BYD’s spacious and affordable hybrid SUV

But the Chinese multinational manufacturing company has been building its reputation in the UK, helped by a rapid increase in vehicle sales and retail sites.

With a history rooted in battery technology, BYD entered the UK marketplace with a range of attractively-priced all-electric vehicles – and UK buyers evidently liked what they saw.

Last year, BYD sales in the UK increased by 658 per cent to over 8,700 cars, its market share grew from 0.17 per cent to 0.96 per cent, its retail sites grew from 14 to 60, and public brand recognition grew from 1 per cent to 31 per cent.

BYD Seal U DM-i Boost (Image: Newsquest) Not content with the success in its EV offering, the company has now decided it also wants a slice of Britain’s hybrid vehicle market.

And so, the UK’s fastest growing automotive brand has introduced the BYD Seal U DM-i, tested here.

This D-segment SUV has a lot going for it in the plug-in hybrid world, notably a large electric range, high-quality interior and plenty of standard equipment.

BYD Seal U DM-i Boost (Image: Newsquest) BYD has used its electric nous to develop a hybrid engine in-house, so the vehicle sees the European debut of the company’s advanced Super DM technology.

The system, comprising a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and an 18.3kWh battery, strikes a nice balance between performance and efficiency, prioritising electric driving, with ultra-low fuel consumption and high energy efficiency.

This plug-in hybrid promises strong electric-only range from its blade batteries. Depending on which version you opt for, the electric-only range varies from 50 miles to 77 miles.

The Boost model, tested here, gets a claimed combined range of a whopping 671 miles, coming closer than I’d have imagined to achieving that.

The rear of the BYD Seal U DM-i Boost (Image: Newsquest) With a fully-charged battery, the vehicle becomes pure electric. The engine is then used to charge up the battery and only kicks in on rare occasions to actually power the front wheels.

It makes for responsive and punchy performance when a burst of acceleration is needed.

In terms of handling, the Seal U DM-i corners well, with sharp ‘turn-in’ when initially entering a corner. The ride can occasionally feel a bit floaty, so you don’t feel quite as confident or in touch with the road surface as you’d like on undulating B-roads.

The interior of the BYD Seal U DM-i Boost (Image: Newsquest) The vehicle has a very smart and likeable look, albeit a bit generic in the mid-size SUV market.

Interior quality and space is excellent, making the car into a very pleasant everyday family vehicle.

All versions of the Seal U get 19-inch alloys, LED headlights, vegan leather upholstery, wireless phone-charging, a funky 15.6-inch rotatable infotainment touchscreen, head-up display, adaptive cruise control with steering assistance, plus heated and ventilated front seats.

The side profile of the BYD Seal U DM-i Boost (Image: Newsquest) It all adds up to a lot of car and a lot of equipment for the price. In the case of the Boost model, the cost is £33,205, which is impressive and would be what you might expect to pay for a much smaller hybrid vehicle.

In a wider context, BYD continues to look to the future, and recently revealed new battery technology that can add 250 miles of range in five minutes.

The firm’s ‘Super e-platform’ features new electric motors and a battery pack which is compatible with 1,000-volt technology – allowing for one mile of range to be added every second when charging.

Without a doubt, BYD is keeping its European competitors on their toes!