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BYD Seal: The electric saloon is ready to compete with the big boys

BYD Seal. Photo: BYD
BYD Seal. Photo: BYD

Build Your Dreams or BYD has become one of Nepal’s most popular electric car brands. The first passenger vehicle by BYD called BYD E6 was launched back in 2017 in Nepal and gained popularity quickly. BYD launched the BYD Atto 3 in 2022 which, alongside the BYD Dolphin, has overtaken many electric car brands in Nepal. The recent and latest addition to this list is the BYD Seal.

The BYD Seal was showcased at the 2023 NADA Auto Show alongside the BYD Dolphin. The Seal showcased quickly gained attention with its sleek looks and incredible performance figures.

In the international market, the BYD Seal directly competes with the Tesla Model 3. BYD also recently took over Tesla’s dominance in the electric market selling the most electric cars in 2023’s fourth quarter.

The Seal is available across three variants in Nepal. The electric car seems to compete very well with all the tech features and looks. Many other electric cars such as the Neta X, Changan Deepal S7, Chery Omoda 5 EV and Skywell ET5 are also set to launch in 2024 in Nepal.

Can the Seal stand among others?

Let us see what the electric saloon delivers in terms of specs.

Specifications of BYD Seal

DimensionsLength: 4,800 mm
Width: 1,875 mm
Height: 1,460 mm
Kerb weightDynamic: 1,922 kg
Premium: 2,055 kg
Performance: 2,185 kg
Wheelbase2,920 mm
Ground Clearance120 mm
Boot spaceFront: 50 litres
Rear: 400 litres
Minimum turning radius5.7 m
DrivetrainDynamic: Rear drive
Premium: Rear drive
Performance: All-wheel drive
Motor typeFront motor type in Performance option: Squirrel Cage Induction Asynchronous Motor

Rear motor type in all options: Permanent Magnet Synchronous Option
Front motor maximum powerPerformance: 160 kW
Rear motor maximum powerDynamic: 150 kW
Premium: 230 kW
Performance: 230 kW
Front motor maximum torquePerformance: 310 Nm
Rear motor maximum torqueDynamic: 310 Nm
Premium: 360 Nm
Performance: 360 Nm
Maximum powerDynamic: 150 kW
Premium: 230 kW
Performance: 390 kW
Maximum torqueDynamic: 310 Nm
Premium: 360 Nm
Performance: 670 Nm
Acceleration (0-100km/h)Dynamic: 7.5 sec
Premium: 5.9 sec
Performance: 3.8 sec
Battery typeBYD Blade Battery
Battery capacityDynamic: 61.44 kWh
Premium: 82.56 kWh
Performance: 82.56 kWh
RangeDynamic: 460 km
Premium: 570 km
Performance: 520 km
Charging7 kW AC charging in all options

110kW DC charging in Dynamic
150kW DC charging in Premium and Performance
Seating capacity 5
SuspensionFront: Double Wishbone
Rear: Multi-Link
BrakesFront:
Ventilated disc brake in Dynamic option
Ventilated and Drilled disc brake in Premium and Performance option

Rear:
Floating disc brake in Dynamic option
Fixed disc brake in Premium and Performance option
Tyre sizeDynamic: 225/50 R18
Premium: 235/45 R19
Performance: 235/45 R19
Wheel typeAlloy
ColoursArctic Blue
Atlantis Gray
Cosmos Black
Aurora White
Price Dynamic: Rs 10,500,000
Premium: Rs 13,900,000
Performance: Rs 18,500,000

Design

Exterior

The BYD SEAL is a sleek-looking electric car which has an ocean-inspired design and is unique for its sporty X-shaped front end. The dynamic X design blends a sports character. The headlights boast a distinctive double U-shaped cluster which creates a stereo effect. The headlights are sleek in shape and have a tail on both sides. The hood scoop is aerodynamic and has a 50-litre front trunk space.

BYD Seal. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

On the sides, the electric saloon has a sporty and captivating look. The doors also carry on the aerodynamic structure along with the pop-up door handles. The pop-up door handles make the side look sleek and nice. As for the wheels, all three variants, Dynamic, Premium and Performance get Alloy wheels as standard differing in size.

BYD Seal side. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

On the back, the BYD Seal has one of the most unique full-length curved LED taillights arranged in dot matrix style. The taillights are sleek adding up the elegant design language. The trunk opens wide and has a boot space of 400 litres without the rear seats folded.

BYD Seal rear. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

Interior

The interior of the BYD Seal is also luxurious. The interior is available in the Thaumas Black colour option as standard. There are soft-touch materials on the dash and most of the interior. The addition of ambient lights further gives a modern aesthetic look to the interior.

BYD Seal interior. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

The steering wheel is wrapped in artificial leather on the Dynamic option whereas the Premium and Performance get genuine leather wrap. The steering wheel has controls and buttons for audio, phone, ACC, cruise control, infotainment system and volume. In front of the steering wheel, there is a 10.25-inch digital LCD instrument cluster. The instrument cluster is responsive and displays information such as battery, range, speed, time, temperature, mode, trip meter and battery power. There is also a heads-up display which shows necessary information to the driver while focusing on the road.

BYD Seal steering wheel. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

On the side, there is a huge 15.6-inch rotating infotainment system. The touch infotainment system can be rotated for better viewing angles either landscape or portrait according to the user’s preference. The BYD Seal’s infotainment system has support for both Apple CarPlay (USB) and Android Auto (Wireless). The infotainment system controls most of the functions of the car such as climate control, navigation, system and entertainment along with Voice Assistant.

BYD Seal front seats. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

Coming to the centre console of the BYD Seal, there is a crystal gear lever and buttons to control the modes, AC, audio controls and start/stop button. There is storage under the centre console which consists of a USB-C and a USB-A port for connecting smartphones or other devices. There are also two cupholders and a bit of storage space along with a dual wireless phone charger for further convenience.

BYD Seal centre console. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

The seats on the Dynamic option of the BYD Seal are artificial leather whereas the Premium and the Performance option have genuine leather. The front seats are bucket-type seats with comfy headrests. The drive seat is 8-way power adjustable whereas the front passenger seat is 6-way adjustable. The front seats are ventilated and heated.

BYD Seal rear seats. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

The rear seats are also comfortable with the centre seat working as an armrest with dual cup holders. The rear seats have easily accessible ISOFIX anchors for easy fixing of child seats. The rear seats also have headrests for a comfortable passenger ride. There is also the presence of DYNAUDIO with 12 speakers for the best sound experience. The rear seats also get a USB-C and USB-A port each for charging smartphones or other devices.

The glass panoramic roof helps the natural light get inside the cabin which also enhances the premiumness of the electric saloon.

Performance

The BYD Seal electric car offers three options in terms of drivetrain, battery capacity and motor. The Dynamic and Premium models feature rear-wheel drive while on the other hand, the Performance model comes with an all-wheel-drive system. The BYD Seal employs different motor types for the front and rear wheels. The Performance model has a Front Squirrel Cage Induction Asynchronous Motor with a maximum power of 16 kW and a maximum torque of 310 Nm. At the same time, all options share a Rear Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor. The rear motor generates a maximum power of 150kW for the Dynamic and 230kW for both the Premium and Performance options.

BYD Seal battery. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

As for maximum torque generated, the rear motor generates a maximum torque of 310 Nm for the Dynamic and 360 Nm for both the Premium and Performance options. The Performance option generates a combined output of a maximum power of 390 kW and a maximum torque of 670 Nm. The BYD Seal has an impressive acceleration of 0-100 km/h. The Dynamic model achieves it in 7.5 seconds, the Premium in 5.9 seconds, and the Performance model with an impressive 3.8 seconds.

BYD Blade battery. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

As for the battery capacity, the BYD Seal has 61.44 kWh in the Dynamic model and 82.56 kWh in both the Premium and Performance models. The Dynamic offers a range of 460 km, the Premium with 570 km and the Performance with a range of 520 km. Charging is also convenient with support for both 7 kW AC charging across all models and DC fast charging at different rates. The Dynamic supports 110 kW DC charging, while the Premium and Performance models have a quicker 150 kW DC charging capability.

BYD Seal Charging. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

The BYD Seal electric car uses an advanced BYD Blade Battery, known for its safety after tough tests. The technology, called Cell-to-Body (CTB), integrates the battery seamlessly, giving the car a sturdy structure. This design ensures the battery can handle a lot of force. The car also runs on the e-Platform 3.0, made for electric cars. This platform focuses on making the car smart, efficient and safe.

BYD Seal CBT tech. Photo: BYD
Photo: BYD

Tyres, Brakes and Suspension

The BYD Seal electric car ensures a smooth ride through the suspension system. Up front, it has a Double Wishbone suspension, while at the rear, it features a Multi-Link suspension setup. For braking performance, the BYD Seal offers different configurations based on the model. The Dynamic option is equipped with ventilated disc brakes at the front and floating disc brakes at the rear. The Premium and Performance options take it a step further, incorporating both ventilated and drilled disc brakes at the front and fixed disc brakes at the rear.

BYD Seal. Photo: BYD
BYD Seal. Photo: BYD

The BYD Seal rides on alloy wheels which look very premium. The tyre sizes differ according to the models, with the Dynamic option sporting 225/50 R18 tyres while the Premium and Performance share the same slightly larger 235/45 R19 tyres.

Safety and Features

The BYD Seal comes packed with a wide set of safety features to keep people secure on the road. The safety features also differ in some parts according to the options. It includes front airbags for the driver and front passenger, side airbags for both, and side curtain airbags for the front and rear. Additional safety measures encompass far-side airbags for the driver, dual-stage pretensioners on front seat belts, and pretensioners on rear seat belts.

The BYD Seal is equipped with a 360° camera, front and rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child restraint anchorage points. It also has an intelligent power brake system, electronic child lock, and essential driving aids like traction control, electronic brake force distribution, hill hold control, and auto-hold. Advanced safety technologies include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and prevention, emergency lane-keeping assist, and a host of intelligent features such as predictive collision warning, traffic sign recognition, and blind spot detection. It also has features like door open warning, high beam assist, and driver attention warning.

BYD Seal. Photo: BYD
BYD Seal. Photo: BYD

The features of the BYD Seal are as follows:

  • Panoramic sunroof
  • LED headlights and taillights
  • Distinctive “Ocean-X” design language
  • Rotatable 15.6-inch infotainment screen
  • 10.25-inch digital instrument panel
  • 12-speaker Dynaudio audio system
  • Dual wireless smartphone chargers
  • Heated and ventilated front seats
  • Ambient lighting
  • Rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive options
  • Single-motor or dual-motor configurations
  • BYD’s Blade Battery technology
  • Panoramic sunroof
  • Smart connectivity features

The BYD Seal is available in four colour options including Arctic Blue, Atlantis Gray, Cosmos Black and Aurora White.

BYD Seal. Photo: BYD
BYD Seal. Photo: BYD

The BYD Seal electric car is official in Nepal at a price tag of Rs 10,500,000 for the Dynamic option. Rs 13,900,000 for the Premium option and Rs 18,500,000 for the Performance option.

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Dahal is a gadget/auto writer at Onlinekhabar.

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