The BYD Seal is an EV saloon from China’s biggest maker of new energy vehicles. And it’s rather good! Now, it’s joined by another Seal – except this one isn’t a saloon; it’s an SUV. What’s more, it’s not even an EV – it’s a plug-in hybrid! Should it feature on your next family car buying shortlist? Well, let’s find out.

Powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, mated to an electric motor, gear-less single ratio transmission, and a BYD Blade battery, the Seal U DM-i SUV PHEV offers an electric-only driving range of up to 77 miles, depending on the model. Keep it plugged in at home, and if your daily commute is less than 50 miles, you may never have to fill up on fuel.

The Seal U DM-i slots into the D-segment SUV category, meaning it’s a decent size, comfortably seating five, and packed to the gills with technology and eco-credentials. It comes in two flavours: Boost (front-wheel drive) and Design (all-wheel drive). A third variant, Comfort, will soon join the lineup, featuring a bigger battery and higher EV range.

The pricing is surprisingly competitive for a car of this size and spec. The Boost model starts at £33,205, offering 217bhp from its 1.5-litre engine and electric motor combo, with an EV range of 49 miles. The Comfort will be priced at £35,205 when it arrives. If you want more grunt, the Design model is £39,905, delivering AWD, 320bhp, and a 43-mile electric range.

Now, is the £7,000 extra for the Design over the Boost worth it? We’ll get to that in a bit.

BYD is pushing its ‘Ocean Aesthetics’ design language with the Seal U DM-i, and you can see the fluid, wave-like inspiration in the lines, especially at the front. There’s a family resemblance to the Seal saloon with that X-shaped grille, which BYD says is inspired by “the ocean and the unknown.” While the front makes a statement, the side profile feels more like a generic modern SUV.

At the rear, things are sleek with a full-width LED light bar, mimicking droplets of water. Standard SUV features like 19-inch alloys, roof rails, and privacy glass are all there, completing the premium look.

Step inside, and it’s clear that BYD has gone all-out to appeal to tech lovers. The 15.6-inch rotatable touchscreen dominates the dashboard, a signature feature of BYD vehicles. Wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto are all standard, so staying connected is a given.

Material quality is what you’d expect for this price: convincing vegan leather seats, heated and ventilated up front, plenty of soft-touch surfaces, and some piano black accents (be warned, they love fingerprints). You’ve also got a head-up display and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, adding to the high-tech feel.

Rear passengers won’t feel left out either. There’s plenty of legroom, even with the battery in the floor, and the rear seats split 60:40, folding flat to offer a huge 1,440 litres of boot space – perfect for those trips to IKEA.

In Boost mode, you get a front-wheel-drive setup with 217bhp – more than enough for a family SUV. It’ll do 0-60mph in 8.9 seconds, which isn’t lightning-fast but is smooth and quiet, more like an EV than a hybrid.

Move up to the Design model, and things get quicker. AWD and 320bhp bring the 0-60 time down to just 5.9 seconds – that’s hot hatch territory for an SUV! The electric range is slightly lower at 43 miles, but you get more power and better grip in tricky conditions. That said, the performance boost mainly comes into play when sprinting off the line or overtaking; in everyday driving, the difference isn’t huge.

The ride quality is decent, though the Design’s AWD setup feels slightly firmer. The rigidity typical of cars with heavy batteries in the floor is present, but handling is impressive for a vehicle of this size. You can throw it into corners without feeling like you’re piloting a whale – it’s composed and confidence-inspiring.

A big draw here is the Super DM Technology, which prioritises electric power for most driving scenarios. On the road, the switch to petrol when needed is seamless and barely noticeable. CO2 emissions are impressively low, too – the Boost emits just 20.5g/km, while the Design puts out 26g/km. If you’re a company car driver, the Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) tax savings are an attractive perk.

For longer trips, you’ll appreciate the combined 44mpg from the Boost model, and the Design’s 38mpg is respectable, considering the extra power and AWD. And again, BIK savings make this SUV particularly tempting for fleet drivers.

The big question: Boost or Design? It all depends on what you need. For most drivers, the Boost will more than suffice. It’s got enough range, power, and tech to keep you happy, and at £33k, it’s tough to beat for value. BYD is offering more car for the money than many rivals.

But if you need that extra AWD grip, or you’re just power-hungry, then the Design makes sense. Otherwise, I’d recommend waiting for the mid-level Comfort, which will give you a bigger battery and more EV-only range for just a small step up in price.