THE first plug-in hybrid from Chinese electric vehicle company BYD has arrived in the UK with the launch of the Seal U DM-i.
It's an SUV that uses similar styling cues as the Seal EV sports saloon and hence the U in the name. The DM-I stands for ‘dual mode intelligent' and that reflects the technology onboard.
Priced from £33,205 BYD is aiming to shake up the PHEV market with and the Seal U is competitively pitched as a family-sized car with plenty to offer.
Three versions will be available with all-wheel drive models in Design specification costing from £39,905 and front-wheel drive Comfort variants which have a larger capacity battery priced from £35,205.
All use BYD's 1.5L Hybrid Xiaoyun petrol engine mated to an electric motor which drives the vehicle for up to 90 per cent of the time - increasing fuel consumption to a theoretical 313.9mpg.
Of course, in real world conditions that's fanciful and BYD says the entry level Boost Seal U can manage up to 50 miles of electric-only driving and has a total range of 671 miles from its 60 litre tank - an official return of 44 to the gallon.
The all-wheel drive Design comes in at 43 EV miles and is officially rated at 38 to the gallon giving it a total range of 540 miles on a full tank.
The Comfort model with its 26.6kW battery has 77 miles pure electric miles available and a total range of 699 miles.
Recharging the battery can be done to 80 per cent capacity in 35 minutes from a DC charger for both and two hours for a full charge from a home unit.
Emissions are rated at 20.5g/km for Boost models and 26g/km for Design specification cars - a significant attraction on the tax front.
Performance figures are a top speed of 106mph in Boost trim and 112mph for Design with respective acceleration times of 8.9 seconds and a lively 5.9 seconds for the 324ps Design powertrain. The Boost set-up develops 218ps.
On our drives in the Seal U both were nicely economical for a full-sized SUV with the Boost managing to average 47 to the gallon and the Design returning a creditable 49.5mpg according to the onboard computer.
There were no complaints about handling and the ride is smooth and composed with the Seal U well insulated from the conditions of British roads.
As with BYD's other models the Seal U is well put together and stylish with the nose set off by horizontal slats across the width of the car.
It measures some 4.77 metres long and has a long wheelbase of 2.76 metres creating a good amount of interior space - enough for five adults in comfort.
Boot space is equally good at 425 litres stretching to a maximum of 1,440 with the rear seats folded while the instrumentation is digital and the Seal U features BYD's trademark rotatable 15.6-inch touchscreen to complement the 12.3-inch TFT LCD instrument panel.
Being a PHEV the Seal U is auto only and selection is controlled by a nicely styled crystal control on the centre console.
Three drive modes are available - pure EV, hybrid electric and a parallel mode in which both the electric motor and combustion engine combine to drive the vehicle.
The BYD system is clever and effective and while most of any drive in town will be completed in EV mode the set-up transitions seamlessly to remove any range anxiety.
As PHEVs go the Seal U is a classy act - well priced and very efficient on the road.
It joins BYD's all-electric line up of the Atto 3 SUV, the Dolphin hatchback and the performance-oriented Seal which have all been released in the UK since the brand arrived here in 2023.
With a fast-growing dealer network BYD is very serious about the British market and with the Seal U there can be little doubt about that.