First Drive: BYD Seal Performance AWD – BYD Malaysia’s Hottest EV Tested!

Since making its Malaysian debut back in Feb 2024, the BYD Seal has garnered rave reviews from critics and consumers alike, with many praising BYD’s midsize EV saloon for providing a decent balance between practicality and sportiness.

This is more evident for the BYD Seal Performance variant, where the range-topper is equipped with a peppier dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrain setup that promises a more exhilarating drive. While the Seal Performance has a lot to offer in the straight-line performance department, said criteria alone are not sufficient to make it an ideal EV saloon that not only offers great performance but also does great on daily usability and practicality.

To test this out, BYD Malaysia (Sime Motors) recently organised a quick media drive with the BYD Seal Performance, where not only did we get to the EV in normal road conditions and usage, but also in a special Gymkhana challenge to truly test out its true capabilities.

Without further ado, here's our quick impression of BYD's performance EV saloon…

The Car

A little background on the beast we had tamed earlier this week, the BYD Seal Performance is the top-flight variant for this EV saloon, where it gets the peppiest dual-motor AWD setup rated at up to 530 HP and 670 NM. Further promising decent driving dynamics are the near 50:50 weight distribution between the front and the rear for the Seal Performance AWD, as well as the Intelligent Torque Adaption Control (iTAC) torque-vectoring system it comes with.

Also contributing to this is the e-Platform 3.0 chassis that the Seal underpins, where BYD claims its cell-to-body (CTB) battery structure provides higher torsional rigidity and a lower floor compared to other EVs. Before we forget, the Seal Performance’s suspension setup is also performance-biased, as it comes with a double wishbone setup for the front axle, while the rear gets a multi-link setup.

On the battery front, the top-flight Seal Performance is juiced by a sizable 82.56-kWh battery pack, which is the same unit used on the long-ranged Premium variant. Given its peppier dual-motor setup, the Seal Performance gets a slightly lower yet still respectable NEDC range of up to 580 KM, or 520 KM on the more realistic WLTP standards.

Despite its sporty looks, the BYD Seal Performance AWD gets a pretty spacious interior primed with tons of tech & comfort amenities.

Despite its performance-driven mechanical bits, the Seal Performance still promises to deliver decent daily usability and practicality, thanks to its spacious and well-equipped cabin. Primed in the range-topper are a slew of amenities such as the 15.6-inch rotatable infotainment display that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with a head-up display (HUD), powered front seats with heated and ventilated functions, a multi-zone A/C system with dedicated rear vents and control panel, multiple USB ports, and a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, to name a few.

The Drive

Our one-day trip began with a scenic drive through an urban setting, as we embarked from our starting point in Bamboo Hills to Putrajaya. Here, we were tasked with taking a more scenic route via the hilly SUKE expressway before making our way to the nation’s administrative capital.

The first stretch of this drive gave us the opportunity to truly test out the Seal Performance’s daily usability, as most of the stretch took place on a highway, plus some few hill-climbing parts. In this situation, the Seal Performance feels pretty refined and very planted, especially when you’re driving it within the highway speed limits.

Once you go beyond that, this is where the Seal Performance’s wild spirit comes alive, where its performance-tuned suspensions and chassis deliver a sure-footed drive, albeit at the expense of passengers’ comfort and refinement. Also not helping are the SUKE highway’s uneven surfaces, which further multiplies the harsh ride at higher speeds.

On straight, even roads, however, the Seal Performance managed to deliver a pretty refined and smooth ride, thus showing that this sporty EV still can make for a good peoplemover, provided that you don’t gun it like a sportscar.

In the right pair of hands, the BYD Seal Performance AWD can transform itself into a mean drift missile!

Besides letting us test the Seal Performance’s capabilities on highways and twisty roads, BYD Malaysia also showcased the true capabilities of this sporty EV saloon in closed courses. At the hands of the renowned Formula Drift driver Ee Yoong Cherng, the Seal Performance was transformed into a mean drift missile, capable of ripping tyres and going sideways like any drift cars out there.

The V2L functionality also makes the BYD Seal Performance an ideal companion for your outdoor retreats and camping activities.

The automaker also took this opportunity to highlight the Seal’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities by transforming the EV saloon into a mobile coffee shop. Thanks to the V2L device, the Seal literally became a giant power bank on wheels that can power up any small electrical appliances, making them an ideal companion for your outdoor and off-grid adventures.

Now to the final part of the drive, all of us were invited to a special Gymkhana challenge, where we got to test the Seal Performance’s true capabilities as an agile sportscar in a series of obstacles like slaloms, fast corners, emergency brake tests, and more. This is where the BYD Seal Performance truly shines, as despite its sheer two-tonne weight and relatively large size, this EV saloon managed to go through all the obstacles just like you expect from any sportscars.

Throughout all the sharp corners and slaloms, the Seal Performance feels planted and nimble, and you barely even notice its heft, no thanks to the rapid acceleration provided by its dual-motor setup. What’s also impressive are the brakes, as they felt quite bitey and firm, providing you with the much-needed stopping power in this 530 HP-rated beast.

Conclusion

Throughout our limited yet comprehensive drive sessions involving multiple driving scenarios, we find the BYD Seal Performance AWD to be a pretty capable all-rounder EV saloon with an extra edge on the performance side.

Sure, the ride is not as comfortable or refined as other, more ‘subdued’ EV saloons out there, but provided that you don’t gun it like a sportscar (not that the car couldn’t handle it), the Seal Performance could still be a decent and capable daily companion, with enough space and amenities to keep all five occupants comfortable.

But once you let your hair loose, the Seal Performance rewards your aggressiveness with a sure-footed and agile driving experience, allowing you to have tons of fun behind the wheel, just like you expect in any purpose-built sportscars out there.

What makes the Seal Performance more enticing is its very reasonable price tag, as each example currently retails at only RM199,800, thus making it much more affordable than many sportscars out there. Included with said price is a comprehensive warranty package offered by Sime Motors, including a 6-year or 150,000 KM vehicle warranty, an 8-year or 150,000 KM drive unit warranty, and an 8-year or 160,000 KM warranty for the high-voltage ‘Blade’ battery—all catered to provide a peace-of-mind ownership experience.

SPECIFICATION

BYD SEAL PERFORMANCE AWD