BYD Seal v/s BMW 330Li; Observations after back-to-back test drives

I did zig-zag overtakes and it was much easier in the Seal than in the 330Li.

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I test-drove BYD SEAL (Premium) and 330Li back to back and thought of adding some more colours to the review for those in a dilemma between the two.

Interior

330LI interiors are much more bright and plush with tan leather, SEAL welcomes you with all-black Alcantara. 330Li driver cockpit is more inviting tilted towards you however both the cars will wrap around you. Those bucket Seats in SEAL is a winner. It bolsters you with a nice hug. I also felt to be sitting lower in SEAL than in 3.

There was no cover for the sunroof and the A/c wasn’t effective, which is a big let-down. There is a manual after-marker kind of cover for the fixed glass roof which isn’t the best for Indian summers.

Exterior

330Li is balanced with a mix of sporty and classy European looks, SEAL is menacing with strong silhouette of proper sports car character. While it is a notch short of length and considerably less in width than 3 series, it is hard to make out of the difference in flesh.

Steering

Steering of Seal is more chunky to hold and adjusts to the sports mode well with ample heft. It still cannot compare with the precision 3 series provides, although it is not as fun to hold as that of SEAL’s.

Back Seat

While there is plenty of legroom on offer in SEAL at the back(with driver seat adjusted to my height – 6”) , it is not inviting to be chauffeured in even though with a flat floor it is much easier for 3 people than in 330Li. Back seat passengers will feel more cocooned in dark Alcantara surround and sitting low while 330Li feels more comfortable and welcoming.

How’s is to Drive

The first stark difference you notice in the two sports car is right after putting them in D mode. 330Li lunges forward as soon as you put in drive mode. You have to tame and hold on to the horses (pun intended) between brakes and gas pedal combination.

SEAL, apart from being quiet doesn’t show urgency to move forward with regen set to normal. I drove the long-range premium variant, 82.6 Kw battery with a single motor. In Sports mode, SEAL is a real DEAL. It quietly and dangerously accelerates to 100 in no time. While 3 series will give you a lot of satisfaction accelerating to higher speeds with the vocal cords of the engine, there is no drama that happens here. The best part is, acceleration of the two from 0-100 are comparable. Part throttle to the EV motor produces higher torque than pressing the accelerator in one go. AWD version was not available for a test drive, but with its claimed acceleration figures, it is more of the M340i category.

SEAL ride is stiffer compared to 330Li which has definitely find tuned the suspension towards comfort in comparison. Potholes do barge in with large thuds and one has to be careful on them.

Manoeuvrability

Both cars measure almost the same in length, while 330Li does feel its length SEAL didn’t feel like driving a car this long. I did zig-zag overtakes and it was much easier in SEAL than in 330Li. This is something which I would give a lot of merit for a person like me who spends the majority of the drive in urban/city.

I didn’t test the cars much on high-speed cornering, but if you are looking at the majority of the drive in the city- at 30 Lakhs less, SEAL is a serious package to be considered.

Sharing a video of me enjoying the SEAL.

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