Review: The BYD Seal Excellence AWD is a fun car to drive

The Chinese firm has been building cars since 2003 , but it only started taking automobile manufacturing seriously when it slipped its eccentric Atto 3 into the electric SUV market in 2022 .

The zany car that became my rolling office for two weeks was the Seal Excellence AWD , and as the Excellence ’ moniker suggests, this was the range-topping dual-motor guise.

The exterior is like one of those “ The More I Watch , The Funnier It Gets” videos.

The BYD Seal costs 45,695 ( ~$58,000 ) for the entry-level RWD and 48,695 for this AWD model.

It's nimble despite it being slightly larger than a Model 3, it’s a good motorway cruiser, and it comes packed with lots of standard equipment.

Despite its impressive balance, the rear-wheel drive would be the sensible option unless you enjoy living at charging stations.

BYD claims the Seal ’s maximum charging rate is 150 kW and when plugged into many 350 -kW systems, I saw a maximum of 132 kW.

While the Model 3 is cheaper, goes further, offers just as much performance when equipped with dual motors, and is more refined, the Seal has a prettier interior, windshield wiper and indicator stalks.