New BYD Seal Review | Is It Really That Good?

Introducing the Seal from BYD!
This is their third model release in the UK this year, and it's an all electric saloon.
There are two trims in the range, both fitted with an 82.5kWh Blade battery:
Design - with rear wheel drive, offering a range of over 340 miles. It costs £45,695.00 on the road.
Excellence AWD - with all wheel drive, offering a range of over 320 miles - this trim also offers a little more oomph, going from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. It costs £48,695.00 on the road.
Both trims come with ADAS, BYD''s 8-in-1 powertrain and a heat pump, Fitted as standard are:
Adaptive Cruise Control
Lane Departure Warning
Lane Keep Assist
Emergency Call
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Forward Collision Warning
Automatic Emergency Braking
Charging options include Type 2 and rapid - and with rapid, it's capable of charging up to 150kW's so it can get you from 30% to 80% in 26 minutes!
Join us as we get behind the wheel.
‪@BYDEurope‬ #seal #bydseal #sealu #bydsealu
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[@DS87]

Proud to own a white Seal :) Fantastic car. Gives the traditional car makers a real run for their money!

[@PlanetautoUK]

Couldn’t agree more, @DS87! We think it really pops in pearl white with black accents

[@vasil7410]

​@@PlanetautoUK Agree, it's ironic that the default and cheapest colour is the best looking option.

[@PlanetautoUK]

@vasil7410 you can’t beat a pearl with black 🛞

[@stevenleonards4843]

​@@PlanetautoUKI'm leaning towards ocean blue

[@PlanetautoUK]

@stevenleonards4843 ooo very nice, keep us posted Steven

[@jerryfish09]

Finally, someone got a white color version Seal.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thanks Jerry We think it really pops in the pearl white with black accents

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

Just bought one. Hate electric cars, always did. Drove this, bought it instantly. Absolute weapon

[@PlanetautoUK]

Now that’s a transition and a half, did you go AWD?

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

@@PlanetautoUK Yes, very same as the one in this video actually. It's a rocket ship, not one car has been able to beat me away from a 2 lane roundabout. Range, I can easily drive 70 miles to the capital city and back, so 140 miles, and still easily have 100 left even in cold weather, 4 people and heaters on.

[@PlanetautoUK]

They’re rapid, fun and well appointed, I recently drove the Ioniq 5 then the MG4 X Power and EV7 GT too AWD and Supercar slayers, enjoy the fantastic Seal ☺️

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

@@PlanetautoUK Would like an MG4 XPOWER

[@PlanetautoUK]

I upset a Urus and an RS6 - this new breed of mega EV are something else.

[@TareqMahbub]

The car looks lovely 😍

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thank you Taraq, it drives as well as it looks too 🛞😀

[@AdesTaxi]

Test drive the excellence instantly bought one in the gray can’t wait to take delivery

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’s that good, keep us posted when you receive yours, thank you AT

[@johnales79]

Very nice review

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thank you John

[@randomname931]

the more I see this car, the more beautiful I think it is. and it has buttons! if this came to the US, I would trade my tesla for it in a heartbeat.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Yes the functionality is a massive plus - It’s not beyond the realms Random, we’ll keep you posted, thank you

[@user-tg9yo2vo6u]

How was that going to help local ev industry?

[@PlanetautoUK]

When it comes to cars, people aren’t really concerned about that - they want the best they can get for the money. For example, Ford started exporting to the U.K. in 1903 - and they sold. They then set up a base here.

[@MIA-ow2js]

Nice review thanks. Im guessing your over 6'3 like myself, and was wondering how you find you seat comfort, in particular the thigh support? It's one issue I always have with cars. I love cars like volvo who have the extendable thigh support, but I see this car does not and was wondering how it would be on the legs for long journeys? Cheers

[@PlanetautoUK]

Good question and yes I am, we only drove it a short distance and it was good as is. Now, we’re Road tripping one early in the new year, so we’ll report back, thank you for kind words.

[@MIA-ow2js]

@@PlanetautoUK that would be greatly appreciated and thanks for the prompt response. Enjoy the road trip. Looking forward to seeing the videos. 👍

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thank you and will do MIA

[@centralkingdom8141]

Very nice car! I beaten a BMW 340i last week with it. The BMW can't keep up with me 😊

[@PlanetautoUK]

Keep enjoying it, @centralkingdom8141! We too noticed it was rather quick, lol!

[@dickturpin3115]

For 2 minutes, whilst the BMW wasn't looking.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’s the same 0-60 and it’ll get off the line quicker, we upset a Murcielago in an Ioniq 5.

[@VYM]

What a fkn BS, lol. Wanna race with me, mate? 5000 dollars bet. My BMW 335i will eat you and your crappy Chinese EV for breakfast.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’ll hammer a Urus and an RS6 whilst your scrabbling for grip this’ll be gone, we tried a Tesla against the FL5 getting the power down still wasn’t quick enough.

[@Joe-ud2hb]

Hi Ben, my first time watching your channel, you seemed a little bit blown away by the car but having driven one last week & having expected to be underwhelmed I was well surprised. The standout feature for me was the quietness on the road @ 120kmh also the interior I thought was spot on having not liked the one in the Atto. Rear seat is a tad low but being a saloon I guess can't be helped, but I had drivers seat set high so could stretch feet out. Thought brake pedal spongy initially but didn't notice after that. Serious range but that quietness!! I had a MY recently for 24hr test with a view to getting one to replace my current ev & 2 things that I was a bit disappointed with were the hard suspension especially noticeable on country roads & the cabin noise could be better - it's the same as my Eniro (& that's the only tiny gripe I have with the super Kia). The Seal seems alot better than the MY in these 2 important areas. The only concern I have bout BYD is there are different lengths of warranty on different components & the dealer insisting that it had to be dealer only serviced every 20k kms. When I said it was EU law that if you service with a listed garage & get paperwork it should cover warranty he didn't accept? Anyway Ben I've subscribed, great video by you both & one thing tho is the sound could be better, wind noise outside & car seemed to have alot of cabin noise (when I know it doesn't).

[@PlanetautoUK]

Interesting and thank you for the kind words, why did you expect to be underwhelmed? Atto interior not to your taste as mentioned or something deeper, whilst i remember warranties are being streamlined due to feedback - which did you have? as you can see from the video we had both, and the suspension differs - our Rode professional mic picks up everything 🫠 can be good but also enhances fainter noise not ideal in reviews.

[@Joe-ud2hb]

@@PlanetautoUK Hi Ben,re underwhelmed, I just didn't expect it to be so quiet - I've driven a few other EVs; Ioniq5 & 6, Ariya & Model Y & I found cabin noise in all but this one is on another level. It was the 4wd 3.8sec one I had, I wish they'd do like Tesla & let you take it overnight!

[@PlanetautoUK]

We’re heading out on a road trip in one soon, that’ll be far more in-depth we aim for over 600 mile, it’s refinement is very good, also their tech is superb. Keep us posted on your EV’ness and thank you for subscribing.

[@richardhowlett9424]

A lovely part of the world . How about the Flamborough - St Bees run . Or to the Mull of Galloway and back via A 712 , taking in Whithorn peninsula . A proper road trip 😍

[@PlanetautoUK]

Ooo that’s a good one, thank you Richard and Merry Christmas, looking forward to catching up with you at a random car event somewhere 😀

[@richardhowlett9424]

And a wonderful 2024 to you and Annabelle

[@PlanetautoUK]

@richardhowlett9424 thank you Richard 😊 you too

[@rodsevler]

Great review. BYD is a very good car. Thank you for the information. I love the interior and exterior design of BYD, Design, building and technology are far better than Tesla M3.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Glad you enjoyed it, @rodsevler - the Seal is an impressive car. We loved every minute of our time in it. Can’t wait to have it on review so we can road trip in it

[@davidpearn5925]

I just have to give up my obsession with efficiency that my Model 3 delivers since decluttering madness took over.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Some EV’s are bringing twiddly bits and buttons etc back 😀 we really need to drive a 3 at some point :)

[@Paul-ow9dd]

Yes, the M3 Highland is great to drive, but as you say the decluttering madness has gone a little too far. 🙂 It's a good-looking car over the previous version. I find the Seal more appealing to look at but the M3 is close.

[@davidpearn5925]

@@Paul-ow9dd wall charger, granny charger, radar, parking sensors and now stalks. The customer is for the taking apparently.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’s a trend…we hope - rotaries, buttons are essential at least for a chunk of drivers

[@Iddqd_84]

I love my Seal 👌

[@PlanetautoUK]

Glad to hear it - it's very loveable!

[@irinaputintseva1390]

Love it, so better with more buttons, not like Tesla all switching is on the screen 🤐 I buy one very soon when I can have a test drive here in the canaries, can’t wait

[@PlanetautoUK]

Yes, they’ve done it well, great design with functionality - keep us posted Irina and thank you

[@saahan-nn1fe]

Why do you want physical buttons? You can directly say commands such as open the window, open the skylight, turn on the air conditioner, adjust the temperature to 20°, etc.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Many people want the ease of rotaries and buttons, rather than having to speak commands, similar to not wanting to wade through screens for simple commands 😊

[@davidmarshall5596]

Quite a nice looking car 🚗 👌 pity it's not a 3litre petrol 😊😊😊 nice design though 👌 should make for a good full review on a road trip. Hope you both had a good Christmas Day 🤔🤔 I made inroads to a bag of m+m's sooo I had a pretty good day 😂😂😂😂🎉

[@PlanetautoUK]

Sounds like you had a great day! Thank you, David - glad you enjoyed the review

[@redjohn20001]

We need tougher batteries. I have recently seen KZbin videos on the Hundai Ioniq 5 in Canada, been written off due to minor damage to the battery as the replacement cost is some $60000 Canadian dollars. Looking forward to the road trip.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Thank you Red, yes Blade are bulletproof in relation to standard format, and the tests BYD carry out, crazy - we saw those reports not ideal.

[@CThienV]

Im yet to judge in person but i wish it looked more staunched from the rear. It looks like a narrow and tall car from the back. Theres so much emptiness to the boot lid. I cant wait to see it in person to prove myself wrong.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It looks impressive from front and rear and has what’d we’d class as the ideal stance, we wonder if there’s a lowering option CT. Come back to us when you get chance to experience one, thank you

[@duyataksis5210]

"Is it really that good?" It's better.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Well said 😀

[@teslabot6517]

Bought the Premium. ❤ it but the lane keep and speed sugn recognition is a weak point. You need to turn it off each time u drive. BYD! - Please OTA this situation. Thank you

[@PlanetautoUK]

We’ve heard that there’s OTA updates in the pipeline Tesla Bot

[@stevenbarrett7648]

I really like the look of the Seal, not sure about how they get to ‘Build Your Dreams’ though as the Y was from the road they first manufactured from and the B was added so they were further up the supplier lists !. So saying without a dedicated charging network the range needs to be larger not shorter for serious drivers. I’m not suggesting a 1000 mile range is mandatory for everyone but something in the 450 to 500 range would allow more people to run home to destination to home without worrying about expensive motorway charging also those without home charging would be a good market for that range of car as it would be very similar to an ICE car. After 10 years driving EV’s we eventually went for a Tesla MYLR which gives us a guaranteed range of at least 280 for our weekly 240 mile round trip and having invested in home solar with a small battery we run the car for virtually nothing especially in the summer month (Yorkshire!). Having cheap to use Tesla chargers helps especially when we visit the East coast, South West and South East you just know there will be a fast charger available when we want to break our journey for food etc. So increase the range or install a charging network, the most essential part of any electric car, for some reason reviewers alway fail to mention this particular Elephant in the room !

[@PlanetautoUK]

Interesting Steven, like us you’ve seen EV and the networks evolve - they do have a partnership with I think it’s Octopus where you save 15p kWh if I’m not mistaken, their own network wouldn’t be feasible anymore with the number of charging brands. As you know ranges keep progressing, for the money it’s a great proposition. Sadly Iike you I don’t see rapid especially motorways reducing. Wall boxes are the key however only a small amount of owners can benefit from this, thank you for sharing your views.

[@stevenbarrett7648]

@@PlanetautoUK I didn’t really think BYD would have the interest in such a tiny country for sales setting up their own charging network !. Pointless partnering with Shell as they are one of the most expensive power suppliers going, they intend keeping their electricity prices in line with petrol and diesel pricing per mile so drivers will keep on buying ICE cars keeping their gravy train running. It’s the same with all these green-washed Oil Companies who want to keep Joe Public buying in the same way as we have for the past 100 years. Personally I believe by 2030 or sooner it will all be over especially as electricity production costs are falling all the time….Moores Law wins every time, just like the tide coming in !

[@sana-nn7lc]

💯 agree with you. Almost most reviewers fail to mention the challenges of long travelling with non tesla.

[@PlanetautoUK]

We’ve completed many road trips with non Tesla, Inc Kia, MG, Audi - you just have to be smart with charging

[@PlanetautoUK]

They don’t so like most uk manufacturers they partner with an energy provider, it’s remains to be seen whether that happens by 2035

[@Alex-ed6bs]

I have to admit that I like this car more than a Tesla.

[@PlanetautoUK]

That’s what they are aiming for, and we think they are achieving it. Love Tesla, but the Seal is giving them a run for their money. Thanks @Alex-ed6bs

[@davidpearn5925]

Funny how divisive BYD is when comparing test reviewers. It’s almost as if a bad review gets fewer objections than a positive one.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Interesting-we’ve not seen anything like that. Thank you, @davidpearn5925

[@jonpaxman]

Don't worry, the Tesla fanboys will be along soon posting lists of negative points that they have compiled from other reviews.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’ll be interesting to see more Tesla owners thoughts Jon

[@jonpaxman]

Did you get a sense for how intrusive the lane departure and asked warnings are, and how easy they are to turn off? Some people have reported the emergency lane departure system as being problematic and "grabby".

[@Clove_Parma]

The departure warning and assist only kick in when you don't indicate. Lazy drivers don't like being called out for their poor ettiquete

[@PlanetautoUK]

No, the ADAS has been tweaked to not be as sensitive we had similar replies about the MG 4 and like Clove mentions it’s primarily when drivers don’t use signals etc *added more info - disabling ADAS features is relatively simple through the infotainment if needed.

[@sithabelamandlawenkosiwodu6298]

4:19 the dual motor has 18 inch.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Is that new? as when they launched here that was one of points BYD outlined both models had 19” in the UK.

[@sithabelamandlawenkosiwodu6298]

@@PlanetautoUK you're absolutely correct. Different spec for different countries.

[@ericshum8796]

really nice car but gray color is the god!

[@PlanetautoUK]

It is a great colour 😀

[@razorfaat]

"even with 340 miles, you're likely to exceed that around town." incredible.

[@PlanetautoUK]

The tech is really starting to accelerate, ranges keep extending Razor 😀

[@lfmfrancis20]

Wise move

[@PlanetautoUK]

What is? 😀

[@brian.z6592]

"No!! It's not good, not good at all~!!" "Why??" "Because it's a Chinese car!!" That's how brainless some consumers are🤣

[@PlanetautoUK]

My iPhones Chinese and likely made by BYD 😆 and like the Seal it’s awesome

[@brian.z6592]

@@PlanetautoUK We just couldn't stop those brainless haters.... I'll buy anything that has good value, doesn't matter where it's made.

[@PlanetautoUK]

@brian.z6592 that’s our thoughts Brian as long as it’s well made, works well etc we’ll happily buy, use etc

[@stevenbarrett7648]

So’s my Tesla plus my iPhone, iPad, iMac ….I do have a Sony Vaio laptop made in Japan though….its 12 years old !!

[@Paul-ow9dd]

How about you look at what you own and tally up where it's made. I think you will find the vast majority of what you own in manufactured in China. Yes, Chinese cars weren't the best years ago (a couple of decades ago). Nor were Skoda's built in Czechoslovakia decades ago. Absolutely nothing wrong with the current Skoda's built in the Czech Republic. Things evolve and improve. Including cars manufactured in China. The Chinese Tesla is FAR better than the same model made in the USA. The U.S. made one has improved, but partly because a heap of Chinese engineers travelled to the U.S. plant to improve things.

[@pstanyer1]

46k err no thanks. Great car should be max of 30k

[@PlanetautoUK]

That wouldn’t be feasible MG4 is 37k and in other markets it’s still well over 30k - it is rather nice thank you P Stanyer 😀

[@ateiviz]

That would be the dream for all of us. Unfortunately in the current market that's no going to happen. Only thing that we can do as consumers is support competition buy choosing products that encourage manufacturers to compete for the business.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Very true and as we’ve all seen ranges are getting longer and prices are slowly reducing thank you Ateiviz

[@noodlefoo]

You need to eliminate the excessive wind noise in your outdoor video. It's getting a bit annoying.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It was windy, we used a Rode professional mic and dead cat, it was way worse without 🫠

[@LaowaiDaveJCP]

I thought there was some construction going on nearby lol

[@ateiviz]

You can also use few tricks in post processing to remove the high and low frequency noise, might not do much more but could be worth trying.

[@PlanetautoUK]

There was that too - heavy machinery up and down typically halfway through, the mic did a good job mitigating considering it was driving past frequently within 2m of the car.

[@PlanetautoUK]

We use Premiere to clean up audio and Audition if it’s dyer - however we do find it can take away the whole feel of the natural sound, il look into some more tips thank you Ateiviz

[@lfmfrancis20]

Moe in the right direction with our motherland....

[@PlanetautoUK]

Which is?

[@user-cz9km7ro2n]

No autopilot?

[@PlanetautoUK]

No full autonomy decent adaptive cruise though User, thank you ☺️

[@user-cz9km7ro2n]

@@PlanetautoUK So only adaptive cruise, no autosteering? I guess no camp mode either. These have grown to be must haves as a Tesla owner who drives 50 000km+ / year. Camping for both work trips and leisure :-) It's amazing to have (quite comfortable) capsule hotel with you (with proper Tescamp mattress). Other than that, AWD version seems to be slightly cheaper than LR model 3, which makes this interesting. But those features are a must.

[@PlanetautoUK]

@user-cz9km7ro2n auto steering as in no engagement from the driver, as we aren’t allowed those levels of autonomy in the UK we wouldn’t know - I have read ADAS rivals autopilot as for camp mode first time we’ve ever heard the phrase :) seems a sensible addition especially in pickups etc.

[@Koulis_]

My 2020 Kia Soul EV has Utility Mode which is the equivalent to Camp Mode. Lane assist does the job of autosteering with the added benefit of keeping you alert to road conditions.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Oh, thank you - I think most modern EV’s have some level of clever energy management

[@lfmfrancis20]

Any one here have fire anxiety of EV burning unexpectedly or overnight like what's happening all over the world even in China?

[@PlanetautoUK]

No,

[@RayDu]

Other people don't believe fake news online as readily as you do. In other words, unlike you, they have a brain.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’s a very strange strategy Ray

[@yggdrasil9039]

ADAS - Annoying Driver Aggravation System

[@PlanetautoUK]

Not heard it put like that before, lol! Thank you.* it’s better since the earlier models, also some elements can be disabled per journey if I’m not mistaken.

[@Paul-ow9dd]

ADAS - Annoying Driver Aggravation System. Funny, thanks for that. My wife finds it annoying and at times unnerving, but not enough that she wishes she didn't purchase the Atto 3. Hopefully further tweaks will be added via OTA software updates.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Well that’s good, I expect OTA updates in the future once it’s refined, thank you

[@honesty_-no9he]

You need a better microphone so we hear you and not petrol leave blowers.

[@PlanetautoUK]

It was a bull dozer and it kept driving past within 2 metres - it’s a Rode professional mic with dead cat, it didn’t d remarkably well it was also mighty windy, honesty.

[@user-rb2eo4sm9f]

Find it laughable when you say price in uk 46,000 + which you say is ok. Half the price in china, we are all taken for mugs in this country and no i am not anti ev i will eventually get one at some point, in uk people just accept it no wonder manufacturer's see as a cash cow .

[@PlanetautoUK]

Taxation isn’t a new thing and we’re hardly the most expensive country when it comes to buying cars.

[@user-rb2eo4sm9f]

Agree about taxation but come on double price, car industry will have a turbulent future if not affordable to the masses, and yes there will be a second hand market to a certain extent. Enjoyed the review anyway 👍

[@PlanetautoUK]

@user-rb2eo4sm9f I’m not saying it’s good, just the norm, thank you 🤩

[@MRT-co1sd]

Don’t take it so personal, you are sweating like crazy 😅

[@PlanetautoUK]

It may have been from the sleet, but there was not a drop of sweat in sight, @MRT-co1sd. What are your thoughts of the review? *A

[@nikos6220]

Just drooling. Hate those kinds of reviews, always makes me wonder what BYD does to all the influencers out there. It’s a good car, but it is not the second coming. 150 kw max charge is subpar, same goes for storage space and efficiency is meh. Plus, there is a ton of cheap plastic. If the Chinese swoopy design and chi chi blows your hair back is a personal thing, not for me. And to me the back looks like a Dodge Charger 😂. But all in all everybody other than Tesla will probably get swept away by the Chinese wave. That is unless some trade measures are taken like by the French

[@PlanetautoUK]

Wow, yet you watched it

[@nikos6220]

@@PlanetautoUK yep, I was so fascinated by the 100% positive commentary that I did have to see it all 😁. But hey, for the channel it’s a good move. The BYD fanbase is getting as rabid as the Tesla faithful. Plus BYD is getting influencers over to events e.g. in Frankfurt and provide press cars. I am hating the game, not the player

[@PlanetautoUK]

It’s the only car to really challenge the Tesla, 150kW is ample as most people home charge and 350kW chargers are like Unicorns, we are not influencers, we started in 2006 with a website and progressed to YT in 2017, I get the feeling you are somewhat jaded in regards to China cars. This has massive interest and offers something that bit different. Cheap plastic I think not, I noticed one that was prominent.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Positive, you clearly didn’t watch it all - I mention its shortfalls, I think it’s immense for the price, and we drive a W124.

[@PlanetautoUK]

You called us influencers, that’s not hating the game also 100 % positive, I just don’t trash unnecessarily I do however mention lacking.

[@HemskaSven1]

A good car but a the presenting guy need to understand that he is extremely boring to look at. Lo talent for to be a youtuber.

[@PlanetautoUK]

The irony …

[@AdesTaxi]

Test drive the excellence instantly bought one in the gray can’t wait to take delivery

[@PlanetautoUK]

Enjoy it 😀

[@AdesTaxi]

Test drive the excellence instantly bought one in the gray can’t wait to take delivery

[@PlanetautoUK]

Keep us posted 😀