China’s rapid development in construction, technology, and cars is relentless and destined to make life a lot tougher for global economies. China is leaving the Western world behind in business competitiveness despite its recent economic woes. Take the nation’s supply chain infrastructure. It’s more advanced than current European markets in scale and optimization by 10 years.
That rings true for China’s nascent OEMs (carmakers). A case in point is BYD Auto, which was founded as recently as 2003. Last year, I tested the company’s fully electric BYD Dolphin. It and I did not get along. The exterior looked dumpy in a nondescript way, and as for the interior, it left me cold. It was pricey at almost €28,000 which for an unknown brand was hard to choose over the excellent and far cheaper Renault Clio. It was so anonymous to look at I said it was the perfect car for someone in a witness protection program. Nobody would take the slightest bit of notice as you drove by.
Which is where the BYD Seal Ultra U comes in. It’s a mainstream SUV that is chasing families that aren’t ready to take the plunge into buying a fully electric car and insist on the assurance of a hybrid engine. Could this strategy work? It will, and once the lack of BYD’s brand awareness is overcome, it is likely to claw in buyers not fixated on handling or dynamics and is set to worry rivals. It’s keenly priced for a large SUV hybrid at €42,150 and larger than you think from the photos too. How large? Give or take several millimetres, it’s very close in footprint to the €78,000 Mercedes GLC SUV. Mind you, the Seal U Super Hybrid surprised me more when I sat inside. All the cockpit components are screwed firmly together, leaving the car I tested without shakes or rattles. Objectively, the interior exudes the confidence of a manufacturer that has been in the car-making business for a long time.
The Chinese are targeting European markets and buyers at very competitive prices. Of course, Beijing’s determination to colonise Europe is helped by substantial government grants and subsidies. Estimates suggest it’s in the region of $3.4 billion to boost the carmaker’s coffers. It’s a strategy that will pay dividends as tariffs are set to make life far tougher for indigenous European OEMs.
One or two things did show where China still needs to hone its offerings for European drivers. The suspension is too soft for a C-Segment SUV, and as a result, it fidgets too much either on urban roads or motorways. Though it wasn’t as tiring as the front seats. They are simply too firm, and on one long trip, while I could report no backache, I would have appreciated less needless austerity. Being a hybrid, BYD claims you can recharge the battery from 30% to 80% in 35 minutes and, in ideal conditions, reach a combined distance of 1,080 km (670 miles) with the 1.5-litre petrol engine. Welcome BYD Seal U Super Hybrid’s USP – it’s a large family SUV, it’s a hybrid, and it costs €42,150. Families will place everything else as a secondary consideration.
The quoted performance for the car I tested was 0-100 km in 8.9 seconds and an electric range of 80 km (WLTP) combined with 18 kW DC and 11 kW AC charging power. Luggage capacity is 425/1440 litres split. BYD says it will achieve 6.4 a combined (L/100 km).
Get on the road, and the complexity of the hidden drivetrain does impress. It provided smooth delivery – either in EV or ICE mode – and never displayed the jerkiness of a hybrid when transitioning between both modes. Every SUV grapples with excessive wind noise, but the Seal U Super Hybrid effectively leaves the cabin insulated and whistle-free. The steering is light and reduces stress when parking in congested car parks.
Equipment includes electric front seats, a rotatable front touchscreen, an electric sliding sunroof, driver’s heads-up display, adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, and lane change assistance.
For families open to a new Chinese brand offering a large hybrid SUV with bags of space and standard equipment while priced as low as €42,150, the Seal U Super Hybrid is difficult to argue against. Jiggly suspension and firm seats aside, my week driving the big BYD proved a welcome surprise. BYD is only getting warmed up in Europe, and based on this offering, is set to claw sales from rivals in an already congested market.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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Mark Gallivan – Motoring Journalist
