ROME – BYD’s offensive in Europe continues. The Chinese tech company, which in 2023 established itself globally as the first manufacturer of electric cars, surpassing even Tesla in the top ten of the category, has recently presented its first plug-in hybrid model destined to make numbers in our markets .
This is the DM-i version of the Seal U medium SUV, the latter already on sale here in the battery and zero emissions variant, where the acronym DM stands for Dual Mode to indicate a unique technology proprietary to the brand which essentially overturns the concept of rechargeable hybrid.
“If in traditional plug-in cars the electric engine supports the combustion engine, on the Seal U DM-i the exact opposite occurs with truly noteworthy results in terms of consumption,” explains Gianmaria Adamo country manager for Italy at BYD .
The new “green” entry from the Shenzhen company, available in Italian dealerships since June, can in fact travel 70 to 125 kilometers on electric power alone, guaranteeing up to 1,100 km with a full tank of petrol (60 litres).
It does this by exploiting on the top of the range “Design” version with all-wheel drive a 319 HP system which includes two current units (150 kW at the front and 120 kW at the rear), powered by an 18.3 kWh battery, combined with a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine. While on the 214 HP front-wheel drive “Boost” and “Comfort” variants, with 18.3 and 26.6 kWh battery, the thrust comes via a 145 kW electric motor and a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine.
Charging the car from an external source can be done at 11 kW in three-phase alternating current (AC) and with an 18 kW device in direct current (DC), allowing you to fill up with electrons from 30 to 80% in just 35 minutes .
The beauty of the Seal U DM-i, however, is that its battery never runs out of energy, always maintaining at least 25% charge so that it is always the electrical part that intervenes mainly in driving, being able to count for maximum rendered in every situation on a controller that allows different operating settings: including the zero-emission EV one for use mainly in the city.
We drove the Chinese plug-in extensively, in the “Boost” version, around Rome and it must be said that it did not disappoint expectations, revealing itself in terms of performance as a car in line with its competitors (such as the Toyota Rav 4 or the Nissan Qashqai).
Extremely silent, it sprints from 0 to 100 in 8.9 seconds (Design claims 5.9 seconds) and boasts safe road behavior thanks to the numerous Adas engines offered as standard (well beyond those required by the latest EU legislation): including adaptive cruise control, rear collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, intelligent speed limit control and blind spot detection.
Behind 4.77 meters of bodywork, marked by the rounded where the well-finished finishes (even the plastics give an idea of solidity) and the upholstery in soft materials and vegan leather convey a sense of sophistication. While features such as the characteristic 15.6-inch rotating BYD screen, or the Intelligent Cockpit System with 4G connection, integrated Spotify and HERE navigation and smartphone pairing via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, reveal the technological soul of the prepared model on board to receive OTA (Over-The-Air) updates in the management software, a bit like what happens on premium plug-ins except that here the price list starts at 39,800 euros.
