Sil.
Handsome and not decorated like other Chinese/Walla! system, Udi Etzion
Price:
NIS 234,000
Competitors:
Tesla Model 3, Xpeng P7, Skoda Superb, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry
We liked:
design, cabin, equipment, road behavior, performance and warranty
We didn't like:
trunk, comfort in the city
Score:
8.5/10
Chevy The Malibu, once a best-selling executive car, is now offered at a special sale: NIS 160,000, a discount of NIS 34,000 from the importer's price list.
Mazda 6, once consistently ranked among the top ten models sold in Israel, delivered only 54 units since the beginning of the year.
Skoda Superb put 253 units on the roads, which seems impressive until you look at the delivery data of the electric executive cars closest to it in price: 183 Ionique 6, but also 349 Tesla Model 3 and 363 Xpeng P7.
The executive market was the first in which electric cars overtook gasoline cars, thanks in large part to the popularity of the Model 3. And although updated versions of the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata hybrids will arrive in Israel later this year, the interesting battle becomes the internal battle between the electric sedans themselves.
And that makes BYD Seal one of the most important cars launched in Israel this year.
After BYD Eto 3 became the best-selling car in Israel, Seal comes to conquer the category above it.
to compete at the same time with the other trams and attract to it those who already drive another tram, and also those who are now purchasing their first tram.
Is she up to the challenge?
19-inch rims add to the performance, but detract from urban comfort/Walla system!, Audi Etzion
Design:
The Seal manages to look interesting despite the boring sedan structure, with dynamic lines, prominent 19-inch rims that we will return to later, and a drag coefficient of only 0.22, in favor of reducing air resistance and extending the range.
The dimensions are generous: 4.80 meters long, 1.875 meters wide, 1.46 meters high and a 2.92 meter long wheelbase.
A natural solution
This is how you will improve performance and pleasure in bed - with an exclusive sale
in collaboration with "Gabra"
Driver environment is relatively easy to adapt/Wala! system, Audi Etzion
The cabin:
The team of Wolfgang Egger, the chief designer of BYD, and formerly of Audi and Alfa Romeo, did not go wild and did not try to be clever.
The design is clean, without quirks, with the same huge 15.6-inch rotating multimedia screen familiar from other BYD models, and a 10.25-inch digital dashboard.
The operation is relatively simple, including a gear lever in the classic position and not as a lever around the steering wheel as will become more and more popular in Chinese trams.
The quality of the materials is also above average.
However, even if BYD avoided Tesla's ongoing mistake of giving up a separate dashboard, it did copy from it giving up an electric curtain that rolls up to cover the panoramic roof on hot days.
The importer provides free of charge a cover for manual assembly, which is not a real replacement.
Only 400 liters in the trunk, which also tolerates a narrow key/Audi Etzion
The back seat is very spacious, thanks to a flat floor.
There is excellent legroom and reasonable headroom.
There is also a separate air conditioner outlet and USB-c sockets.
The trunk, on the other hand, is relatively small, with a volume of only 400 liters, and the loading opening is also too narrow.
At least there is another trunk, front, under the "hood".
The front trunk (53 liters) is efficient for storing the charging cables/Walla! system, Audi Etzion
Equipment:
The basic rear-wheel drive version (NIS 217,000) in the DESIGN trim level comes with the mentioned screens, Android and Apple CarPlay pairing, ventilated and heated front seats with electric adjustment, Alcantara upholstery, LED front and rear lighting, "HI BYD" system for voice operation, version update Remote for the vehicle systems (OTA), dynamic ambient lighting, wireless charging for two mobile phones in front and a Danish DYNAUDIO stereo system, with 12 speakers.
There is also an app to control the car remotely.
The dual drive version in the EXECELLNCE trim level at a price of NIS 233,000 that we drove adds an elite display for the driver, variable damping shock absorbers, a torque distribution system between the wheels and is supplied with a V2L charging cable that allows the vehicle to charge electrical appliances and other vehicles.
Safety:
The Seal received 5 out of 5 stars in the European crash test and comes with autonomous emergency braking (also in reverse), smart adaptive cruise control, maintaining driving in the center of the lane, vehicle monitoring in a dead zone, warning against dangerous door opening and forgetting children, 360-degree surround cameras and 9 airbags
The performance is excellent, just don't be surprised that it will achieve a range of only 400 km/Wala system!, Audi Etzion
Engine and performance
: The dual-drive model is also equipped with two engines, one in the front and one in the rear, with a combined power of 530 hp. As usual, the box is automatic.
The performance is excellent, even in economy mode, more than any gasoline-powered car at these prices. It's a shame that there is no option to drive With one pedal, with a powerful recharging, but only two levels weaker.
With a relatively large 82.5 kWh battery, the official range is 520 km. The actual range depends very much on your driving style, when driving at an average pace you will have no difficulty achieving at least 400 km Even outside the city.
The rear-wheel drive model will go a little further.
There is an option for fast charging with a power of 150 kW and slow charging with 11 kW.
The car is supplied with cables for home charging from an AC outlet and a home socket, a generosity that most importers are not guilty of.
Comfort and behavior:
Although not defined as a sports sedan, the Seal is pleasantly surprising with safe and balanced behavior, a steering wheel that is weighted relative to other electric cars, and better capabilities than the average Chinese.
Remember the 19 inch rims?
They look good, but impair the comfort of driving in the city, along with a slightly too sporty calibration for the suspensions.
Outside the city the situation is improving.
BYD Sil/Walla! system, Audi Etzion
Bottom line:
Seal won't sell like the Atto 3, it's a different price level and demand, but it would be a surprise if it's not the new selling level for the group.
Seal does not give the feeling of another tram designed by smartphone engineers.
This is a relatively easy tram to adapt to, well equipped, high quality, quiet and has better than average road behavior.
The performance is excellent, but so are the competitors.
Life for gasoline-powered cars and hybrids isn't about to get any easier.
What's more, we would give up the double-wheel drive version, in favor of the basic rear-wheel drive version, saving NIS 17,000 and adding 50 km to the driving range. So some trams and Ferraris will overtake us at the traffic lights because we only have 312 hp, and we accelerate in carts from -0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. The power race this horse is already going insane, and we'll overtake them back anyway by the time they have to stop to charge.
On the technical side: BYD Seal
Engine:
two electric, 530 hp, 68 kg
Gearbox:
automatic, direct transmission, double drive
Battery:
82.5 kWh
Fast charging
: up to 150 kW
Dimensions:
Length (meters):
4.80
Width (meters):
187.5
Height (meters):
1.48
Wheelbase:
2.92
Weight:
2,155 kg
Performance (manufacturer):
0 to 100 km/h (seconds)
: 3.8
Maximum speed (km/h):
180
Combined range
: 520 km
Combined test range:
410 km
Safety:
European crash test score:
5 out of 5 stars in 2023
Active safety:
autonomous emergency braking (also in reverse), intelligent adaptive cruise control, maintaining driving in the center of the lane, vehicle monitoring in blind spots, Warning against opening a dangerous door and forgetting children, 360 degree perimeter cameras
Warranty:
6 years or 150 thousand km for the vehicle, 8 years or 200 thousand km for the battery and 8 years or 150 thousand km for the electric motor and the charging controller.
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BYD Auto