SILENT CHARGE

BYD's plans of global domination rely on the Seal. Does it have enough to wake up the sedan segment?

- Anubhav Sharma

If you read, or follow, anything automotive, you may know BYD is the biggest electric car manufacturer in the world today. Your dreams may still be work in progress, but BYD'S dreams are fast becoming a reality. Overtaking Tesla in EV sales is a big deal, established car makers are still struggling and a 29-year-old company, which started life making batteries for smart phones, has done it. Like many other markets in the world, BYD is a new entrant in India too. However, unlike the wider range of products in other markets, their repertoire in India is kind of limited.

Unless you are an environmentally conscious cab user, you may not know of the BYD E6 which was their first model in India. The Atto 3 was the second, but safe to say it isn't threatening anyone yet. Seal is their third and latest for India, and I must say it is a bold bet. An electric sedan in a market which loves SUVs and EV adoption is still nascent. Either the good folks at BYD love a challenge or this could be an important lesson for them in product planning.

Let me start by saying the Seal looks quite good in the flesh. It could be my SUV fatigue, living in Delhi-NCR, but the Seal does turn heads on the road. The more I look at it, the more I start seeing a strong resemblance to a certain German electric sedan but you can decide for yourself. The LED DRLs, seem like they have been light painted, are inspired by ripples in water, and look quite cool. There are lines and cuts all around but the surprise is the sporty rear diffuser. The sloping roofline, 19inch wheels and tight wheel arches all add to the sporty stance of the Seal.

Function has followed form in terms of overall design and the results are pleasing to the eye. The Seal has a drag co-efficient of .219, which is impressive. The Mercedes-Benz EQS is at .20, for reference, if you care about these things.