted WLTP range is 285 miles from 82.5 kWh of usable-plus-buffer capacity — above average in the database for distance between charges. Real-world figures are typically 10–25% lower in cold weather and at sustained motorway speeds.

That is a big-battery setup with solid rapid-charging speeds. As with any EV, the running-cost picture depends far more on whether you can charge at home overnight than on the charging speed itself.

Performance

The published 0–60mph time is 5.9 seconds, which puts it around mid-pack for acceleration here and makes it brisk by the numbers. Electric drivetrains deliver that pull instantly from a standstill, so town-speed responses tend to feel stronger than the figure suggests.

Tech & features

We score cabin technology at 9/10 based on published equipment levels, which is above average across the database. The specification highlight is that luxury-feeling cabin at a mainstream price.

Expect a large central screen, over-the-air updates and driver assistance as standard on most trims.

Price & value

New prices run from £45,695 to £48,695, with three-year-old used examples from around £27,000 and leases quoted from £349 a month. That sits at the upper-middle of the electric cars in this database, and the affordable end of the saloons specifically.

Our value score, which weighs the price against range, space and equipment, is 8/10. Whether it works out cheaper than your current car depends on your mileage, fuel price and charging setup — the cost calculator does that maths properly.