mReview: BYD Seal Dynamic 100kW – Singapore Special

BYD expands its portfolio in Singapore with the 100kW Seal, a Singapore-exclusive version of its best-selling electric sedan.

BYD has been going gangbusters ever since the Atto 3 landed a couple of years ago, with strong sales lifting BYD to consistently be one of the top brands in Singapore. 

They’re not ones to rest on their laurels, though, and in their bid to further increase their market share, they have launched a new Category A version of the Seal, tailored specifically to meet the unique demands of our automotive landscape. 

Seats look and feel the same as the ones in the Cat B Seals, only these are vegan leather.

The new Cat A Seal (called the Seal Dynamic) is largely the same as its bigger siblings (read our previous review here for more Seal stories), with the main difference being, of course, the power output. The Dynamic produces 100kW and 310Nm, a fair shout down from the 230kW and 360Nm of its closest sibling, the Seal Premium.

The reduced power means the Seal Dynamic also takes a sizeable performance hit, with its 0-100km/h lengthened to 10 seconds, almost twice as long as the Premium’s 5.9 second century sprint. The battery in the Cat A Seal is also smaller than the ones in the Cat B Seals, with 61.4kWh of capacity compared to 82.6kWh in the Cat Bs. 

The reason this new Seal variant is still such a great proposition is down to the fact that it still retains the bulk of the features that come on the Cat B Seals, of which there are a great many. In fact, the only features that the Cat A Seal doesn’t get that both Cat B Seals do are the heads-up display, auto-tilting door mirrors with position memory, an easy entry/exit memory driver’s seat, and genuine leather. 

The centre console has a slot through which you and your passenger can hold hands.

Everything else that you can get on the more expensive Seals, you can also get on the newest baby Seal. That’s absolutely remarkable because that means you still get nearly the full array of BYD’s feature catalogue at a much friendlier asking price. 

That means a 360˙ camera, adaptive cruise control, two wireless chargers, ventilated and heated electric front seats, a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the 15.6” rotating centre infotainment display are all yours. 

The benefit of being a more entry-level model is of course, the price. The Seal Dynamic is over 20 thousand dollars less than the cheapest Cat B Seal and frankly, it just isn’t $20,000 less car, which in my mind makes the Cat A Seal spectacular value. 

Electric tailgate comes as standard.

It drives every bit as good as the other Seals too, with a positive front end and low centre of gravity. It also soaks up road imperfections quietly and easily to give you and your family a smooth a ride as any. 

Granted, it is a little short on power but for 20 grand more in my pocket, I’d be quite happy to take a little longer to get to where I’m going. The smaller battery also means slightly less range, with an estimated 460km of range compared to 570km for the Seal Premium. Perhaps a 100kW Seal with a long-range battery would be a sweet spot. 

The BYD Seal's crystal-look shift lever.

It appears BYD can do no wrong at the moment, with hit after hit after hit. While it remains to be seen how long this BYD bull run can go on for, one thing is clear. BYD seems to have a real knack for is bringing in vehicles that really answer to what the consumer wants, and in Singapore, what the consumer wants above all else, is a good deal. 

Read More: mReview: 2023 BYD Seal Performance – Sealing The Deal

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