BYD Seal U DM-i review: plug-in hybrid SUV offers value and range

Considering the fact that BYD is one of the world's leading producers of rechargeable batteries, it shouldn't come as a surprise that it's also leading the Chinese onslaught on the UK EV market.

But here's the thing, unlike some of the challengers from China, BYD is offering a very mixed range, with almost as many hybrids as full EVs. And one of the latest launches is a plug-in hybrid, the Seal U DM-i

It follows on from the BYD Seal saloon that you rarely see on the roads and this, in theory, should be a winning formula. Everyone loves an SUV, and plug-in hybrid is a popular propulsion choice at the moment. So it's quite an important car for the brand.

On paper, the stats stack up well. With the right battery and engine combination, you can travel up to 78 miles in electric alone, it's available with up to 319bhp, there's an all-wheel drive version, and prices start at just over £33,000.

The interiors are nice, too, at least on the face of it. It's far from the most futuristic BYD dash, but there's a swathe of classy piano black, a faux-crystal gear selector, some soft materials around, great storage solutions, and a massive central display that pulls off the BYD party trick of rotating at the touch of a button.

It's comfortable and spacious throughout the cabin, but that infotainment screen isn't the easiest thing to use and, annoyingly, everything is controlled from it, right down to the climate control.

It's also not exactly fun to drive. With the larger 1.5-litre turbocharged engine combined with an electric surge, it's punchy enough, but the ride is a tad unsettled on rough roads, and it feels cumbersome in the bends. It's possibly better suited to the non-turbo version of the engine, which is a much cheaper option. This is the one that's available with the bigger 26.6kWh battery, and that's worth a look, because electric range in the smaller 18.3 kWh battery is a claimed 50 miles in the standard version, and 43 miles in the fruity all-wheel-drive version.

But refreshingly, despite its size and weight, the EV system seems quite efficient, so you'll find it pretty easy to get decent range from it, and you can use the petrol engine as a generator to charge up your battery almost to the brim on longer journeys without a huge penalty to pay in fuel economy.

And it's longer journeys this car is best at. On motorway stints it's a sublime cruiser, and the comfortable cabin becomes an oasis of calm, with a decent stereo if you want it, some unfussy driving aids and safety systems, and a hybrid system that just quietly gets on with its job.

And you have to remind yourself just how affordable this car is. For an SUV that does a reasonable job of passing itself off as a luxury family wagon, you won't have to wander far over £40,000 to spec up a genuinely well-equipped car, and plug-in hybrid vehicles are capable of some silly MPG figures, if you use the petrol sparingly.

It might look a little innocuous, and it might not bear a badge you'll be proud to boast about in the pub, but if you want an SUV with plenty of toys, and you don’t want to spend BMW bucks, this is a very sensible option.