Logically, the closest competitors for the Category B variant of the BYD Seal’s are the Polestar 2 and the Tesla Model 3.

When you consider the amount of new Chinese EV manufacturers that have entered the Singapore market in the recent years, this may come as a bit of a surprise, as it seems that none of BYD’s compatriots have decided to build a high-performing electric saloon.

As such, BYD will have to settle for competition from the more established electric players. The closest in specification to the Seal Performance would be the Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack variant of the Polestar 2, and the Long Range AWD 78 kWh iteration of the Model 3.

The question still remains – am I being fair to the Seal by comparing it to either car? Or is BYD trying to do something drastically different to the Swedes and the Americans?

An Oceanic Reference

One reason why Chinese manufacturers haven’t really bothered with saloons could stem from the fact that consumers just aren’t buying that many of them, preferring to drive crossovers and SUVs instead.

But just looking at the Seal, you can’t help but wonder why consumers aren’t taken in by such svelte aesthetics, particularly when face-to-face with it. Personally, I regard the Seal as the antithesis to the crossover and SUV trend that many buyers have harboured to in recent years.

The front fascia alone features a unique and recognisable appearance, given its slim yet angry looking headlights, complimented by a C-shaped strip for the daytime running lights, finished off with three lines of running lights in to really made known that you are looking at a Seal, and not to confuse it with something else. 

Overall styling isn’t avant-garde or experimental. It follows a familiar design, flowing like smooth waves while simultaneously highlighting the creases running along the body. The more I observed the car, the more it started to remind me of a leopard seal, slicing through the water on the hunt for its prey.

Seal in Name, Shark in Performance

Seals (the animal, not the car) are incredibly agile and graceful in the water, twisting and turning all around either in play or in the hunt for food. The Seal (the car, not the animal) was no different, carving lines through corners eagerly, yet still feeling like there was so much more that it could do if given the opportunity to.

All the ingredients for a well-handling car are all present – communicative steering, grippy Michelin Pilot 5 tyres in a square 235/45/R19 setup, and BYD’s advanced Intelligent Torque Adaption Control (ITAC) system. It also has strong brakes that were easy to modulate, had good pedal feel, and were more than happy making repeated hard stops.

The regenerative braking itself could also be adjusted in intensity, and definitely made driving in frustrating city traffic more bearable since I almost never had to touch the brake pedal to stop the car fully.

With two electric motors, this variant of the Seal has all-wheel drive, and advanced torque vectoring capabilities. A combined 523 bhp and 670 Nm of torque are sent to all four wheels, drawing their power from an 82.6 kWh battery. BYD says the car can be recharged at up to AC 7 kW, or up to DC 150 kW. A 10 – 80% charge will be over in slightly under 30 minutes.

A Complimenting Interior

Front occupants are treated to a pair of semi-bucket seats. They happen to be one of the most comfortable seats I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, whilst still offering sufficient support through the corners. They are also ventilated, which is an absolute godsend in Singapore’s climate. 

Information is fed through a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster, together with a heads-up display should you prefer your driving information be displayed in the your line-of-sight. The infotainment screen is a sizeable 15.6-inches, and is also loaded with functions like GPS, 360-degree camera system, energy monitors, various BYD apps, and in-built Spotify, and it can be rotated into landscape or portrait mode at the press of a button.

However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of having to use the infotainment screen to adjust my climate settings, as I would much rather have physical controls for that. And try as I might, I couldn’t find a liking for the graphics, but that’s easily rectified by connecting wirelessly to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and using that interface.

The boot isn’t the biggest at 400 litres, but it is quite deep and will swallow longer items like golf bags with ease. For smaller items or soft bags, throw them in the 50 litre front boot. Just make sure they aren’t heat sensitive as it does get slightly warm up front.

A True Representation of Its Name

The Seal Performance exceeded all my expectations. It rides well, turns on a dime, absolutely sticks to the road, and goes like stink. For all its high-performance capabilities, it is priced at $247,388 (price accurate at press time). Not too long ago, a car with over 500 horsepower would cost well over $500,000. Now, you can get one for less than half.

This 2,185 kg car gets to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, and it did so easily and repeatedly. For a performance sedan, the ride quality was compliant and comfortable. Now, I’m not saying the Seal rides like a luxury sedan. But it wasn’t far off, all while still maintaining great control over body roll when driving spiritedly through twisting roads. 

Not only is the Seal dynamically capable, you get quality materials, great build quality, a comprehensive warranty, and an environmentally friendly car that doesn’t emit any emissions, something that would have been nigh unimaginable just a few years ago. 

Do you get more than your money’s worth for the Seal Performance? Without a doubt. And with the facelifted 2025 model already announced, I am ever more curious to find out just how much more improvements BYD have made to an over-achieving car.

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