BYD SEALION 7

All is not rosy in the garden when it comes to driving our BYD

- Jordan Katsianis

PROGRESS among Chinese brands such as BYD has been nothing short of astonishing.

In terms of tech, model reach across segments and profitability, there's a lot for legacy brands to learn. But when it comes to the driving experience - something that's hard to fully appreciate over a 10-minute test drive - our BYD Sealion 7 has some issues.

The general response I get from people is: “Oh, you have a BYD. Can I have a look?” And generally, their first reaction is: “It's big, and nice inside.” Yep, indeed it is. Then we move on to: “And it’s electric, right? What's it like to drive?” Ah, yes, well, about that...

First of all, I find the overly soft seats to be uncomfortable after only 15 minutes on the road. The general driving position doesn't help, either, due to the almost bus-like angle to the steering wheel. I sometimes catch myself doing a bus-driver-like wheel shuffle when going around sharp bends.

Put the Sealion 7 into drive and it'll creep forward, but press the throttle pedal and not much happens. Response from the electric motor is painfully slow, to the point where one has to take this into account when pulling out of junctions or overtaking. It’s not a ‘drive mode’ thing, because there’s no discernible difference between Sport, Comfort and Eco.