BYD Seal U review
The plug-in hybrid BYD Seal U is a competitively priced, well-specified, and spacious SUV
Our opinion on the BYD Seal U
There’s a lot going for the BYD Seal U. It has a spacious cabin and comes with plenty of tech for a relatively low price, but there are compromises – namely in how it drives. You don’t expect a family SUV to deliver sports car-like handling, but the Seal U fails to get the basics right, with vague steering and an inconsistent ride being the real disappointments. Boot space is behind the class leaders, too. If you can overlook these flaws, then there are positives, such as the long all-electric range, decent passenger space and good build quality.
About the BYD Seal U
In China, the BYD Seal U is known as the Song Plus, and it’s been on sale there since 2020 – in fact, it’s the company’s best-selling model. The Song Plus was facelifted in 2023, and that’s the car we have in the UK as the Seal U DM-i, where the ‘U’ stands for utility (to differentiate this model from the Seal electric saloon), and DM-i signifies the ‘Dual Mode’ PHEV powertrain.
The main talking point of the Seal U is its price. This plug-in hybrid model undercuts even conventional combustion-engined versions of established rivals, while the kit list is similar to that of a high-spec machine costing thousands more.
Used - available now
2024 BYD
Seal U
8,661 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £26,995
2024 BYD
Seal U
10,602 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £25,490
2024 BYD
Seal U
11,555 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £25,490
2024 BYD
Seal U
1,850 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £28,990The Seal U was the first petrol-electric model from BYD to be launched in the UK, but it’s far from being its first combustion-engined car. When it originally launched in China in 2020, it was petrol-only, with this PHEV version and a full EV variant arriving later. The 2023 update saw the petrol model dropped, with BYD concentrating on alternative fuelled models. Incidentally, while we don’t get the electric Seal U in the UK, it is available in Europe. BYD expects the Sealion 7 electric SUV to meet UK demand.
There’s serious demand for mid-size SUVs in the UK, so we’ve already tested the BYD Seal U up against the popular Volkswagen Tiguan. There was no arguing with the overall value for money that the BYD offers, but the VW took the win because it was the better all-rounder.
BYD Seal U prices and latest deals
How much does the BYD Seal U cost? Well, official ‘on the road’ prices range from £34,880 to £39,880 but you can currently save an average of £4,268 through the Auto Express Find A Car service, where prices start at £30,999. You can lease a BYD Seal U from £417 per month or buy a used model at prices starting from £25,490.
Check out our latest new car deals, leasing deals and used car deals for the top offers available now on Auto Express. And don't forget we can help you sell your car, too.
The Seal U line-up simply consists of three trim levels comprising Boost, Comfort and Design. In its most basic spec, you’re looking at around £33,000 for this mid-size SUV. However, a modest price walk of around £2,000 from Boost to Comfort spec is worthwhile to get a larger drive battery. The more powerful, four-wheel-drive Design model adds nearly £5,000 extra on top of our preferred Comfort trim.
Whichever variant takes your fancy, you can save by building your perfect BYD Seal U via the Auto Express Buy a Car service. We also have a range of Seal U leasing deals to choose from, along with brand-new Seal U models in stock and waiting to hit the road. We can also help you to sell your car.
Performance & driving experience
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There’s just one powertrain option in the BYD Seal U, but it comes in three different configurations depending on which trim level you choose. The system comprises a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, one of BYD’s Blade batteries (as used in its EVs, but smaller in this application), an electric motor and a CVT-style transmission that manages the energy flow between the two power sources and the wheels.
The Boost model has a combined output of 215bhp and 300Nm of torque, while an 18.3kWh battery offers a claimed range of 50 miles. The mid-range Comfort has the same engine, but the battery is bigger, at 26.6kWh, so it has a claimed range of 78 miles.
At the top of the range, the Design model has an electric motor on each axle for a total system output of 319bhp and 550Nm of torque. Installing a second rear motor takes up space at the back of the Seal U, so the smaller 18.3kWh battery is fitted. Due to its smaller capacity battery and increased weight, this version offers the least all-electric range of 43 miles.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Seal U DM-i Boost | 215bhp | 8.9 secs | 106mph |
| Seal U DM-i Comfort | 215bhp | 8.9 secs | 106mph |
| BYD Seal U DM-i Design | 319bhp | 5.9 secs | 112mph |
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
Acceleration is brisk in the 214bhp models, with a 0-60mph time of 8.9 seconds quoted. The four-wheel-drive model manages it in 5.9 seconds, which is very rapid for a car that has a gross weight in excess of 2.5 tonnes.
Town driving, visibility and parking
While the Seal U doesn’t throw up any quirks from behind the wheel, it’s not enjoyable to drive and offers zero involvement. A high driving position offers a decent view forwards, while parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system provide a bit of reassurance when manoeuvring this relatively large family SUV through narrower city streets. However, the sloping nose can make it hard to judge where the front of the car is, while the back window is narrow, which restricts rearward vision.
Refinement at low speeds is at its best in full EV mode, but when the engine does fire up, it’s largely unobtrusive at lower revs. The Seal U’s powertrain is biased towards the electric motor, which makes 194bhp when compared with 95bhp from the petrol engine. As a result the powertrain offers the feeling of a range-extending hybrid because it uses electric drive most of the time, but when the engine does cut in, its revs do match the car’s road speed, unlike some rivals using a similar type of set-up.
Country road driving and handling
Go a little faster, and the shortcomings of the Seal U’s chassis become apparent. The ride is soft and wallowy over a typically bumpy British A-road, with plenty of body movement, both back and forth and side to side. The car’s heavy kerbweight translates into roll in corners, while the steering is devoid of any feedback, so fast changes of direction are not the car’s forte.
Power delivery is fine at these speeds, with the electric motor providing most of the acceleration, although if you do need petrol back-up, there is a slight delay in its response. Sport mode lets the engine run for longer to smooth things out, and this also puts a small amount of energy back into the battery, too.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
The remote, floaty sensation of the BYD’s suspension helps it to be relatively refined at motorway speeds, while cat’s eyes and expansion joints are heard more than felt when running over them. However, this also emphasises the lack of feedback that comes through the steering wheel.
Accelerating up to speed on slip roads sees the engine revs soar and a harsh note from under the bonnet, but that is only really noticeable because the cabin is so quiet the rest of the time. Wind noise from the door mirrors starts at around 60mph, but otherwise the cabin is a refined place to be.
“While softer suspension does tend to make sense in a sensible family car, the Seal U’s persistent floatiness can actually be rather irritating rather than relaxing. Level crossings and speed bumps quickly became sources of dread during testing.” - Shane Wilkinson, senior content editor.
MPG & running costs
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Low list prices will draw buyers to the Seal U, and on the whole, the everyday running costs should be manageable. As with any other plug-in hybrid, the fuel economy that you achieve will be determined by how often you charge the battery. With such a large difference in power outputs between the electric and petrol power sources, we’d recommend charging as often as possible.
This is a big car for the relatively low-powered engine to haul around, and while BYD quotes 50.5mpg with the battery depleted, we saw figures around 35mpg when driving on the motorway on petrol power alone – although this improved to the mid-40s at lower speeds as the electric system did more of the work.
With the battery charged, BYD’s official economy figures look phenomenal at between 200mph and 700mpg. However, it’s important to remember that these figures reflect the efficiency that’s achieved in very specific laboratory testing conditions. In the real world, we managed an average of 50.5mpg from the Seal U Comfort after a range of roads and speeds.
Following the exact same round of testing, the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid Match returned 51.4mpg. Both cars were a long way off the claimed figure, but still enough to be competitive with an equivalent diesel and it all helps to keep fill-ups to a minimum.
| Model | MPG | CO2 | Insurance group |
| Seal U DM-i Boost | 313.9mpg | 21g/km | 32 |
| Seal U DM-i Comfort | 706.8mpg | 9g/km | 32 |
| Seal U DM-i Design | 235.4mpg | 26g/km | 40 |
Electric range, battery life and charge time
A full charge of the 26.6kWh battery in the Comfort model offers a WLTP range of 78 miles, while the smaller 18.3kWh pack in the Boost and Design delivers 43-50 miles. According to our Design-spec test car’s trip computer, we garnered a maximum range of 42 miles from a full charge after a variety of testing, which is admirably close to this car’s claimed total.
BYD offers DC charging, but the maximum rate is only a modest 18kW. This can take the larger battery from 30 to 80 per cent in 55 minutes, while the smaller pack takes 35 minutes to charge to the same capacity.
For AC charging, there’s a maximum of 11kW available. However, at a rate of 7.4kW, which is the speed offered by most home wallbox chargers, it’ll take around three hours to charge the smaller 18.3kWh battery, rising to nearly four hours for the larger 26.6kWh pack.
| Model | Battery size | Range | Insurance group |
| Seal U DM-i Boost | 18.3kWh | 43 miles | 32 |
| Seal U DM-i Comfort | 26.6kWh | 78 miles | 32 |
| Seal U DM-i Design | 18.3kWh | 43 miles | 40 |
Insurance groups
The BYD Seal U sits in some quite high insurance groups, ranging from 32 for the two-wheel-drive models to 40 for the powerful top-spec car, which is on par with models such as the Porsche Macan. Closer rivals, such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, sit five or more groups lower.
Tax
Low emissions and a long EV range mean the Seal U is a competitive choice as a company car. It sits in the lowest Benefit-in-Kind bracket for plug-in hybrids, while the low list prices keep costs down, too.
That’s also to the benefit of annual VED road tax, because no model breaches the £40,000 mark for the combustion-powered luxury car tax supplement. Going for the plug-in version of most of the Seal U’s rivals sees them break that barrier quite easily.
Depreciation
Our market data indicates that the residual values of the BYD Seal U are holding up well compared with its rivals. The four-wheel drive models hold on to 44 per cent of their initial value after three years or 36,000 miles, while the two-wheel drive cars retain 48 to 49 per cent.
This means the two-wheel drive cars aren’t too far behind the much better established Volkswagen Tiguan, which manages 48 to 53 per cent.
To get an accurate valuation on a specific model check out our free car valuation tool...
Interior, design & technology
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The BYD Seal U has a fairly generic five-door SUV shape. It’s a large car – longer than a Skoda Kodiaq and with a similar profile – but the smooth nose and tailgate light bar are parts of a template that has been used by a number of other new SUVs from China.
Interior and dashboard design
There’s lots of kit on board the BYD Seal U, and a clean layout with a few touches to help it stand out. Overall, the cabin is inoffensive, with synthetic leather trim boosting the visual appeal of the dashboard, centre console and seats, while brushed aluminium and gloss-black trim add a bit of a premium aura.
Materials and build quality
There’s a solid feel to the Seal U when you open and close the doors, while the drive selector and major controls all feel good to use. The grille-style air vents at either end of the dashboard feel a little flimsy to use, but overall, the cabin seems solid, with no squeaks or rattles from the interior trim.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
BYD has fitted its party-piece rotating 15.6-inch touchscreen to the Seal U. The whole display turns through 90 degrees from landscape to portrait, although, as in other models fitted with this set-up, you’ll probably turn it back and forth a couple of times before deciding which layout you prefer and sticking with it.
In portrait mode, the screen sits quite high on the dashboard, so the bottom edge clears the air vents beneath it, though it’s not tall enough to obscure your view out, as it does in some smaller BYD models.
With so much real estate on offer with the Seal U’s large touchscreen, it’s a shame that BYD hasn’t given more space to permanent controls. Many rivals do this, but here there’s just a single narrow strip across the bottom with temperature settings at either end and six other shortcuts. One of these is to rotate the screen through 90 degrees, which seems like a pointless addition.
A more useful feature is that the screen can be split into two to show different functions at the same time, either side-by-side or stacked vertically when in portrait mode.
One highlight of the Seal U’s onboard tech is a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function, which lets you use the car’s drive battery to power auxiliary devices. The car has a two-way charge socket, so simply plug in a bespoke extension lead, and you can connect any three-pin plug.
“It’s natural to be a bit apprehensive about buying from a brand that’s so new to the UK, but BYD’s build quality is easily up there with some of the best-known brands.” - Shane Wilkinson, senior content editor.
Boot space & practicality
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The Seal U is a big car with decent rear-seat space, although some boot capacity has to be sacrificed to the plug-in powertrain.
Dimensions and size
The BYD Seal U is longer than both the Volkswagen Tiguan and Vauxhall Grandland, but this extra room is solely for passengers rather than luggage.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | BYD Seal U | Volkswagen Tiguan | Vauxhall Grandland |
| Length | 4,775mm | 4,539mm | 4,650mm |
| Width | 1,890mm | 1,842mm | 1,905mm |
| Height | 1,670mm | 1,660mm | 1,661mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,765mm | 2,676mm | 2,794mm |
| Boot space | 425 litres |
652 litres 490 litres (eHybrid) | 550 litres |
Seats & passenger space
Up front, the relatively tall centre console divides the cabin in two, but there’s plenty of room to get comfortable. The middle storage bin is deep as a result, while twin cup-holders and a pair of wireless smartphone charging pads also feature. The door pockets aren’t the biggest around, and while the glovebox is integrated with the opening door, it’s a decent size and shape.
Where the Seal U scores big is for back-seat space. There’s lots of legroom and the cabin is wide, so fitting three across the back will be fine. The middle seat is a bit narrower and firmer than the other two, but the flat floor means there’s no fight for foot space. This is doubly useful because the front seats are mounted low, so there’s no room beneath them. All versions of the Seal U come with a panoramic roof as standard, but this doesn’t have a detrimental effect on headroom.
Boot space
A high load lip is your first obstacle when it comes to loading the boot, while a capacity of 425 litres is more on a par with a compact hatchback than rival SUVs. The limited capacity can be attributed to the hybrid running gear, but the VW Tiguan PHEV has a more useful 490-litre boot.
The Seal U only has a small amount of under-floor storage, too, so charging cables will likely need to be carried in the main boot. Folding the back seats could be easier, because there are no release levers in the boot. They have a 60:40 split and a maximum capacity of 1,440 litres, but the seats don’t fold totally flush.
“The Seal U doesn’t have a great towing capacity. In two-wheel drive form, it can only manage a braked trailer of 750kg, while the 4x4 is rated to pull up to 1,300kg. That’s not much for owners who want to pull a decent-sized trailer or caravan, so they’ll be better served by the Ford Kuga PHEV, as this manages up to 2,100kg.” - Shane Wilkinson, senior content editor.
Reliability & safety
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While BYD is still a relative newcomer to the UK market, it’s been building cars in China for decades. The Seal U benefits from this experience, as well as sharing parts with other models in the firm’s current line-up.
Euro NCAP tested the Seal U in 2023, and the car earned a five-star safety rating. It had strong scores across the board, while standard equipment includes front and rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot detection, lane-departure prevention, adaptive cruise control and three sets of Isofix child-seat mounts.
The Seal U was marked especially highly for its assistance systems, and better still, the firm’s engineers have tweaked some of these features to be easier to turn off and less intrusive than their applications in the other BYD models we’ve tested.
BYD has plenty of room for improvement in the Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, though, as it wound up in a disastrous 30th place out of 31 in brands in the best manufacturer rankings. The only carmaker to put on an even worse performance was MG.
| Euro NCAP safety ratings | |
| Euro NCAP safety rating | Five stars (2023) |
| Adult occupant protection | 90% |
| Child occupant protection | 86% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 83% |
| Safety assist | 77% |
Buying and owning
- Best buy: BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort
The mid-level Comfort trim is our pick of the bunch because it brings a larger battery and some useful additional kit for a modest outlay. It doesn’t have four-wheel drive, but this is difficult to justify in a vehicle intended for on-road use.
BYD Seal U alternatives
The BYD Seal U arrives in a market awash with SUVs of many shapes and sizes, and there are even many plug-in hybrid and hybrid SUVs to choose from for low running costs. However, with its mix of generous exterior dimensions and attractively low price, the Seal U attracts rivals from various classes.
For instance, in terms of interior space, the BYD is closely matched to established plug-in models such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga.
Yet consider the car’s pricing and the list of competitors is stretched to include the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, which both have plug-in options, as well as more traditionally-powered machines such as the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Karoq.
Key updates of the BYD Seal U review
9 April 2026: Updated to include the latest pricing and taxation information, as well as our most recent driving impressions.
Frequently Asked Questions
BYD offers a generous six-year or 93,750-mile warranty on all of its cars. The battery pack has a separate policy of eight years or 125,000 miles, which guarantees that the battery will maintain above 70 per cent of its capacity over that period. The bodywork is warranted for 12 years against corrosion.
Deals on the Seal U and alternatives
