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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sean O'Grady

BYD Seal U DM-i: Great value, few surprises

BYD claim that this is currently the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid - (Sean O'Grady)

Not to be confused with the BYD Seal sedan, I imagine the “U” in the name of the BYD Seal U DM-i stands for “Utility”, seeing as it is, fairly obviously and inevitably, yet another SUV to enter a ridiculously overcrowded sector of the car market. However, I think the “U” ought to stand for “ubiquitous”, given the number I’ve noticed out “in the wild”. They don’t stand out exactly, but once introduced, you can easily spot them, and the assertive styling at the front is at least a little more distinctive than most.

This tells me a few things about the car. First, that my casual anecdotal experience is consistent with the company’s propaganda, which declares that “SEAL U DM-i SUV continues to lead BYD’s sales charts and is the UK’s best-selling PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) year-to-date”, and that Britain is their second-biggest market after China itself (though I suspect that may also have something to do with Donald Trump’s tariffs closing off the American market.)

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