• Good cabin space
• Average boot space
• Loads of safety tech

How much space is there?

The Seal U DM-i is around the same size as many other family crossovers on the market, placing it squarely as a rival to the Ford Kuga, Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage. Interior space feels plentiful enough up front, with its height not to dissimilar to the Sportage.

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Rear space is also good, if not stellar. Adults can sit behind adults in the second row easily and, despite a glass roof, headroom is good. The only real flaw is the fact that the front seat headrests are integrated, so there’s much more of an obscured view ahead.

Boot space and storage

BYD says the boot area is rated as 425 litres with the rear seats up, which is acceptable but not exactly that competitive in this class of car. It’s a little larger than the Ford Kuga, but way smaller than a Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tucson plug-in hybrid. That said, the access area is well thought out, with a large opening and flat floor.

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Storage is good overall, with a large cubby under the centre console, space for two phones below the main screen and a pretty deep central storage area under the armrest. The cupholders are a little small, though, and the door bins do without moulding to hold larger bottles in them.

Is it easy to park?

In an odd case of visual deception, the Seal U feels like a larger (and particularly wider) car to be in, not helped by the very small rear window that can obscure your view. That said, given the Seal U DM-i’s long equipment list, there are so many parking aids that a lot of the visibility issues are counteracted.

Safety

• EV model tested by Euro NCAP
• Impressive five-star safety rating
• Excellent adult occupant protection

Euro NCAP has crash tested the electric Seal U, which is effectively the same car as the DM-i plug-in hybrid we get in the UK, and that achieved the maximum five-star rating.

Its highest score was regarding adult occupants, scoring 90 per cent, with a still-strong score of 77 per cent regarding the safety technology on board.

Watch the BYD Seal U Euro NCAP crash test video