ACMobility took the reins of BYD cars in August last year and in just over a year, they’ve already covered key areas in the market. They have the Han and Tang for the luxury sedan and SUV segments respectively, Atto 3 for attainable battery EV, Dolphin for a smaller and more affordable EV, the Sealion 6 DM-i for those not yet ready for a battery EV, and more recently the Seagull which is their entry-level, sub 1-million peso EV. I can’t help but wonder, what else is there for them to take?
The BYD Seal is set to take the high performance sedan market, setting its sights against other iconic performance marquees like the Honda Civic and Ford Mustang. Only the BYD Seal comes from a different place, one where there’s no emissions, and does it for only PHP 2,548,000
Having driven the BYD Sealion DM-i crossover, the overall aesthetic of the BYD Seal is already familiar. However, a step closer and one will realize just how upmarket this is over its bigger brother. It has literally less lines in its front face but give it a second and you’ll see the subtle X shape it has, giving it a hint of aggression. The side profile is extra sleek thanks to the fins on the side skirts, while the rear is a mix bag of luxury and sporty. There’s a prominent diffuser on the rear bumper while the full-width taillights have a very distinct design, reminiscent of hyperspace graphics in sci-fi movies. The good looks are complemented with contemporary tech as lighting is all LED with the headlights being adaptive, there are pop-out door handles, and there’s a powered trunk.
The trunk has a squarish shape and a sizable 400 liters of space. There’s also a compartment under the trunk floor, which is enough to store other items like shoes, extra apparel, and whatnot. Then there’s another pocket for the tools and chargers. If these are not enough, there’s an extra 50 liters of space under the hood as this has no combustion engine at all.
Since we’re already here at the hood, let’s talk about the performance. The BYD Seal has two electric motors for the front and rear axles. It has a total output of 530 PS and 670 Nm of pull, with an All-Wheel Drive drivetrain. See the badge at the back saying 3.8S? That’s because the BYD Seal can go 0-100 kph in 3.8 seconds. That isn’t in exchange of range too as this can go up to 580 km on a single charge.
Combine these with the BYD Seal’s Frequency Selective Adaptive Shock Absorbers and their top notch cabin noise isolation and you have a plush ride when you’re not going for a spirited drive. If you do want to get a bit aggressive, the Seal’s Intelligent Torque Adaption Control is there to ensure your cornerings are on point every single turn.
Powering this BYD is the brand’s signature Blade Battery Technology. What’s different this time around is how it was packed. It’s the first to have BYD’s Cell-to-Body battery technology wherein the battery cells are packed into the chassis itself, instead of putting it first in a separate casing.
The advantage here is the total battery weight is lighter since there’s no extra bulk, leading to better power-to-weight ratio, while the chassis can protect the battery more. It also gives the Seal a lower center of gravity giving it better driving dynamics especially on winding roads and tight turns.
It’s not obvious from the outside since the top portion of the BYD Seal is black. Open the doors though and you’ll see almost the whole roof is made of glass. There’s not enough space on the borders to put a solid cover, but BYD made it tinted to drastically reduce the heat from sunlight.
Visually the rear section is a couch on wheels. The seats have a classic stitching pattern complemented by the center armrest with cupholders, rear air vents, ambient lighting, and charging ports in both Type-A and Type-C guise.
Infront is a modern and clean dashboard layout. Of course, the 15.6-inch Rotating Touchscreen takes center stage on the dash. Aside from Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, it houses most of the controls, so there’s no extra buttons under the screen. This is complemented by a 12-speaker system by Dynaudio. The space underneath was given to the two 15-watt wireless chargers and the shifter with surrounding buttons. It has extra vehicle controls like the Auto Brake Hold, Blind Sport Monitor, and 2 knobs for the Drive Mode and Volume. Under it is another sub-layer containing the sockets and ports.
There’s a heads-up display but BYD retained the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver. They also get 8-way power seats with 4-way Lumbar Support while the front passenger has theirs with 6-way power.
The BYD Seal’s performance isn’t only on speed but safety as well. It’s packed to the brim with the latest and most advanced safety features available. Among them are DiPilot Intelligent Cruise Control, 360º degree camera, Predictive Collision Warning, Intelligent Speed Limit Control, Front Cross Traffic Alert with Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Braking, Blind Spot Detection, and Lane Departure Warning among others. It also received a 5-star rating from Euro NCAP and ASEAN NCAP as well, further showing that the BYD Seal will keep you safe.
Add to that the lightness of the BYD Seal in terms of maintenance. It only needs PMS once a year, and has a projected savings of 70% over a similar sedan with an internal combustion engine.
It also comes with a 10-year subscription to the BYD App. This app lets you track your vehicle, monitor its status, and do basic functions like remote engine start, door lock/unlock, and turning on the aircon before you set foot in the car.
The new BYD Seal is available in Arctic Blue, Atlantis Gray, Aurora White, and Cosmos Black. It comes with an 8-year (or 160,000 km, whichever comes first) warranty for the BYD Blade Battery, 8-year or (or 150,000 km, WCF) drive unit warranty, a 6-year (or 150,000 km WCF) vehicle warranty, a free 7 kW wall charger and portable charger.
