BYD Seal U Lease Deals
Compare live BYD Seal U lease deals below from an independent, whole of market broker. Despite the name, the Seal U is a DM-i plug-in hybrid family SUV rather than an electric car, offering up to around 78 miles of electric range with a petrol engine for longer trips. If you want the fully electric SUV, that is the BYD Sealion 7, and the electric saloon is the BYD Seal.
The Seal U Is a Plug-in Hybrid, Not an Electric Car
Worth stating plainly at the top, because the name causes genuine confusion. The BYD Seal is a fully electric saloon. The BYD Seal U is a plug-in hybrid SUV. They share a name and almost nothing else.
The Seal U uses BYD's DM-i system, which stands for Dual Mode intelligent. It pairs a 1.5 litre petrol engine with electric motors and a Blade battery large enough to do most daily driving on electricity alone, with the engine there for longer journeys.
If you were looking for a fully electric BYD SUV, the Sealion 7 is the car you want. If a plug-in hybrid suits you better because you cannot always charge, then the Seal U is one of the strongest in its class on electric range.
Why Lease the BYD Seal U?
The electric range is the reason to look at it. Depending on which battery you take, the Seal U offers around 50 or around 78 miles on electricity alone. The larger figure is exceptional for a plug-in hybrid, where 30 to 40 miles has long been typical.
That changes what the car is. At 78 miles, most people's commuting and school runs happen entirely on electricity, and the petrol engine becomes something you use for holidays and long motorway trips rather than a daily participant. BYD quotes a combined total approaching 700 miles, which removes the range planning an electric car requires.
It is also a properly sized family SUV, with a 425 litre boot and the same generous standard specification BYD applies across its range, including the rotating central touchscreen.
BYD Seal U Trim Levels
Boost
The entry version, with the smaller battery giving around 50 miles of electric range. Still well ahead of the plug-in hybrid norm, and enough for a lot of commutes.
Comfort
Takes the larger battery, lifting electric range to around 78 miles and pushing the combined figure towards 700 miles. This is the version that makes the strongest case for the car.
Design
The highest grade, adding further equipment and trim over the versions below.
Comfort or above, for the larger battery. The whole argument for this car is that its electric range is long enough to make the petrol engine occasional, and the extra 28 miles is what gets you there. On the smaller battery you are buying a good plug-in hybrid rather than an exceptional one.
Leasing the BYD Seal U
A plug-in hybrid suits people who are not yet in a position to go fully electric, and leasing suits that same uncertainty. A fixed term agreement lets you use the car as a stepping stone and reassess at the end, by which point your charging situation may have changed.
The honest drawback is the one that applies to every plug-in hybrid: it only works if you actually plug it in. A Seal U that is never charged is a heavy petrol SUV carrying a battery it does not use, and its fuel economy will disappoint accordingly. If you have no way to charge at home or work, this is the wrong car and a petrol or full hybrid would serve you better.
For company car drivers the low CO2 and long electric range put it in a far lower benefit in kind band than a petrol SUV, though still above a fully electric car. Company car tax rates are set each tax year and do change, so confirm the current bands with your accountant before ordering on business contract hire.
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BYD Seal U Leasing FAQs
It is a plug-in hybrid, not a fully electric car, and the name causes a lot of confusion. The BYD Seal is a fully electric saloon; the BYD Seal U is a plug-in hybrid SUV using BYD's DM-i system, which pairs a 1.5 litre petrol engine with electric motors and a battery. If you want a fully electric BYD SUV, the Sealion 7 is the one to look at instead.
Around 50 miles on the smaller battery and around 78 miles on the larger one, depending on which version you choose. The 78 mile figure is exceptional for a plug-in hybrid, where 30 to 40 miles has been the norm for years. Combined with the petrol engine, BYD quotes a total range approaching 700 miles on the larger battery version.
DM-i stands for Dual Mode intelligent, BYD's plug-in hybrid system. It combines a 1.5 litre petrol engine with electric motors and a lithium iron phosphate Blade battery. The system is designed to run on electricity as the default and use the engine when the battery is depleted or when you need sustained high speed, rather than constantly blending the two.
Comfort or above, for the larger battery. The entire case for this car rests on its electric range being long enough that the petrol engine becomes occasional rather than routine, and the jump from around 50 to around 78 miles is what achieves that for most drivers. On the smaller battery it is still a good plug-in hybrid, just not a standout one.
Probably not. A plug-in hybrid only delivers its advantages if it is regularly plugged in. Without charging you are driving a heavy SUV carrying a battery it never uses, and the fuel economy will be worse than a conventional petrol or full hybrid of the same size. If home or workplace charging is not available to you, a full hybrid is the more sensible choice.
Well against petrol and diesel, less well against a fully electric car. Company car tax is based on CO2 and electric range, and the Seal U scores strongly on both for a plug-in hybrid, which puts it in a much lower band than an equivalent petrol SUV. A battery electric car such as the Sealion 7 would sit lower still. Rates are set each tax year and do change, so ask your accountant to confirm the current bands.
425 litres, which is competitive for a family SUV and notable given that the battery has to be packaged somewhere. Plug-in hybrids frequently sacrifice luggage space to fit their battery, so a boot of this size on a car with up to 78 miles of electric range is a reasonable outcome rather than a compromise you have to accept quietly.
LetsLease is a broker, not the lender. Your agreement is placed with one of the major UK leasing funders, including Lex Autolease, Novuna, Ayvens and Santander, and that funder owns the vehicle and holds the credit agreement. We source the deal across the market and manage the order through to delivery, with the same consultant looking after it throughout. Funders price the same car differently, which is what allows a broker to improve on a single lender's offer.