Value if few surprises from a ubiquitous Chinese SUV

Not to be confused with the BYD Seal sedan, I imagine the "U" in the name of the BYD Seal U DM-i stands for "Utility", seeing as it is, fairly obviously and inevitably, yet another SUV to enter a ridiculously overcrowded sector of the car market.

- Sean O'Grady

However, I think the “U” ought to stand for “ubiquitous”, given the number I’ve noticed out “in the wild”. They don’t stand out exactly, but once introduced, you can easily spot them, and the assertive styling at the front is at least a little more distinctive than most.

This tells me a few things about the car. First, that my casual anecdotal experience is consistent with the company’s propaganda, which declares that “SEAL U DM-i SUV continues to lead BYD’s sales charts and is the UK’s bestselling PHEV (plugin hybrid electric vehicle) year-to-date”, and that Britain is their second-biggest market after China itself (though I suspect that may also have something to do with Donald Trump’s tariffs closing off the American market).

Although BYD are probably best categorised as a fully battery electric vehicle maker, they’re not neglecting the petrol-hybrid buyer, so, for now, the Seal U is only sold as a plugin hybrid, with a choice of battery sizes and a four-wheel drive version. Equipment levels are the same for each variety, and are comprehensive - head-up display, loads of cameras, big touch-rotatable touchscreens, voice control, well-judged semi-autonomous driving settings, ambient lighting for the cabin... the lot really. More disappointing is the very narrow (and boring) range of colours and zero choice on the upholstery - black faux leather.

THE SPEC

BYD Seal U DM-i Comfort