The new BYD Seal U makes its debut in Europe in February, an SUV with a personal style, designed to meet the needs of families.
We tested it for the first time near Lisbon, Portugal, where we were able to verify its behavior both on the road and on motorway routes.
Photo story Nuova Seal U - Photo - Ansa.it
From the first approach you can see the great work done on a stylistic level, with a line that appears original and streamlined, despite a length close to 4.80 metres.
Thanks to a clean and forward-looking front, but capable of expressing character through its light clusters;
of a side characterized by a rib that creates dynamism;
and a rear in which the headlights stand out, joined by a central element.
The 19-inch alloy wheels complete the picture.
Climbing on board, the driver finds himself in a dominant position, with a wide view, and with a steering wheel that is less vertical than that of its European competitors.
The finishes of the central console and the door panels in vegan leather are appreciable, albeit with room for improvement, the front seats are large and comfortable, which are also heated and ventilated.
There is also plenty of space behind and in the boot which, as standard, offers a useful volume of 552 litres, and can reach up to 1,440 liters with the sofa folded down.
There is also a decidedly large electric sliding panoramic roof, capable of offering additional brightness to the passenger compartment, but the element that most captures attention is the large 15.6-inch touch screen dedicated to infotainment, which can rotate by touch of a button on the steering wheel.
Scenic, and with remarkable reactivity, it loses something in navigation, where sometimes it signals traffic even if it is not present, with the map showing a certain inertia in orienting oneself following the progress of the route.
Another display is dedicated to the instruments, which are clear and allow you to keep the charge and remaining autonomy under control.
The head-up display is also present on the design of our contact socket.
The physical buttons are reduced to a minimum but they are there, like those dedicated to some items of the climate control, such as the button to act in the event of the windscreen fogging up, which is decidedly useful, or the controls to vary the driving modes and the regenerative capacity when the switch is released. 'accelerator.
The control that takes the place of the gear lever, in glass, represents a personal touch, while the two spaces dedicated to induction charging for 2 smartphones placed in front of it are particularly appreciable.
Behind the wheel, the BYD Seal U is immediately friendly, family-friendly, thanks to light steering and fluid power delivery, which avoids that on-off action at the slightest pressure on the accelerator of some electric cars.
In practice, it drives like a combustion car with automatic gearbox, and this has the advantage of promoting the energy transition process, given that it could appeal to motorists who have never driven a 100% electric car.
The performances are not particularly brilliant, as underlined by the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h covered in 9.6 seconds, while the maximum speed, where permitted,
allows you to reach 175 km/h.
This despite a power of 160 kW and a maximum torque of 330 Nm. The real strong point of the Seal U, however, is its autonomy, which allows it to obtain average consumption in the order of 12.2 kWh, and from what promises, that is, the possibility of traveling 500 km on a single charge.
In fact, the remaining kilometers do not suddenly drop following overtaking, and regeneration allows for good energy recovery.
One-pedal driving is deliberately not provided, but in traffic the driving aids work well and the car stops and starts smoothly and silently.
Comfort is guaranteed by good soundproofing, which can be improved by the noise coming from the external rear-view mirrors and the rear area, and is amplified by a soft ride which, between curves, generates rolling and pitching phenomena as the pace increases.
The goodness of the chassis, however, ensures roadholding that is proof for beginners at the wheel.
The battery, equipped with Blade technology, with thin and elongated cells, is cobalt-free, and features lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material;
in the tested version, the richest design, it has a capacity of 87 kWh, compared to the 71.8 kWh of the comfort version, and recharges from 30 to 80% in 28 minutes with a direct current column from which it can accept up to 140 kW of power.
Offered in two variants, comfort and design, and boasting a rather substantial standard equipment, which includes the latest generation ADAS, this SUV already offers the 12.8-inch rotatable screen and vegan leather seats from the entry-level version. electrically adjustable, the panoramic sunroof, and the 360° parking camera.
Additionally, it comes with a full 6-year/150,000km manufacturer's warranty, an 8-year/200,000km battery warranty (up to 70% capacity), and an 8-year/150,000km electric motor warranty.
To know the final prices we will have to wait for the launch on the market, at the moment, at an indicative level, for the two versions, comfort and design, a cost of 41,990 euros and 44,990 euros respectively is assumed.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA