It’s no secret that the amount of Chinese cars hitting our shores is growing rapidly, and if you go out onto the road here in Melbourne, you will see many cars from BYD, MG, Zeekr, Haval and GWM. Unfortantely, a lot of enthusiasts shun them for being mundane and boring NPC cars driven by people who couldn’t care less about performance. However, there is one new BYD that I believe can convert some enthusiasts – the Seal 6 Touring. Wagons are considered “cool” in the car community so there’s absolutely no reason to put this one down.
If you like the Mazda 6 or a Skoda Octavia, then this car cannot be overlooked. With a plug-in hybrid system producing a combined 163 KW from a 1.5 litre 4 cylinder engine and electric motor, you’re getting a very efficient package that just makes sense. The running costs of this car would be a lot lower than a pure ICE car, which in these trying times is a very hard notion to resist. Reducing the reliance on fossil fuels can only be a good thing for the hip-pocket when their volatility is at an all-time high.
This car starts at $39,990 which is a fantastic price because it’s loaded with features usually reserved for higher-end models. It comes with heated and ventilated front seats, 6 way adjustability for the driver and 4 for the passenger respectively. Like most cars these days, it has a suite of safety features like Adaptive Cruise Control, Auto Emergency Braking and Lane Depature Assist. Yes, I am reading from the brochure but I have to emphasise the value proposition because it really is incredible.
I promise I don’t have a gun to my head as I’m writing this – I honestly like this car and would seriosuly consider buying one as my daily driver if I wasn’t confined to a wheelchair. In fact I would recommend it to other people who aren’t too keen on SUVs because it makes too much sense. The styling of this car is clean and there’s some genuine personality at play here, especially around the rear. The “hips” are very distinctive and the lines are smooth, evoking a spirit that moves with the waves of the sea. It really does remind me of the Mazda 6.
The car isn’t trying to go for something controversial with gharish lines and horrible, squinty running lights accompanied by big headlights that create a disjointed and often confused front end. Similar issues are prevalent on the rear ends, where there’s just too much going on. The Seal 6 Touring is attractive in it’s confidence, choosing to go it’s own way instead of trying to copy the other players. Speaking of other players, BYD is confident that the Seal 6 Touring will become the most popular wagon by some margin over the Skoda Octavia. Do I believe it? Yes. This is the most tantilising prospect to ever come out of the BYD stable, and exactly the sort of car that can win over proper enthusiasts. It might even convince non-enthusiasts to ditch the SUV bandwagon, which I’m all for. It’s about time the wagon became cool again.
DevMacCars 