BYD Seal 6 review: Why this Chinese plug-in hybrid will sell despite its flaws

The BYD Seal 6 DM-i combines generous range, low running costs and company car appeal, but its driving dynamics disappoint

BYD Seal 6 DM-i review: Great value and impressive range, but the driving experience leaves plenty to be desired.

BYD SEAL 6 DM-I SALOON
Rating	★★★★☆
Price	from €37,490 - €42,090 as tested
Engine	a 1.5ltr PHEV with 209bhp
Range	You should get anywhere between 1,200 and 1,500 km out of it
The Spec	Exceptionally thorough
Verdict	Poor driver and tech overload

It seems wondrous to me why so many people are seemingly mystified by the sudden surge of Chinese cars here and across Europe.

Well, it’s simple. From a standing start, the Chinese, through a series of automotive powerhouses — some only a couple of years old — have concentrated on mirroring those products being made by the traditional kingpins in the industry from Europe, Japan, Korea, and America.

They have been hugely successful at this, but have two key advantages. Firstly, they’re making cars similar to those we’re used to, but a lot cheaper. Secondly, they are taking what technological advantages they have in certain fields of endeavour – battery production, mainly – and making great use of it.

This has allowed them to achieve, in a very short period of time, a level of market penetration few would have believed possible. The BYD brand is a very good example of what has happened.

It was only founded in 1995 and is a concern officially listed as a multinational manufacturing conglomerate. It has several major subsidiaries including BYD Auto, which makes cars; BYD Electronics which makes electronic parts and assembly products; and, FinDreams, which is a brand name for multiple companies involved in making automotive components and batteries.

Essentially, it started as a battery-making company and only established BYD Auto in 2003, subsequently becoming the world leader in the manufacture of plug-in electric cars. Although only a mere child by comparison with most of the rest of the world’s car makers, its growth has been astonishing.

By 2023, its automotive business accounted for 80% of its revenue. Expect that to continue to expand.

Why? Well, the Chinese have — aside from blitzing the EV market — adopted a policy of filling as many niche segments as possible. This week’s tester, the BYD Seal 6 DM-i saloon, is a case in point.

You may have noted the word “saloon” in the product description and it is one that has become increasingly lost in the blizzard of SUVs and crossovers coming our way lately. There simply aren’t many of them any more and certainly not in the numbers that were once produced.

BYD Seal 6 DM-i review: Great value and impressive range, but the driving experience leaves plenty to be desired.

Back in the day, you had small cars, medium family ones, and bigger ones for those who had successfully climbed the greasy executive pole, or who were minted anyway. Essentially, we still have the same automotive hierarchy, but in the shape of SUVs and crossovers. The traditional saloon has, effectively, been sacrificed at this altar.

But BYD are not making one for sentimental reasons. No, they’re looking to turn a bob or two. And in aiming at this market, they’ve also struck a chord with the buying public and especially the company car buying public.

They’ve noted that the taxation system across Europe — and elsewhere — where benefit-in-kind systems of raking in the cash prevail, that this is something they can exploit.

So, this car in particular is fast becoming a firm favourite among those in the market for what once used to be called the ‘repmobile’. As it is cheaper than most in the first place and is also equipped with a PHEV motor, it is potentially among the most tax-friendly thing there is out there among those competing for company car business.

On that basis alone, the BYD operation in Ireland — carefully curated by the ever-savvy MDL/MSL distribution and sales operation — expects to sell rather large volumes of this beast.

They will not do so because this is a stunning looker — in fact it is very redolent of those cars from Japan back in the day which looked stunning on release, but dated quicker than the clothes in a fashionista’s wardrobe.

It may be a bland-looking car, but it is certainly packed with tech, with the Chinese having concluded that punters will overlook commendable style and design attributes if you give them gadgetry muscle instead.

That may work in certain quarters — but not this one. Yet again we found that the tech overload on offer here was a little too much to bear.

BYD Seal 6 DM-i review: Great value and impressive range, but the driving experience leaves plenty to be desired.

In fairness, the revolving central touchscreen — something of a signature feature for BYD — has been ditched. Sadly that’s not the case with the driver monitoring system, which chides you for inattention if you so much as scratch your head. Diverting your eyes to the rearview mirrors —any of them — is a complete no-no and warrants a severe scolding.

The lane changing warnings are way too sensitive and will bark at you if you go anywhere near a white line, while the speed warning alerts are often contradictory and don’t necessarily always tell the truth about the speed limit you’re supposed to be adhering to. That make driving this thing in town quite the pain.

It’s just as well, then, that this car is way less annoying when you’re out on the open road.

That said, it is not a particularly pleasant car to drive; the steering is numb, the ride is stiffer than it needs to be and that makes for an unsettled experience, especially on B-roads.

This is not a car that encourages press-on driving, even if it does have a 1,200km or so range, and an all-electric one of around 100km — which is not all gobbled up at once thanks to the two electric motors being configured differently from your regular PHEV. Those motors are allied to a 1.5l four-cylinder petrol engine and the system output is 209bhp with a 0-100km/h capability of 8.5 seconds.

It is a swift charger, however, and in the Comfort model, we tested 30%-80% charge takes less than 25 minutes and a full 15%-100% charge takes just two and a half hours, which is impressive.

But, overall, this is not an impressive car, even if they will undoubtedly sell loads of them. It might be roomy and have comfortable seats, as well as having an awful lot of kit as standard — at least on the range topping Comfort model.

While the Chinese have occasionally got the mix right in terms of making cars that actually have decent on-road characteristics, as well as an amazing amount of tech stuff, this is not one of their better efforts.

Moderate handling, ride, and comfort levels overwhelm the Seal 6 DM-i saloon. The only redeeming quality is that the PHEV system works well and provides an excellent capability for getting places. But it is a flawed thing in too many regards to have any appeal for anyone who actually appreciates the art of driving and the processes involved therein.

However, because of its low cost and extreme tax-friendliness, it will sell in big numbers. But that in itself, I’m afraid, does nothing to bolster BYD’s reputation — or lack of it — for making cars that appeal to drivers.

Sad, but true.