Juliusz Szalek
October 8, 2024
Tariffs on Chinese electric cars have become a fact, while HEV and PHEV hybrids “made in China” are destroying the European automotive industry. BYD has just shown its first plug-in hybrid. The large, comfortable Seal U DM-i SUV can travel 80 km on electricity and costs PLN 169,000. zloty.
Byd debuted in Poland just a few months ago. We wrote more about it HERE. And now the Seal U in the PHEV (Dual Mode) hybrid version appears on the market. This is the brand’s first vehicle with such a drive in Europe. The car allows you to drive in zero-emission mode for a distance of up to 80 km or using the combustion engine for a distance of over 1,000 km.
The car is available in two equipment versions: Boost and Design. The former is a combination of a 1.5 liter combustion engine with a capacity of 98 HP, which cooperates with an electric motor with a power of 97 HP and a Blade battery with a capacity of 18.3 kWh. The total power of the Boost system is 218 HP. The maximum torque is 300 Nm, and the drive goes to the rear wheels. The Boost version of the car is valued at PLN 169,900.
Two versions
The Design version is equipped with two high-power electric motors (204 HP at the front and 163 HP at the rear) and an efficient Byd Blade battery with a capacity of 18.3 kWh, complemented by the company’s four-cylinder 1.5 l turbocharged petrol engine with a power of 130 KM, working with two electric motors. The total maximum system power is 323 HP and the total maximum torque is 550 Nm. Byd Seal U DM-i Design has four-wheel drive. Price? PLN 209,900.
Byd Seal U DM-i does not differ much visually from the combustion version. The interior is also the same. However, the drive offered by a plug-in hybrid is completely different. The car offers 2 driving modes for all trim levels: EV and HEV. In the first mode, the driver can select “electric only mode” (EV) for daily commuting or city driving.
In the second mode, the vehicle mainly uses the power provided by the battery. Only during acceleration does the petrol engine deliver additional power to the wheels that support the battery. Seal U DM-i seamlessly cycles through various modes, making you feel like you’re in an electric vehicle thanks to unique technologies. Moreover, drivers do not have to worry about range or charging location. Additionally, the combustion engine charges the battery (from 25 to 70%, which can be adjusted), so electric driving is always available. The battery is also charged via energy recovery technology.
Very low fuel consumption
In zero-emission mode, the car can travel up to 70 km. When using the combustion engine in mixed mode, fuel consumption is just 0.9 l/100 km in Boost mode and 1.2 l/100 km in Design mode (WLTP). In turn, the combined cycle electricity consumption for Boost is 21 kWh/km and for Design 23.5 kWh/km. Electricity consumption during urban driving is 14.5 kWh/100 km for Boost and 16.1 kWh/100 km for Design.
This translates into a total range in the Design version of 870 km (WLTP). The front-wheel drive Boost version offers 80 km of pure electric range, providing a total range of 1,080 km (WLTP).
Blade technology
Like all Byd passenger cars in Europe, the Seal U DM-i comes standard with cobalt-free Blade battery technology, designed to optimize safety, durability, long runtime, efficiency and optimal space utilization.
The battery pack consists of many thin, elongated cells that actually look like “blades”. Additionally, it uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as the cathode material to increase safety, durability and thermal stability. The exceptional level of safety of the Blade battery confirms that the requirements of the so-called nail penetration test, which is the most rigorous way to test for thermal runaway batteries and simulates the effects of a serious road accident. All SEAL U DM-i trim levels offer 11 kW alternating current (AC) charging with three phases and 18 kW direct current (DC) charging. Thanks to this, charging with direct current from 30% to 80% takes only 35 minutes.
PHEV not only for the family
The five-seater D-segment SUV is the first plug-in hybrid on our market. But not the last one. It is no secret that the same technology will also be available in other models of the brand.
Seal U is 4,775 mm long, 1,890 mm wide and 1,670 mm high. Thanks to a wheelbase of 2,765 mm and a flat floor, rear seat passengers have plenty of legroom. The rear seat can be folded in a 60:40 ratio, which allows you to easily expand the luggage space from 425 to 1,440 liters.
The functionality is further emphasized by highly usable storage compartments, two convenient cup holders in the center console, four USB ports and the ability to wirelessly charge two smartphones at the same time. Particularly practical in places without access to a power socket is the double-sided charging function, V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) in the Byd Seal U DM-i battery, which allows you to use the car as a portable power source for electrical devices.
BYD application
One of the key elements of today’s cars is connectivity and the infotainment system, also available remotely via an application. BYD’s intelligent cockpit system is operated via the brand’s signature swivel 15.6-inch screen. It allows you to choose the screen orientation (horizontal or vertical), and various information for the driver is displayed on a 12.3-inch LCD panel. The system also provides many options for personalization to a given user, offering 4G connection, integrated Spotify application and HERE navigation, smartphone integration via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, as well as intelligent voice control activated by the “Hi BYD” command. The system uses remote Over-The-Air (OTA) updates to stay up to date with the latest features.
However, the car allows you to remotely control many vehicle functions using the BYD application on a smartphone or other mobile device. For example, you can lock and unlock the doors, close the windows, and control the air conditioning, seat heating/ventilation, warning lights, and horn. You can also check the remaining charging time and range. What’s more, thanks to the NFC key function on your smartphone, you can even unlock and start your car.
5 stars
When it comes to Chinese cars, questions are often asked about safety and support systems. Byd cars boast the highest scores in Euro NCAP tests, which is confirmed by the presence of passive and active safety elements. To monitor traffic, warn the driver and even intervene to prevent road accidents, the Byd Seal U DM-i comes standard with a range of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that use five radars and one central camera.
These systems include features such as Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (Rear Cross Traffic Alert), Lane Change Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Control, Blind Spot Detection System and many others.
The Design version is additionally equipped with a Head-Up display and LED headlights, including high beam assist and adaptive headlights as standard. To facilitate safe maneuvering, the panoramic camera provides 360-degree visibility on the central screen, even with a view from above and around the car thanks to an animated vehicle model.
