The term ‘base model’ was always accompanied by disdain before. Brands seemed to have made them just so they can say the car has a low introductory price at launch, without regard for those who can only afford that entry level trim. They are bare, lack styling, and do not have modern creature comforts of any kind.
That changed with the BYD Seal 5 DM-i Dynamic. This compact sedan is slightly bigger than a Honda Civic, priced like a Toyota Vios, with amenities to rival a Mazda. Best thing is, it does all that for a meager price of PHP 948,000. Is it too good to be true?
BYD invited us for a drive in what I call a Western Luzon Loop. We started at Ayala Malls Manila Bay and then went to Pangasinan, down to Zambales, and headed for Subic. Then we went to the east side of Zambales and Bataan, going as low as Mariveles before going back up to Subic, then back to Manila Bay. 800+ kilometers with the BYD Seal 5 Dynamic and I can say, a segment breaker has definitely arrived.
At first glance, the Seal 5 is definitely a looker. A distinct front face with little details at the edge of the grille, but sometimes that grille looks like whiskers too. The rear is the real eye candy with a unique taillight design that has a slim LED bar running across the trunk. It also has little difference to the more expensive Premium trim. Overall look is the same until you realize it has chunkier tires due to smaller wheel size, no camera under the BYD logo, and there’s no sunroof up top.
It’s the cabin that puts the BYD Seal 5 kilometers ahead of its rivals in two segments. You’ll be treated to a brightly upholstered 2-tone interior, 2-piece bucket-type seats, multifaceted panels that go as much as three surfaces on the dashboard, a digital gauge cluster, huge touchscreen, and the rotary shifter on the center console. Seeing all these is overwhelming especially once you get back to reality and remember the price point of this sedan.
Another ace of this Dynamic trim is the little compromise it has over the Premium trim which is PHP 250,000 more expensive. You only have a Rear Camera instead of a 360-Camera System, Single-Zone Automatic Climate Control instead of Dual-Zone, no Front Sensors, no Powered Driver’s Seat, no Center Armrest on the backseat, no Wireless Charger, and no Sunroof – things that I can wholeheartedly let go. What’s great is BYD didn’t go bare in order to chase the lower price point as seen in the climate control for example. They could’ve gone for a manual cooling system but they still put an automatic here. They also retained their signature rotating touchscreen in this trim that has Wireless Apple CarPlay
The BYD Seal 5 DM-i Dynamic (what a lengthy name) shines on the road brighter than when it’s in a parking lot. It’s detuned slightly at 179 PS and 316 Nm of torque which is 18 PS and 9 Nm less than the Premium trim. But all of that power gets sent to the wheels directly, making you think this is a more expensive sports sedan.
It also has a smaller battery at 8.5 kWh, 65km less combined range, and a shorter EV-only range of ‘just’ 50 kilometers, though this is still a lot compared to other hybrids in the market. Despite those budget measures, this can still eke out a lot of distance even with lots of sprinting on the mountains. In our case, we were able to go the 800+ kilometer even with four adults in the car. Others (which had lighter passengers) had a lot more range when we got back to our starting point. That is easily twice the range that a full tank of gas can go for in a sedan.
Comfort is almost perfect too. The bucket type front seats have the right amount of ‘hug’ that even wide people like me are comfortable on a long drive. The rear seats also have a lot of cushioning so my butt didn’t feel any discomfort which is exemplary for the hours long drive we did per segment. This is further complemented by the suspension of the Seal 5 which has a lot of play but has the right amount of firmness to not make it bouncy. It also didn’t bottom out despite the weight of the passengers and the surprise potholes that we couldn’t avoid.
There’s only 2 improvements that can be done to the Seal 5. First is to increase the airflow of the rear vents. Our units didn’t have any tint and so the noontime to afternoon sun made the second row relatively hot. When we increase the fan speed, the front passengers get too cold while I’m only ‘okay’ at the back since the air out of the rear vent is weaker than those in front. This could be fixed with a good tint, but having better airflow would be better.
Next is the glass of the Seal 5. Wind noise comes in early but that is easily drowned by music in the car even at medium volume. My real gripe with it is when in the city or rural municipalities. The sound of diesel and motorcycle engines passing by are so crisp that even at high music volume, they can be heard. You can already hear their engines rumbling even when the motorcycle is 2-3 car distance away.
That is easily forgotten though once you bury the throttle further. The Seal 5 doesn’t have any problems overtaking even on uphills. You can even do so without a drop of gas as the EV mode doesn’t let go even at high-speed situations, unlike in other systems.
Combine that with the handling of this sedan and it will really put a smile on your face. The steering is light but precise so that you don’t need to correct the steering in the middle of a turn. There’s also virtually no body roll thanks to the heavy batteries on the chassis floor, leading to less dizziness when taking turns on a mountain road.
I also liked how BYD didn’t skimp on the safety features of the Dynamic trim. It has the same set of bits as the Premium trim, including the airbags. It may not have Advanced Driver Assist Features, but that’s the compromise for the Seal 5. You’re getting a powerful hybrid system, lots of creature comforts, with the right amount of contemporary safety features.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to really be mad at the Seal 5 for whatever shortcoming you may see. The PHP 948,000 price is not only enticing, it brings with it a plethora of amenities that are previously unheard of at this price point. You have size, fuel efficiency, power, tech, safety, all in a package that will make you look back every time you’re walking away in a parking lot. It’s a bold move but it paid off. BYD really redefined what base models could be.
