BYD Seal 6 1.5 DM-i Boost 5dr e-CVT

Ten Second Review

BYD enters the estate market with this Seal 6 DM-i Touring. This PHEV mid-sized station wagon isn't a class leader in any particular respect, except one that might really matter - value. And that might be enough to give this smartly-styled Chinese model a useful sales niche.

Background

Chinese maker BYD has done a lot to revitalise interest in our market in EVs. Here though, its mission is to reawaken British interest in a somewhat forgotten genre; that of the mid-sized family estate. And do so with this car, the Seal 6 DM-i Touring. This station wagon version of the Seal 6, like the alternative saloon, isn't an EV. Instead, it uses a slightly tweaked version of the Plug-in Hybrid system that's sold so well for BYD with the Seal U DM-i SUV. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

If you're fed up with PHEVs that blow all your battery energy in one hit at the start of your drive, then you'll like the Seal 6 because it's not configured like that. Instead, the powertrain rations out its energy slowly, so it'll feel like the battery is taking you further than it actually is. Exactly how much further will depend on which of the two versions of this PHEV powertrain you choose. In both cases, it's BYD's usual 'Super Hybrid' system, as used by the Seal U DM-i SUV (and various Jaecoo and Chery SUVs); which blends a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a pair of electric motors. Two flavours of this powertrain are available, both slightly differently tuned from what you'll find in the Seal U DM-i SUV. The rather misleadingly-named entry-level 'Boost' version has up to 181bhp, whether it's operating as a full-EV or a Hybrid; and its PHEV system uses a 10kWh battery offering an EV range of 31 miles. Which is all a bit 'five years ago' by PHEV range standards, so you'll properly want one of the longer-range 'Comfort'-spec models. With those, the much bigger 19kWh battery's extra 100kg of weight is compensated for by an increase in powertrain output to 209bhp. Range is 62 miles for this estate. 0-62mph takes 8.5s. As with the SUV version of this car, expect quiet cruising, but unremarkable drive dynamics and a pretty firm ride. Perhaps more significant than all of these though are the rather intrusive ADAS features. With regard to the those, we'd counsel you to try before you buy.

Design and Build

The size of this Touring estate model can be deceiving. A first glance, it looks like a medium-sized estate - say Skoda Octavia Estate-size. Get up close and take in the relatively lengthy 4,840mm length figure though and you'll realise it's really a station wagon from the next class up - in other words, something Skoda Superb Estate-sized. Almost as big then as pricey executive class Estates like the Audi A6 Avant and the BMW 5 Series Touring. The main reason this BYD hides its bulk so well is because of the sleek 'Ocean Aesthetics' styling it shares with the Seal 6 saloon, penned by ex-Audi designer Wolfgang Egger. One thing that doesn't suggest positioning from the next class up is the estate area space figure - 500-litres. Though not terrible, that's actually 140-litres less than an Octavia estate, though the comparison isn't genuine because the Octavia doesn't come as a PHEV. For reference, a Superb Estate PHEV offers 510-litres. It's worth noting that even in a Seal 6 saloon, you still get 491-litres. But the saloon version obviously can't match this Seal 6 Touring model's seats-down versatility - rated at 1,535-litres. Inside up-front of course, it's all the same as in the four-door. It all might look much as the BYD norm, but for brand followers there's a surprise; a central screen that doesn't rotate. This one's permanently in landscape format and will usually be 12.8-inches in size - with a bigger 15.6-inch display fitted to the top-spec version. Possibly more useful to customers than a twirly screen will be the brand's new wireless smartphone charger, which has 50W of power and a cooling vent. Build quality is fine, equipment levels are generous and there's the usual rather small cluttered BYD instrument display. Rear seat space is excellent, with loads of leg room.

Market and Model

Seal 6 DM-i Touring models cost around £2,000 more than the equivalent saloon. Which means a price starting point of around £35,000. That's very good value indeed for a family-sized PHEV estate. The Volkswagen Passat Estate costs nearly £9,000 more in Plug-in Hybrid form, though for a proper comparison with that car, you'd need a Seal 6 DM-i Touring with the larger 19kWh battery ('Comfort-Lite' or top 'Comfort' spec), which would probably narrow the gap to the Volkswagen to more like £6,000. Factor in though, that this BYD will be better equipped than price-comparable base-spec versions of its VW Group brand model rivals. With top 'Comfort' spec in this Seal 6, you'll be getting most of what the top-trimmed Volkswagen Passat PHEV estate charges you around £50,000 for. As with the Seal 6 saloon, there are three trim levels - 'Boost', 'Comfort Lite' and 'Comfort'. Even base 'Boost' spec comes with metallic paint, LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, electric front seats, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors. Touring versions get a powered tailgate, roof rails and a luggage compartment 12V socket. All Seal 6 models get a vehicle-to-load system allowing you to use power from the drive battery to energise external devices like laptops and coffee machines. You don't get this feature in many rivals. Most UK customers are expected to choose the bigger-battery mid-level 'Comfort Lite' model, which gets larger 18-inch 'flying axe-style' alloy wheels, along with a heated steering wheel, puddle lights, rear privacy glass and 50kW cooled smartphone charging. You'll need top 'Comfort' spec to get the largest 15.6-inch central screen size. As usual with the brand, a whole host of ADAS safety systems are standard but many of them are quite intrusive, particularly the driver attention warning set-up. To give you the complete ADAS list, the Seal 6 offers Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Brake, Lane Keep Assistance, Lane Change Assist and Emergency Lane Keep. There's also Adaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Cruise Control, a Blind Spot Detection System, ESP, Traction Control, Hill Decent Control, Automatic Vehicle Hold, Intelligent Speed Limit Information and Intelligent Speed Limit Control.

Cost of Ownership

With the larger 19kWh battery, BYD reckons a Seal 6 Touring could offer a driving range between stops of up to 838 miles, once the combustion element is factored in. That's aided by the engine's impressive thermal efficiency figure of 43%. Battery charging times depend on the model you've chosen. Base 'Boost' trim can only accept up to 3.3kWh with AC charging, which means that three hours are needed to fully recharge the battery. The 'Comfort Lite' and top 'Comfort' models double that AC speed and add support for 26kW DC charging, which when activated reduces recharge times down to 23 minutes. The official combined cycle fuel figure is 166mpg for the 19kWh model; in the real world, expect 45-55mpg. CO2 emissions are quoted at 60g/km for 'Boost' spec and 34g/km for 'Comfort Lite' and 'Comfort', the latter consequently BiK tax-rated at just 9%. There's a better warranty than you get from most rivals - up to six years or 93,750 miles, with an extra two years for the drive unit and the battery. That battery is covered for up to eight years or 125,000 miles and is guaranteed to retain at least 70% of its capacity throughout the warranty duration.

Summary

If you're looking for a family-sized PHEV, your first thought will probably for an SUV of some sort. But if you're prepared to also include the option of a more conventional estate, then this Seal 6 DM-i Touring is certainly worth a look. You can get slightly more luggage space and EV range in a rival PHEV VW Group brand estate - but not much more. And this BYD is much better value and better equipped. We can see why you might like one.