Seal the Deal

The BYD Seal, BYD's third model in India, is aimed squarely at the driving enthusiasts-it is an honest-to-goodness rear-wheel-drive sport sedan

- Sayantan De

NOT TOO LONG AGO, "MADE in China" was considered a derogatory description, denoting a lower quality of the product being described. That, however, is no longer the case; for Chinese manufacturers have made significant strides in that regard during the last two decades. And this quality is immediately apparent the moment you step inside the BYD Seal. If someone had told me 20 years ago that two decades later I would be driving a Chinese-made electric sports sedan in India, I would have asked them to check if they had lost their marbles.

This quality becomes apparent even before you step inside the car. As you walk up to it, the narrow shut-lines and the quality of the paint attracts your attention. The Seal is a handsome vehicle with styling that wouldn't be called adventurous-it works in the Seal's favour. The long bonnet, short deck, and sloping roof-line create a classic profile-it is a proper four-door coupé. There are certain details that stand out, too, such as the ripple design on the front bumper, underlying the oceanic theme of the BYD Seal. I particularly liked the dot matrix design of the tail-lamps as well.

Unlock the car and the flush-fitting door-handles pop out, marked with the BYD logo. That attention to detail is carried over inside as well and the the car has excellent ergonomics. It is easy to find a comfortable driving position and, despite adjusting the driver's seat for my nearly six-foot frame, I still had a lot of space when I sat on the right side of the rear seat. The quality of material is top-notch, rivalling and even bettering the interior of some of the European cars in the same price bracket.