Another week, another new electric car from a fast-growing Chinese brand. Can the Tesla Model 3-rivalling BYD Seal hold its own in an increasingly competitive marketplace? By Al Suttie.

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BYD Seal Excellence AWD

List price (BiK): £48,640 (2%) CO2: 0g/km Official range: 323 miles Tested range: 300 miles

Monday

BYD was little more than a few press releases a year ago and here we are trying out its third new model in a year, the Seal. It’s part of the Wave selection of cars from BYD (Build Your Dreams), hence the aquatic name, but there’s nothing wet behind the ears about this newcomer to the UK market. After being impressed with the Atto 3 and Dolphin, the Seal promises a great deal and has a lot to live up to.

Tuesday

One of the first things to note with the Seal is it’s a saloon rather than a hatch, even if the fastback styling might lead you to initially reckon it has a tailgate. I’d have preferred a hatch from a practicality point of view, and access to the boot is not as good as a consequence. With the boot open, the aperture is wide but not as deep as I’d like, and 400 litres of cargo space is average rather than generous. However, there is a 53-litre front boot that’s ideal for the charging cables.

Wednesday

The Seal being tested here is the Excellence AWD that has a small 3.8S badge on the boot. This refers to how quickly the car accelerates from 0-62mph – 3.8 seconds. That is fast by any measure and, when Sport mode is engaged, the Seal can certainly flap its flippers. In the default normal mode, it’s still plenty quick enough but more relaxed and it’s this setting that will allow it to cover more than 300 miles on a single charge.

Thursday

The four-wheel drive of this Seal version has been challenged on the roads around Scotland, given the amount of rain and standing water there is. It deserves its name as it’s dealt with all of it with unflappable ease. Only on the greasiest, wettest corners has there even been a hint of slip from the tyres, which was rapidly gathered by the iTAC (intelligent torque adaption control) traction aid that is standard on this version.

Friday

The Seal is the first BYD in the UK with the latest generation of Cell To Body battery tech, which incorporates the battery pack into the car as part of the structure. BYD says it makes the car’s shell about twice as rigid as most similar cars in the class and it shows in the supple ride of the Seal. Where most EVs have suspension that struggles to balance the weight of the car against lumpy roads, the BYD is impressively smooth and refined.

Saturday

This Seal trim’s price puts it into contention with some serious hitters. However, when you look at the quality of the cabin materials and build, the long list of standard equipment and the details, it makes a very strong case for itself. The interior is simply a lovely place to be and has much more character than the blandness of a Tesla Model 3. BYD has also just improved its warranty cover to six years and 93,750 miles (150,000km).

Sunday

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and so it is with overly intrusive drive systems. After many miles, it dawns on me that the Seal doesn’t have the nannying levels of lane assist or hazard warnings as the early Atto 3. It’s very welcome and just adds to the overall impression that BYD is learning fast to create cars of the quality of the Seal. Should this BYD be on your fleet radar? Absolutely.