The BYD Seal 7: Humbling BMW drivers since 2025

Mail & Guardian

16 hours ago

The BYD Seal 7.
You're in the wrong country if you've never pulled up to a robot and heard a BMW driver rev his car before boosting to the next robot.
It's usually a case of 'if you've got it, flaunt it' for those drivers, and some people want to be like them, while others of us laugh at them.
One thing that you cannot take away from BMW drivers is that their vehicles can actually back up all the noise they make with the power they produce.
However, since new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) entered the market, the power figures that we used to only see on performance cars have become child's play for NEVs. We constantly look at above 200kW of power and over 350Nm of torque.
But one critique in the motoring world has been that, while everyone enjoys the power, they miss the noise. The term 'speed and sound' becomes redundant with EVs.
With the BYD Seal 7, which is a fully electric sedan, the power figures are astounding. It comes in two variants: the premium and the performance, with the former producing 230kW of power and 360Nm of torque and the latter producing 390kW of power and 670Nm of torque.
BYD claims that the performance model does 0-100 in just 3.8 seconds while the premium model takes just under 6 seconds to hit 100km/h.
I had the premium model on test, so I didn't get the adrenaline rush I would have got from the performance, but the figures on it mean it is still extremely rapid.
It's great to test the instant torque on the vehicles but you have to be a responsible driver and citizen. It's not as if you can go around racing everyone and making a noise — like those BMW drivers.
But it also means that you can put them in their place should the need arise. Luckily for me, it actually did.
I was going down Atlas Road in Boksburg on my way home after a long two-hour game of padel. I pulled up to the robot just before the highway and some smart BMW driver pulled up next to me revving his engine with his window down.
He obviously couldn't hear my vehicle but the Seal 7 gives off real sports-car vibes, which is probably why he wanted to prove a point.
I looked across at him and he made the same gesture that I've seen Vin Diesel make in the
Fast & Furious
movies. He basically challenged me to a race to the next robot.
At first, I ignored the gesture and just looked forward but then he revved again. I was not going to just sit back now, so I gave him the signal that it was on.
As we left that robot, he made a solid start because of his turbocharged engine, but when the BYD Seal 7 got moving, he just couldn't keep up.
Bear in mind, because I was passing it, I didn't see what model he was driving.
As we stopped at the next robot, he rolled his window down again, and he asked me about the car. It had obviously impressed him.
What impressed me more was just how fast the arrogance disappeared off his face.
The Seal 7 is an impressive vehicle. When I drove the BYD Sealion 7, I felt that, at higher speeds, the car seemed slightly nervous, but the Seal 7 got more and more comfortable as the speed increased.
It feels extremely solid as the Seal 7 has a double-wishbone plus a five-link suspension. It uses the double wishbone set-up for individual wheel control, while incorporating five control arms for greater suspension geometry flexibility.
The range of the car is also impressive. It uses the 82.5kWh BYD Blade battery and the premium variant has 570km of range while the performance variant has 520km of range.
Comfort
The Seal 7 comes with a beautiful interior that has heated and ventilated leather seats, a pleasing suede panel on the dashboard and a full leather steering wheel.
The cabin is completed by the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch infotainment system that comes equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
A nice touch is that there are a few buttons around the gear. These include the aircon and demister buttons. You still have to control temperatures on the infotainment system, but in a world where buttons in vehicles have become so rare, we appreciate the few that we see in a vehicle.
There is ample room for backseat passengers to sit comfortably. The boot has 400 litres of space and the frunk, which refers to the storage space in the front of the vehicle, has an additional 53 litres.
Safety
The BYD Seal 7 has earned a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. It scored 89% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 82% for vulnerable road user protection and 76% for safety assist technology.
It also comes equipped with a large amount of safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane-support systems and advanced driver assistance systems.
Pricing and verdict
The BYD Seal premium variant is priced at R999 900 and the performance variant is priced at R1 199 900.
It must be noted that this has been touted as the brand's flagship sedan.
It's silent, but it is comfortable and, performance wise, it is deadly.
So for a million rand, is it worth it?
I'm actually surprised that it doesn't cost more. If this vehicle had a German badge on it, it would definitely surpass the R2 million mark.
However, it is difficult to see the average South African affording a car worth a million rand. It is no wonder the NEV market is growing at such a slow pace in the country.