BYD has launched the Seal U SUV in Ireland. It is the brand’s first model on sale here that uses hybrid rather than fully electric power.
What kind of price are we talking about?
The headline story of the Seal U, though, is its price tag. A Boost model costs €42,150, significantly undercutting the prices of the likes of the Hyundai Tucson PHEV and the Toyota RAV4 PHEV. The Design version, with its all-wheel drive system, costs from €49,140. Next year, they will be joined by a third version, badged as Comfort, which gets a bigger 26kWh battery and an electric range of up to 125km.
Standard equipment is actually identical across both Boost and Design models and includes ‘vegan’ leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, twin wireless phone chargers, a digital instrument panel, a head-up display, a 15-inch infotainment screen (which can rotate from landscape to portrait and back again), a panoramic glass sunroof, and an Infinity audio system
The standard safety features include blind spot detection, adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Also standard are 19-inch alloy wheels, and a vehicle-to-load function for the battery allows you to power other items - including domestic appliances - from the car.
How far does the Seal U go on one charge?
The Seal U is actually referred to by BYD as a ‘Super Hybrid’, due mostly to its lengthy electric-only range. The Seal U uses BYD’s DM-i plug-in hybrid system, (Dual Mode-intelligent) which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder engine with an electric motor.
In standard Boost form, the Seal U has a WLTP range of 80km on electric power alone, thanks to an 18kWh battery pack, which uses the same robust lithium-iron phosphate ‘Blade’ chemistry as BYD’s all-electric models. When driving on longer journeys, the petrol engine chimes in - either as a generator to top up the battery or directly driving the front wheels, and BYD claims 6.4 litres per 100km fuel economy for long runs. In fact, on a combined full tank and full battery, BYD reckons that the Boost model can run for more than 1,000km without needing to be recharged or refuelled.
When you do need to recharge, the battery can be charged at up to 11kW on AC power or at up to 18kW on a DC fast charger.
Is it just the one model?
Nope. As well as the base Boost model, which has 217hp, there’s a Design version which gets two electric motors and a turbocharged 1.5 petrol engine, and develops a combined 323hp, but its electric range falls to 70km.
The Seal U is described by Ciaran Allen, Sales Director at Motor Distributors Limited, the Irish distributor for BYD, as: “cutting-edge technology that transforms the hybrid driving experience, BYD SEAL U Super Hybrid’s blend of environmentally friendly energy-efficiency and fuel economy combines all the benefits of electric driving, rewarding owners with real savings, quick and responsive acceleration, and exceptional drive comfort.”