BYD Seal U DM-i made its debut at the latest editon of the Geneva Motor Show

The five-seater SUV will be available in two versions — all-electric and plug-in hybrid

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The plug-in hybrid version is the first BYD vehicle in Europe to use the brand’s highly advanced Super DM (Dual Model) technology

The DM-i technology consists of three crucial components, an internal combustion engine (expected to be a 1.5-litre petrol powertrain), an electric motor and the Blade battery.

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BYD hasn’t revealed the details of the 1.5-litre petrol engine but it could be either the conservative 97 bhp trim or the more powerful turbo petrol with an output of 128 bhp.

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There are two battery options — 18.3 kWh and 26.6 kWh. The former has an electric range of around 110 km and the latter is 150 km, which is currently only available in the Chinese market.

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The all-electric version, on the other hand, is available in two trims — 71.8kWh and 87kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery packs. Based on WLTP, the 87kWh battery offers a range of up to 500 km.

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As a five-seater SUV, the BYD Seal U has a boot space of 552 litres, which can further be increased to 1,440 litres thanks to the split 60:40 seats.

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In terms of features, the Seal U SUV gets an ‘Ocean-heart’ centre console and a crystal gear selector, with a 15.6” rotatable full LCD touchscreen.

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Other features include a premium Infinity sound system, voice command, a panoramic sunroof, and Bluetooth wireless charging.

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