BYD Seal U SUV – EV with 87 kWh battery, up to 500 km range WLTP; two variants, from RM215k in Europe

Chinese manufacturer BYD has expanded its product offering in Europe with the Seal U, a fully electric SUV that will be made available on the European market in two variants which will go on sale from this month, according to BYD.

The Seal nameplate is familiar from the sedan model that is aimed at the likes of the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3, and which is due to be launched in Malaysia later this month; check out our review of the Seal, here.

Positioned below the BYD Tang in the brand’s passenger vehicle product line-up, the BYD Seal U measures 4,785 mm long, 1,890 mm wide and 1,668 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,765 mm, offers 552 litres of luggage capacity with its seats in position, or up to 1,440 mm with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats folded down.

The aforementioned two variants from launch are Comfort, which offers a 71.8 kWh battery that brings up to 420 km of range on the WLTP test protocol, and the Design, which is specified with an 87 kWh battery that yields up to 500 km of range (WLTP).

Both specifications of battery are BYD Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) units, and power a 217 PS/330 Nm motor driving the front wheels; top speed for both is 175 km/h. Drag coefficient of the Seal U is 0.32 Cd.

Charging the Seal U via AC is up to 11 kW, while DC charging can reach up to 115 kW in the Comfort variant, and up to 140 kW in the Design variant. From a 30% to 80% state of charge, the quickest DC charge times for the Comfort and Design variants are 27 minutes and 28 minutes, respectively.

The Seal U also includes vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, enabling its battery charge to be used for powering household electrical devices directly from the vehicle.

In terms of rolling stock, the Seal U is outfitted with 19-inch alloys shod in 235/50R19 tyres, while suspension duties are handled by MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link setup at the rear. Its bodyshell employs an extensive use of high-strength steel, as well as a honeycomb panel structure to help protect the vehicle’s battery pack, says BYD.

Lighting on the vehicle are full LED units, and includes adaptive headlamps with high beam assist. Visibility is further aided by a 360-degree camera system.

Interior equipment in the Seal U features the manufacturer’s Intelligent Cockpit System, which features an electrically rotating screen measuring either 12.8 inches or 15.6 inches across, depending on variant, allowing use in either portrait or landscape orientation. For the driver, there is a 12.3-inch LCD instrumentation display.

In the Seal U, the Intelligent Cockpit System supports 4G data connection, integrated Spotify music and Here navigation, as well as smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and voice commands which are activated by the phrase ‘Hi BYD’. Updates are pushed to the vehicle’s system over-the-air (OTA).

Connectivity with the Seal U extends to its users’ smartphone, with the control of multiple vehicle functions remotely via the BYD mobile app such as locking and unlocking of doors, operating the climate control and seat heating and ventilation, as well as flashing of lights and sounding of the horn. Remaining charge time and available range can be checked via the app, and compatible phones can unlock the vehicle via NFC.

The ADAS suite on the Seal U employs four radar units and one camera, supporting functions such as AEB, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane change assist, intelligent speed limit control, blind spot detection, and more.

According to the BYD Europe website, the Seal U is available in six exterior colours, and a choice of two interior upholstery colour schemes. The company aims for pricing of the Seal U to start at 42,000 euros (RM215,573).

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