The BYD Seal has been accessible in Australia since 2023, however even with a number of years to dig its claws (or flippers?) into our market, the mid-size electrical sedan stays considerably of an EV underdog.
BYD has develop into an EV powerhouse since launching in Australia in 2022. It’s already commonly putting throughout the checklist of top-10 best-selling auto manufacturers, persistently exhibiting otherworldly year-on-year gross sales progress, and it has a lot larger plans.
Its lineup consists solely of electrical or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) automobiles, with the Shark 6 PHEV ute virtually sure to be the Chinese language model’s gross sales winner for 2025. The Sealion 7 mid-size electrical SUV isn’t too far behind both, neither is the Sealion 6 mid-size PHEV SUV.
However for BYD, a development appears to be rising. It’ll launch a brand new, hotly anticipated mannequin, which is able to develop into successful virtually immediately, however then it’ll be overshadowed by the following high-profile launch. This has occurred with the Atto 3 small/medium electrical SUV (granted, it was BYD Australia’s onlymodel for a time), the Sealion 6, and the Seal on take a look at right here.
Such is the development of a quickly increasing mannequin vary, however it does imply vehicles just like the Seal, which as soon as challenged the dominant Toyota Camry for gross sales albeit briefly, have now fallen by the wayside.
With 157 gross sales recorded in November 2025, the Seal is now BYD’s second-lowest promoting mannequin, dwarfed by the Shark (1217) and the Sealion 7 (1040). The Camry managed 801 in the identical month, whereas the Seal’s arch-nemesis, the Tesla Mannequin 3, discovered 433 new properties.
Gross sales for vehicles like these could also be down, however with solely a handful of opponents, the Seal continues to be the third-best vendor within the section. So, in context, the Seal is commonly missed however nonetheless sells in cheap numbers, which is why we contemplate it an underdog.
The Seal has barely modified because it launched regionally in late 2023, regardless of some updates rolling out abroad. It nonetheless aligns with the model’s established identification, significantly in contrast with different Ocean Collection fashions, as evidenced by even within the base-spec 2026 BYD Seal Dynamic you see right here.
How does it stack up as we method 2026, and will it’s promoting higher?
How a lot does the BYD Seal value?
The entry-level BYD Seal Dynamic is priced at $46,990 earlier than on-road prices.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2026 BYD Seal Dynamic | $46,990 |
| 2026 BYD Seal Premium | $52,990 |
| 2026 BYD Seal Efficiency | $61,990 |
Given the Mannequin 3 has persistently been a mid-$50,000 participant, and incoming mid-size electrical sedans just like the Mazda 6e seem like utilizing the $55,000 mark as a boundary, it virtually appears obligatory that every one related fashions be priced across the similar stage.
As an alternative, Australia will get two Seal variants which can be cheaper than probably the most reasonably priced Mannequin 3, with our base tester some $8000 under the range-opening Tesla. After evaluating spec sheets between the 2, that looks like implausible worth.
The one different electrical sedan presently on sale is the Polestar 2, however that’s pricier at $62,400 earlier than on-roads. All these mid-size sedans are in a endless pursuit of the hybrid Camry although, which begins at $39,990 earlier than on-roads.
To see how the BYD Seal stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
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What’s the BYD Seal like on the within?
Comfy and fairly well-appointed, however it’s beginning to present its age.
Whereas that probably has one thing to do with its old-ish design, we suspect it’s extra a mirrored image of the tempo of the Chinese language automotive business. Evaluating the Seal’s cabin to these of newer BYDs just like the Sealion 5 or Atto 2, we consider these vehicles look brisker.
Thoughts you, the Seal this 12 months acquired an inside overhaul in its home market, as we reported in 2024. Sadly, there was radio silence on this replace being delivered to Australia since then.
That’s a disgrace, as a result of the up to date inside seems to be a lot sleeker, and if BYD is seeking to steal gross sales from a car as untouchable because the Mannequin 3, the Seal actually must put its finest flipper ahead.
That isn’t to say the present Seal’s inside is disagreeable, although.
Essentially the most important change with that abroad replace is a brand new steering wheel. Imagery reveals it’s a lot bulkier and premium-looking, getting rid of a budget plastic centre pad and gloss-black buttons seen on our tester, whereas remaining according to the remainder of BYD’s vary.
The tiller we get continues to be properly sized and its leather-based end is nice to the contact, however a major draw back is that there’s no tilt adjustment. This compromises the seating place, because the powered driver’s seat could be lowered greater than you would possibly count on and is definitely fairly comfy, regardless of the EV battery underneath the ground.
What you’re left with is a excessive steering wheel and a seating place that’s essentially greater than you’d in all probability like, significantly in case you’re on the shorter aspect like I’m. It no less than retains all the rectangular instrument show unobstructed, which we discover to be slightly cheesy in presentation however very usable.
This 10.25-inch display screen feels a bit like an afterthought, as do its graphics, which use a font that appears like a Microsoft Phrase default. There’s much more effort put into the designs of this stuff in newer BYDs, however no less than performance isn’t compromised.
A button on the suitable of the steering wheel will repurpose the audio management buttons to control the instrument show as a substitute, revealing a handful of menus with an unlimited array of data. There aren’t any actual complaints right here, other than the actual fact it doesn’t look significantly slick.
As is stylish with the overwhelming majority of Chinese language manufacturers, the 15.6-inch infotainment display screen dominates the Seal’s cabin, and nonetheless rotates pointlessly in trademark BYD vogue. Its graphics additionally seem dated and we dislike that that is the house of all inside controls.
That features the local weather system, for which a devoted menu is accessible through a shortcut on the ribbon on the backside of the display screen. The identical ribbon additionally accommodates ‘shortcut’ controls for temperature and air recirculation, although BYD has integrated the identical sneaky gesture as in its different vehicles.
Utilizing three fingers, you may swipe up or down on the display screen to regulate temperature, or sideways for fan pace. If you recognize that, that is sensible (however not as sensible as, I don’t know, buttons), however it’s held again by a small integration quirk.
If Apple CarPlay (and certain additionally Android Auto) is energetic, the display screen will register a contact once you go to do the three-finger swipe. Which means it’ll open no matter you’ve positioned your hand over as in case you had accomplished it deliberately, which is obnoxiously surprising once you’re on the transfer – that doesn’t occur with actual buttons.
Wi-fi Apple CarPlay no less than labored reliably throughout our week with the automotive, and the display screen is straightforward sufficient to navigate upon getting a primary thought of the place all the pieces is. Sadly, practically each car operate is buried inside any variety of menus, save for the essential controls across the trendy gear selector.
As for storage, entrance passengers are effectively catered for. There’s a sizeable tray underneath the centre console with USB-A and -C ports, a 12V outlet, and an SD card slot, which properly hides small baggage, or telephones in case you don’t need to use the twin wi-fi chargers above.
The glossy centre console flows backwards into two handy cupholders, adopted by a padded centre armrest with a decently sized storage field beneath. There are additionally bottle holders within the door playing cards, however they aren’t very huge. And placing a bottle on the motive force’s aspect will block the boot-opening button.
The second row, in the meantime, may be very spacious, however considerably awkward to take a seat in. A number of elements contribute to this: the bench’s base may be very low with compromised thigh assist, the ground appears excessive in all probability as a result of EV battery packaging, and the seatback is simply too far reclined.
There’s no strategy to modify any of that both, as pulling on the inviting-looking deal with on high of the seat simply releases the latch to fold it flat. Thoughts you, unusual second-row ergonomics aren’t new for Chinese language automobiles, and no less than you get a mushy fold-down armrest with cupholders, and USB-A and -C ports behind a flap on the again of the centre console.
Uniquely for a sedan at this finish of the market (not to mention a base-level trim), the Seal gives a powered bootlid. This feels pointless, however it does make it simpler to open in case your arms are full, so why not?
The boot’s 400 litres of capability is noticeably smaller than the Camry’s 524L and the Mannequin 3’s 594L, and the opening is considerably slim. In the event you want extra room, there’s a cubby underneath the ground and a 53L field underneath the bonnet, however don’t count on something greater than a tyre restore equipment.
| Dimensions | BYD Seal |
|---|---|
| Size | 4800mm |
| Width | 1875mm |
| Top | 1460mm |
| Wheelbase | 2920mm |
| Cargo capability | 400L (boot) 53L (under-bonnet storage) |
To see how the BYD Seal stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
What’s underneath the bonnet?
The Seal Dynamic is powered by a single, rear-mounted electrical motor, fed by a 61.44kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) BYD Blade battery. Peak outputs are listed at 150kW of energy and 310Nm of torque.
| Specs | BYD Seal Dynamic |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electrical |
| Battery | 61.44kWh LFP ‘BYD Blade’ |
| Peak energy | 150kW |
| Peak torque | 310Nm |
| Drive sort | Rear-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 1922kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.6 seconds |
| Vitality consumption (claimed) | – |
| Vitality consumption (as examined) | 15.6kWh/100km |
| Claimed vary (WLTP) | 460km |
| Max AC cost charge | 7kW |
| Max DC cost charge | 110kW |
The Chinese language model doesn’t quote its personal vitality consumption determine to again up its claimed WLTP vary of 460km.
Our week with the automotive concerned virtually solely freeway driving, the place EVs are least environment friendly, together with slightly time in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. Effectivity of of lower than 16kWh/100km is fairly good, although we noticed an much more spectacular determine of 12.98kWh/100km in a latest evaluate of a Tesla Mannequin 3.
It’s additionally value noting that whereas the bottom Dynamic can solely cost at a most DC charge of 110kW, each the Premium and Efficiency fashions can deal with as much as 150kW of charging capability.
To see how the BYD Seal stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
How does the BYD Seal drive?
The Seal’s strong, and that’s evident earlier than you even begin shifting.
It may be slightly complicated to drive at first as a result of, regardless of the presence of a devoted begin/cease button, the automotive will activate mechanically once you hop in. Urgent the button will flip it off, so all that’s wanted is to flick the gear selector to ‘Drive’.
When you’re located, you’ll discover the automotive feels fairly small from behind the wheel. It has a short-ish bonnet that slopes down aggressively, giving the impression you’re sitting on high of the entrance wheels and provoking confidence within the automotive’s dimensions.
The steering itself is direct and predictable, providing a properly weighted really feel and good suggestions. Flip the wheel and the Seal obediently follows, supplying you with good manoeuvrability and a decent sufficient turning circle to get out of sticky parking spots.
Nonetheless, the experience isn’t fairly as well-sorted as we’d like. It’s not insufferable, however there’s an unsettled high quality about it – it bobbles over bumps with a scarcity of compliance – and whereas that isn’t a dealbreaker, it may do with a suspension tune extra just like the nice and inoffensive Camry’s.
It’s clear BYD has gone for a stiffer setup with the Seal, contrasting the wallowy vibe of lots of its compatriots. This could usually be positive, however some nuance that makes different firm-riding vehicles bearable is lacking right here.
The upside of this suspension tune is unexpectedly sharp dealing with. The Seal has no problem carrying respectable pace by way of turns, because it doesn’t really feel like there’s a scarcity of mechanical grip or that you just’re going to fall out of your seat by boatloads of physique roll.
As an alternative, it’s fairly satisfying to drive as soon as the pace picks up. The rear-drive configuration makes it dynamically fascinating, just like the Mannequin 3, whereas dialling as much as Sport mode brings a significant energy bump and heavier, extra controllable steering really feel.
‘Controllable’ is a constant theme for the Seal, significantly on the subject of its energy supply. We’d be genuinely stunned if anybody was capable of get into bother with the Dynamic’s modest energy and torque figures, even whether it is rear-driven.
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It isn’t what you’d name quick, however it’s somewhat zippy. The moment electrical torque makes it really feel spritely, and it’ll speed up with out hesitation, even when the following pace ramp-up is sort of mild.
You’ll infrequently discover the automotive breaking traction, although that doesn’t imply it’s unimaginable. Enabling Sport mode and planting your foot round a decent nook produces tyre squeal, however it’d be a stretch to name this automotive taily.
It’s all very predictable and sometimes even satisfying. That continues to the brake pedal, as whereas there’s no one-pedal driving mode (according to different BYD merchandise), you get brake pedal really feel that’s simple to handle – there’s no noticeable soar between regenerative and friction braking, making driving in visitors simpler and extra comfy.
On high of all that, the Seal seems to be packaged fairly effectively, with robust rearward visibility. Head checks are simple consequently, and whereas there’s a set of security gear readily available, you gained’t need to depend on all of it.
The principle offender is the blind-spot monitoring system, which is simply too delicate and may intervene with the automotive’s steering for no good cause. Moreover, the adaptive cruise management and lane-centring capabilities typically wrestle to maintain the automotive centred in its lane, and there’s a delicate audible pace restrict warning all the time on by default.
What’s worse is how the lane-keeping and pace restrict programs make themselves identified. Put merely, they override any sounds produced by the automotive itself (excluding the radio, as an illustration), which suggests they mute the digital indicator once they pipe up.
That is off-putting, significantly when indicating a lane change, as it may be arduous to inform whether or not the automotive is appearing up or there’s real hazard. Additional, the automotive’s indicator stalk is a type of nonsensical ones that doesn’t click on into place, which generally is a studying curve in itself.
The Seal is usually a good drive and likewise gives spectacular noise suppression; it simply wants a little bit of chassis and tech finetuning to iron out some bugs.
To see how the BYD Seal stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
What do you get?
There are three variants within the 2026 BYD Seal lineup for Australia, and the Dynamic is the most cost effective.
2026 BYD Seal Dynamic tools highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Computerized high-beam
- Computerized LED headlights
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Heated and ventilated entrance seats
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- Leatherette upholstery
- 8-way energy driver’s seat
- 6-way energy passenger seat
- 4-way power-adjustable steering wheel
- 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
- Wi-fi Android Auto
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12-speaker 775W Dynaudio sound system
- DAB digital radio
- 1 x USB-C, USB-A outlet (entrance)
- 1 x USB-C, USB-A outlet (rear)
- Twin wi-fi cellphone chargers
- Keyless entry and begin
- Ambient lighting
- Panoramic silver-plated glass roof
- Rear privateness glass
Seal Premium provides:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Lengthy-range battery
- Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
- Leather-based upholstery
- Driver’s seat reminiscence
- 4-way lumbar adjustment
- Head-up show
- Facet mirror auto-tilt and reminiscence
Seal Efficiency AWD provides:
- Twin-motor AWD
- Frequency Selective Damping shock absorbers
- Heated steering wheel
To see how the BYD Seal stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
Is the BYD Seal protected?
The BYD Seal boasts a five-star ANCAP security score, primarily based on testing performed by sister organisation Euro NCAP in 2023.
| Class | BYD Seal |
|---|---|
| Grownup occupant safety | 89 per cent |
| Baby occupant safety | 87 per cent |
| Susceptible highway person safety | 82 per cent |
| Security help | 75 per cent |
Normal security tools contains:
- 9 airbags, incl:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise management
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Emergency lane preserve help
- Entrance, rear cross-traffic help
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Clever pace restrict help
- Lane departure warning
- Lane preserve help
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Site visitors signal recognition
- Rear occupant alert
- Protected exit warning
- Encompass-view digicam
To see how the BYD Seal stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
How a lot does the BYD Seal value to run?
The BYD Seal is backed by a six-year, 150,000km car guarantee and an eight-year, 160,000km high-voltage battery guarantee. Servicing is required each 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.
| Servicing and Guarantee | BYD Seal |
|---|---|
| Car guarantee | 6 years, 150,000km |
| Excessive-voltage battery guarantee | 8 years, 160,000km |
| Roadside help | 12 months |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 11 years |
| Common annual service value | $380.8 |
| Whole capped-price service value | $4189 |
BYD’s service pricing, correct as of December 8, 2025, is detailed under:
| Service | Worth |
|---|---|
| 12 months, 20,000km | $165 |
| 24 months, 40,000km | $545 |
| 36 months, 60,000km | $165 |
| 48 months, 80,000km | $765 |
| 60 months, 100,000km | $165 |
| 72 months, 120,000km | $562 |
| 84 months, 140,000km | $165 |
| 96 months, 160,000km | $765 |
| 108 months, 180,000km | $165 |
| 120 months, 200,000km | $562 |
| 132 months, 220,000km | $165 |
For the sake of comparability, we’ll concentrate on the primary 5 years of Seal upkeep. The primary 5 companies whole $1805, or a mean of $361 per 12 months.
The Camry is roofed by 5 years of capped-price servicing, with every service capped at $255. That works out to a complete of $1275, which is lower than the totally electrical Seal that has fewer shifting components.
No comparability could be drawn with the Mannequin 3, as Tesla doesn’t do conventional servicing schemes for its vehicles.
To see how the BYD Seal stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
CarExpert’s Tackle the BYD Seal Dynamic
We walked away from our week-long mortgage of the Seal Dynamic pleasantly stunned.
Whereas the Mannequin 3 continues to be the clear benchmark, the Seal is a really compelling various. This base Dynamic is less expensive than the bottom Mannequin 3 RWD, and also you don’t actually miss out on any of the gear that’s customary within the Tesla – fairly the other.
Certain, BYD’s older-gen tech will not be as slick as Tesla’s, however even with its lack of buttons, the Seal feels vaguely extra conventional than the Mannequin 3. The display screen in entrance of the steering wheel with pace readouts shouldn’t should be praised, but in some way the development of minimalism has us doing precisely that.
This electrical sedan gives an satisfying experience, which isn’t ruined by the agency suspension setup and typically obnoxious security gear. Once more, some polish would go a good distance, however the Seal continues to be effectively forward of lots of the Chinese language vehicles which have launched extra just lately to far more vital reception.
If an reasonably priced electrical sedan is what you’re after, the bottom Seal Dynamic needs to be excessive in your buying checklist.
Word: Apologies for the BYD stickers in our imagery; our tester was sourced from a seller and never BYD’s press fleet.
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