BYD Seal 6 DM-i Touring: Solid performance meets spaciousness
They are among the most practical family cars and yet they are becoming increasingly rare: estate cars. This is exactly where BYD from China now wants to score points - with the Seal 6 DM-i Touring.
The new estate from BYD does not stand out visually, but the Seal is certainly stylish with its 4.84 meters length and 1.88 meters width. The flowing shapes are a successful mix - a bit Renault Megane, Seat Leon Sportstourer or even VW ID.7 Tourer, in other words a solid estate car with space. And yet the Chinese car is supposed to be different: With its plug-in hybrid drive under the hood, it should be able to cover a full 100 kilometers purely electrically. An announcement, even to established brands.
As with all plug-in hybrids, the WLTP standard consumption of 1.7 l/100 km is wishful thinking in everyday use. We are currently on our first short test drive with a consumption of around 5.2 liters/100 km. The combination of electric drive and 1.5-liter gasoline engine performs very well. The «Boost» version has a system output of 135 kW/184 hp, while the «Comfort» and «Comfort Lite» versions have 156 kW/212 hp. Acceleration on the highway feels a little sluggish at first, but then the BYD Seal 6 DM-i Touring slowly picks up speed, accompanied by the subtle protest of the gasoline engine.
This is certainly even better and is reminiscent of the models from Asian manufacturers with continuously variable transmission (CVT). The BYD front-wheel drive car needs 8.9 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in the «Boost» version, while the «Comfort» and «Comfort Lite» versions, which are also equipped with larger batteries (19 instead of 10 kWh), are a tad faster at 8.5 seconds. This does not exactly make the BYD a bundle of temperament. However, the ride comfort in the Seal 6 DM-i Touring is good and the steering is quite direct. We are quite relaxed on the road and also have plenty of space on board with 500 liters of trunk space. There is also plenty of legroom and headroom in the rear, and with the rear seats folded down there is even up to 1535 liters of storage space available.
The attractive interior is very well made, and despite the attractive prices, you won't find much cheap hard plastic. It also features good workmanship and vegan «leather.» The only downside is that a nice feature found in other BYD models is missing from the station wagon—the central multimedia screen that can be rotated at the touch of a button. In the Dolphin Surf electric city car and the Seal SUV, we had the option of choosing whether we wanted the information in portrait or landscape format; now the 15.6-inch display is fixed. On the other hand, the station wagon is available with a large panoramic roof for a light-flooded interior.
What is particularly exciting about the BYD is the price - it is definitely a challenge to other station wagons. Perhaps one or two families or even fleet managers will start to ponder. After all, the Seal 6 DM-i Touring starts at 39,990 francs. And like all BYDs, it comes with a six-year or 150,000 kilometer warranty; there is even an optional eight-year or 200,000 kilometer warranty. If you mainly want to commute electrically, you should opt for the ’Comfort Lite’ equipment variant from 46,990 francs or ’Comfort« from 47,990 francs in order to have the larger battery and thus 100 kilometers of electric range. But even these prices are still fair.
