New BYD Seal 6 Saloon 2026 review: great value PHEV with a few compromises

Verdict

This is the least recommendable combination of Seal 6 bodystyle and trim – the estate is a much better bet than the saloon given its only marginally higher price, and the more powerful model is a much better car in terms of both equipment and usability, thanks to the extra battery range. The Seal 6’s ride quality is a major letdown on UK roads, but very little can match the PHEV’s running costs and space at this very competitive price.

The BYD product onslaught continues in the UK, with what’s now its eighth new model in well under three years since landing on these shores. But the Seal 6 DM-i is only the second plug-in hybrid in an otherwise electric line-up (an Atto 2 DM-i also follows shortly), and a PHEV compact executive-sized saloon and estate are unusual additions, especially when you look at a price that undercuts the only real plug-in hybrid saloon competition – BMW’s 330e and the Mercedes C-Class PHEV – by over £10,000. 

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However, those premium models are very different cars to the more relaxed and mainstream Seal 6. The BYD is something of an oddity, which means it could either be overlooked, or carve itself a useful niche, with only the similarly priced Toyota Prius hatchback for company. If you’re looking for an estate instead, then you could consider the VW Passat and Skoda Superb plug-ins. But they are several thousand pounds more expensive, although they can offer significantly higher electric ranges than the entry-level Seal 6. The only PHEVs at a similar price are the smaller Peugeot 308 SW or Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer, unless you want to venture into SUV-land. Which, if you’re looking at a traditional saloon or estate, we’d presume not to be the case. 

BYD has kept things nice and simple with the new line-up. For both saloon and Touring estate models, there are two trims – Boost or Comfort – and the £3,000 price difference affects both the powertrain and spec. Opt for the higher trim, which on BYD’s PCP offer is only another £10 a month over 49 months (plus a £3,750 deposit that’s £950 more than that on the entry car), and you get 209bhp rather than 181bhp, and a larger battery with an official electric range figure of up to 65 miles, compared with just 34 miles for the Boost model we’re driving here. That higher trim also lavishes equipment generously, including a panoramic roof, heated and ventilated front seats, larger touchscreen system, 360-degree camera, front parking sensors and a bump up from 17 to 18-inch alloy wheels. That’s a lot when you add it to the powertrain upgrades, and makes the higher of the two specs the one to go for on paper. 

That’s reinforced when you drive the car. Not only will it go much further before employing the 1.5-litre petrol engine, but when we had the chance to drive both powertrains, the higher one is much more sprightly than the 0.4-second quicker 0-62mph time would have you believe. 

The bad news is that you won’t necessarily want to use that power on a country road, because the UK’s undulating and punishing surfaces are far from Seal-friendly. We first sampled the Seal 6 on smooth French tarmac, but over here the car gives both a floaty and crashy sensation at once; it takes its time to settle after any crests or compressions, yet thumps over potholes or other bumps. 

It’s as if it’s been set up to be comfortable and then been given big wheels, but the 17-inch alloys standard on the lower trim are anything but oversized. The sensation is noticeable on all types of road, and will be bad enough to have passengers complaining. Matters are not helped by a very artificial and light feel to the steering, although body roll is well controlled, so those passengers won’t be thrown around from side to side, just bounced up and down too much. 

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Which is a shame, because they’ve otherwise got it pretty good in the Seal 6. There’s plenty of space front and back, even if the battery packaging means the floor is set high enough to impact under-thigh support, and the cabin is light and airy. Quality isn’t as high as it looks on first glance – the nice fabric across the dash doesn’t have any depth, for example, and the steering wheel and other touch points aren’t quite as nice in your fingers as they look. 

Saloon buyers also get a rawer deal with the boot. As well as the opening being narrower – because it’s a saloon – there’s no under-floor stowage like the estate has, and the Touring also has a 12-volt socket, bag hooks and the ability to drop the rear seats to create a flat floor using a lever in the boot. Saloon drivers will have to go round to the back door to drop the rear seats, and even then there’s a step between them and the boot. But the boot is big when you duck into it at a hefty 491 litres, just nine shy of the estate.

It’s also worth mentioning that, even in an age of beeping and bonging thanks to overbearing legislation, the Seal 6 stands out for the level of irritation it causes. Although the lane-keep assist is less intrusive than most, the driver monitoring more than makes up for it and is triggered by the slightest glance away. Turning it off to save your sanity at the start of every journey is a laborious necessity, and it would be tempting to stick something over the camera to shut it up once and for all.

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