The abbreviation BYD stands for Build Your Dreams. But the Chinese automaker’s strategists are anything but dream dancers. While other Chinese brands like Landwind dared to enter the cave of the German premium lion and (in the truest sense of the word) failed with a bang, the BYD managers waited. Knowing that you only get one chance to make a good first impression. This is no different in the fight for market share than in interpersonal relationships. That’s why BYD wants to make an appearance with six cars in Europe that leaves an impression. With the sporty Han sedan, the compact SUV Atto, the family SUV Tang and the ID.3 competitor Dolphin, the first four have already arrived on the “Old Continent”. All pure BEVs, of course.
Soon to be followed by the Seal brothers, a sedan competing for market share against the Tesla Model 3 and the Nio ET5, and the e-crossover Seal U (Utility), which aims to challenge the VW ID.4 and the Tesla Model Y for market share. Visitors to the IAA in Munich can take a closer look at the stilt electric vehicle, which will be launched in Germany at the end of the year. Even if BYD is still silent about the price, according to BYD, the Seal U should be a family car for price-conscious customers in the D segment. If you take the Atto 3 and the Seal limousine as a benchmark, we still assume around 45,000 euros. After all, BYD does not want to be a cheap brand. You get a lot of car for that.
That starts with the place. With a length of 4.78 meters, the SUV offers enough space for a family outing. With its large panoramic glass roof, the Seal U is more of a lounge than a thoroughbred master of agility. You can also feel really comfortable in the interior. This also fits the large trunk with a basic volume of 570 liters, if you fold down the backrests of the rear seat bench, it becomes an impressive 1,449 liters. The Chinese version lacks a practical frunk under the front hood. In the design equipment line, you can look forward to leather in the interior and good workmanship. With the crystal automatic lever, a bit of BMW Swarovski wafts through the interior.
The swiveling 15.6-inch monitor serves as the command center for the infotainment and is accompanied by a head-up display. So anything but a Billigheimer equipment. When the Seal U comes to Europe, value for money will pressure the competition. Especially since the offer in the rest of the interior continues. Two inductive charging cradle help to recharge the smartphone. The high-quality looking levers and knobs that adjust the driving modes and air conditioning are practical and add a classy touch to the Seal-U interior with its piano lacquer finish.
Like its BYD sedan brother, the e-crossover is on the e-platform 3.0, which means that the Seal U is equipped with a three-phase 11 kW onboard charger. In China, the Seal U is offered in two variants, which also has an impact on the battery size. The Comfort variant is equipped with batteries that have a capacity of 71.8 kilowatt hours, the design version we drove has 87.0 kWh. This means that the Comfort-Seal U has a range of up to 420 kilometers and the Design-E-Crossover up to 500 kilometers. It is charged with 115 kW or 140 kW (design). This means that the batteries are filled from 30 to 80 percent in 28 or 29 minutes (design). The standard heat pump helps with the range and the vehicle-to-load function (V2L) for picnics in the countryside, since the batteries can be used to store energy for the electric grill. For the batteries, the BYD technicians naturally rely on the in-house blade battery, which offers advantages in terms of packaging and the torsional rigidity of the body.
This helps with the tuning of the e-crossover. Which, as specified as a family car, is designed to be very comfortable, which definitely helps on bad roads. So the chassis also swallows rough bumps with ease, but teeters after long waves. With 160 kW / 218 hp, the front-wheel drive is sufficiently motorized for European roads. The Design Seal U reaches 100 km/h from a standing start in 9.6 seconds and has a top speed of 175 km/h. Speaking of. If you go briskly into the curve, the body wobbles noticeably. In addition, there is a pronounced tendency to understeer, but this is not noticed negatively in this car. In addition, the harshly intervening ESP prevents slipping over the front wheels before the driver has beads of sweat on his forehead. If you take it easy, you choose the Eco mode, with which the Seal U is on the move with braked foam. It is much more forced when it comes to sports on the go. But the Seal U cuts a fine figure there too and is prepared for Europe.
