Shoppers here looking for a sensible hybrid sedan have long had to choose between the Toyota Prius or the Avante Hybrid.
But now there’s a new contender for the segment. It comes with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, and it comes from a brand that has seen its popularity rise in spectacular fashion here.
Could this Byd Seal 6 DM-i be the next car to take top honours for the segment?
Sleek and elegant
If a sleek nondescript sedan is what you’re looking for, the sheet metal of this Seal 6 DM-i should appeal.
And it’s quite the pretty thing as well. The exterior of this Seal DM-i features plenty of elegant curving lines that subtly suggest forward motion.
Look closer and you’ll even spot plenty of features that set it apart from the now ubiquitous all-electric Byd Seal 6.
These include the use of a different front bumper on the Seal 6 DM-i, a more curvaceous light signature for the taillights, and a different rear diffuser.
Practical and sensible
Step within the Seal 6 DM-i and you’ll find plenty that’s familiar if you’ve been in other cars from the brand.
Byd’s old steering wheel from the Atto 3 makes an appearance in this cabin, although a steering wheel-mounted gear selector does feature here — a touch that’s always welcome when you’ve got to do a three-point turn in a hurry.
The practical touches in this Seal 6 DM-i don’t end there. The 8.8-inch driver’s display is somewhat cluttered and isn’t particularly attractive to look at, but it thankfully does place information about your remaining range and battery state-of-charge in one corner, so these are always easy to check.
Navigating through the 12.8-inch infotainment system also proved easy, but you will note that you’ll need to dig deep into this system to adjust the car’s regenerative braking level.
I found that it also exhibits quite a bit of lag when you’ve got it paired to your phone via Android Auto and start navigating through your apps.
The seats in this Byd Seal 6 DM-i are generously padded, which should make long drives easy.
Refined and efficient
Speaking of which, this Seal 6 DM-i also come with quite a competent drivetrain.
Making use of a 19kWh battery and a 1.5-litre engine, it will run on electric power alone unless pushed hard or when you’re left with about 20per cent battery capacity (you can change this percentage in the infotainment screen to stow away charge for future use).
But it’s not as if driving the Seal 6 DM-i becomes tiresome when this drivetrain calls upon its combustion engine.
The 1.5-litre unit is rather refined: Its vibrations are well isolated from the cabin. And it’s a sufficiently muted unit as well — engine drone only becomes an issue if you’re really pushing the car hard on the highway.
The steering in the Seal 6 DM-i could be more accurate and offer more feedback, but it’s sufficiently weighted for a car designed to serve commuter duties.
And if you’re looking for something that will deliver a comfortable ride, this car is quite hard to fault. The Seal 6 DM-i is soft and pliant while still being sufficiently damped so any unwanted vertical body movements are neatly arrested.
We saw this car returning an energy economy of close to 8.2km/kWh (with occasional assistance from the petrol engine) when its battery was charged up.
But drive with the battery charge locked away and you’ll see your fuel economy reach close to 19.6km/L — commendable figures considering this Seal’s performance and size.
And an attractive deal as well
If all these put the Byd Seal 6 DM-i in good stead as your next hybrid commuter, then there’s just one more thing you’ll want to note: Price.
And this Seal 6 DM-i is one competitively priced option. At $202,388, this ‘Premium’ variant of the Seal 6 DM-i is all set to go up against the Hyundai Avante Hybrid (yours from $198,999) or the $202,888 Toyota Prius (prices as of July 28, inclusive of COE).
But of course, pick this Byd Seal 6 and you’ll also get the advantage of being able to make use of a charge point to keep your fuel costs down.
Expect to see more of this Byd on our roads.
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This article was first published in sgCarMart.
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