Chinese giant adds a plug-in hybrid SUV to its growing British showroom range
In the UK, there’s a belief that Chinese electric cars are often technically brilliant, while its ICE efforts never are. So where does the new BYD Seal U plug-in hybrid fit into place?This SUV is an important curiosity, because the world’s largest manufacturer of electric cars, which so far has only introduced EVs to the UK, has seen fit to bring a PHEV here.This isn’t new ground for BYD. Back in 2008, it was the first manufacturer to mass-produce a PHEV. Called the F3DM, it was a bit of a commercial flop. But the game has moved on a great deal since then, and now PHEVs are in the mainstream.The Seal U is very much aimed at family SUV owners who aren’t quite ready to make the full switch to electricity yet. Rivals include PHEV versions of the Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4.
