BYD Seal Performance

The Seal is BYD's sports saloon, and the Performance is its fastest version. In the UK it is sold as the Seal Excellence AWD. It is the most direct Chinese rival to the Tesla Model 3 Performance: a low, four-door electric saloon with serious pace at a price within reach of everyday buyers.

The hardware

Two motors drive all four wheels, 160 kW at the front and 230 kW at the rear, for a combined 390 kW (530 PS) and 670 Nm. BYD quotes 0–62 mph in 3.8 seconds, with top speed electronically limited to 180 km/h (112 mph). An 82.5 kWh BYD Blade battery gives a WLTP range of 323 miles. These are manufacturer figures, not VOLT-AGE test results.

A battery that is part of the car

The Seal was the first BYD with cell-to-body construction. The Blade battery is built into the body itself, forming what BYD calls a sandwich structure, with a torsional rigidity of 40,500 Nm per degree. A stiff body is the base for good handling, and here the battery provides it.

Everyday performance

Under the sharp shape sits a practical five-seat saloon, with a 400-litre boot and a small storage space under the bonnet. In the UK the Excellence AWD sits above the rear-wheel-drive Seal Design, and in 2025 it was listed at £48,695.

Why it matters

Not every performance EV has to be a hypercar. The Seal Performance brings supercar-style acceleration to a family saloon from the brand that builds the Yangwang U9 and the Denza Z9 GT, and it belongs in this directory as the car most people could actually buy.