BYD Seal 6 Touring review: ‘Making wagons cool again’

“We want to make wagons cool again.” So said BYD Australia’s head PR honcho, Paul Ellis, at the launch of the Chinese brand’s newest plug-in hybrid, the Seal 6 Touring.

Adopting BMW’s nomenclature, the Seal 6 Touring is an affordable station wagon in a landscape bereft of wagon options. 

It’s a bold gamble from BYD, a strategic bet that there are enough buyers out there who don’t necessarily want an SUV.

Ellis again: “Not everyone wants an SUV. People that still want space, and flexibility with cargo, don’t necessarily want an SUV, so we think there’s an opportunity there to look at those customers.”

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The market for station wagons is small in Australia today. Once a go-to for family buyers needing the extra practicality afforded by a long-roof over their sedan counterparts, today’s station wagon has become – largely – a plaything of the rich.

Of the 28 variants across 10 distinct models currently available in Australia, 10 are priced over $100,000 while 12 wear price tags of between $50,000-$100,000. Of the remainder, exactly one model is priced under $40,000 – the BYD Seal 6 Touring – earning it the distinction as the most affordable station wagon on sale in Australia today.

How much is the BYD Seal 6 Touring?

BYD Australia is bringing just a single highly-specified variant of its plug-in hybrid station wagon to Australia, the $39,990 (plus on-road costs) Touring Premium. That translates to around $43,500 to $44,200 driveaway, depending on the state or territory of registration.

The Seal 6 Touring’s nearest rival in this rarefied air of station wagons is the venerable Skoda Octavia which lands in driveways for $43,990.

The pair might be closely matched on price, but it’s the Seal 6 Touring’s party trick that should see it leap to, or as near as, the top of buyers’ consideration lists.

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BYD has long been associated with full battery-electric vehicles, its portfolio dominated by EVs. But the Chinese auto giant also has a good line on plug-in hybrids that offer the comfort – and long-range capability – of a traditional combustion engine with a battery and electric motor for usable distances of emissions free motoring.

In the Seal 6 Touring and its petrol-plug-in-hybrid system, that driving range is rated at ‘greater than 1000km’ according to BYD. That’s a not insignificant number, one that will appeal to buyers who like to regularly head off on long road trips.

BYD Australia, keen to prove the Seal 6 Touring’s long-distance chops, chose to launch its first station wagon with a 1000km road trip from Sydney to Melbourne. But before revealing how the Touring fared, let’s look at the nuts and bolts of Australia’s only plug-in hybrid station wagon.

What powers the BYD Seal 6 Touring?

The beating heart of the Seal 6 Touring blends a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine running on the more efficient Atkinson cycle. On its own, the four-pot makes 70kW and 120Nm.

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But those outputs are boosted by the fifth generation of BYD’s DM-i Super Hybrid system that uses a 19kWh battery and a 160kW/260Nm front-mounted electric motor. BYD says the Seal 6 Touring can run in EV mode for around 100km, based on WLTP testing, more than enough to cover the daily commute for the vast majority of Australians.

BYD’s ‘Super Hybrid’ system works in three ways. In pure EV mode, the wheels are powered exclusively by the battery and electric motor, just like a regular electric car.

In parallel series hybrid mode, like that found in most Toyotas, the petrol engine and electric motor combine to drive the wheels. And in HEV mode, the electric motor drives the wheels exclusively, while the petrol engine works away at keeping the battery at a constant state of charge, around 20-25 per cent according to BYD.

Recharging the 19kWh battery at a maximum DC rate of 27kW should take around 40 minutes. However, we’d venture most PHEV owners will do their battery replenishment at home overnight. Expect a top up time of around 2h50m at the maximum AC rate of 6.6kW.

What’s the BYD Seal 6 Touring like on the inside?

While it might be Australia’s most affordable station wagon, there’s nothing budget-price about the cabin. Material quality is good while the overall design doesn’t stray too far from today’s European-inspired minimalism.

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Synthetic leather adorns the seats while a mesh-like fabric graces the dashboard and door cards adding an interesting look and texture to overall cabin ambience. It feels more upmarket than it ought to for the price.

Seat heating and cooling up front is a welcome addition as is power adjustment for both driver and passenger, although only the driver’s seat features a memory function which stores two seating positions.

Spending 1000km over two days perched in the front seats – both as a driver and passenger – proved largely comfortable, with good support and bolstering. A little more under-thigh support – the victim of short seat bases – would elevate comfort levels even more.

The second row is best described as adequate. The seats themselves were comfortable and while there was a decent amount leg-, knee- and headroom, the often under-regarded toe room was a little lacking, with feet wedged tight against the bottom of the front seats.

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Opening the powered tailgate reveals a generous 670L of storage capacity, or as BYD claims, “fits six 20-inch suitcases, ideal for a family of six”. Not entirely sure where the sixth family member is expected to sit in this strictly five-seater. Dropping the rear seats via levers located in the boot opens up 1535L of storage.

Disappointingly, for a wagon that’s called Touring and is ostensibly marketed as something that can tackle long road trips, the Seal 6 Touring does not have a spare wheel, only a tyre repair kit.

What technology comes with the BYD Seal 6 Touring?

The nerve centre of the Touring’s infotainment is hosted inside a 12.8-inch touchscreen. It’s kitted out with wireless (and cabled) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with wireless smartphone charging. The USB plug count runs to four with one each of Type C and Type A front and rear.

The screen itself offers sharp graphics in high definition, with razor-sharp responses to input. As is the modern way, most of the Touring’s vital functions live inside the touchscreen and while bewildering at first, become easier to use over time, including climate controls.

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An eight-speaker audio system is complemented by the full gamut of radio bandwidths and while audio quality is fine, it’s not the last word in high-fidelity.

What’s the BYD Seal 6 Touring like to drive?

A 1000km road trip between Australia’s largest two cities – Sydney and Melbourne – is the ideal canvas for highlighting the Seal 6 Touring’s plug-in hybrid system and claims around driving range and fuel economy.

But rather than just setting off from Sydney and bombing straight down the Hume to Melbourne, BYD ensured the trip covered a variety of conditions – motorway, country backroads, rural suburban, and even some adventurous driving conditions through Victoria’s high country.

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The short run from Alexandria to the start of the motorway proved uneventful, highlighting the Touring’s respectable acceleration in traffic and minorly fussy road manners over some less salubrious road surfaces. The wagon’s ride comfort isn’t bad exactly, and perhaps it’s largely down to the 18-inch alloys and their slim-walled rubber rather than anything inherent wrong with the Seal’s suspension tune, but minor lumps and bumps resulted in a busyness from the wheels that is felt in the cabin. 

Things improve marginally on the motorway, the Seal 6 settling into an easy and mostly comfortable lope at 110km/h on smoother road surfaces, although road joints and patchwork repairs result in the same fussy ride quality while minor undulations induce some wallowing.

The Touring’s plug-in hybrid system works extremely well. BYD claims the battery’s state of charge won’t drop below 25 per cent if left to its own devices, meaning there is always help on hand from the electric powertrain to keep things moving along, minimising fuel economy. The 1.5-litre hums along relatively quietly, although harder acceleration for overtakes does induce some uncomfortable noise from under the bonnet while road and wind noise is noticeable.

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The picturesque Victorian high country and its snaking and beguiling roads brings some surprises, not least of all in how competent the Touring is as a mild corner-carver. Sure, it’s not a hot hatch, but body roll is kept in check while the nicely-weighted steering (in Sport mode) reacts to inputs with a precision and directness that inspires confidence. Grip levels are good too.

The Continental ecoContact 6 rubber (225/50 R18 all round) can take some of the credit while the Touring’s nicely-balanced chassis plays its part too. You won’t break any Targa High Country stage time records, but there’s enough willingness in the chassis to result in an enjoyably brisk drive.

And pleasingly, BYD’s suite of active safety technologies – and it’s a full suite helping the Seal 6 achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating – are nicely calibrated, with no unwarranted intrusions and none of the jerky responses some systems are prone to. BYD deserves credit for ensuring its safety tech is there to help in an emergency and not frustrate and distract drivers during normal driving conditions.

How fuel efficient is the BYD Seal 6 Touring?

Spending two days behind the wheel on a real road trip properly highlights the efficacy of BYD’s DM-i Super Hybrid technology. Yes, the driving was skewed to motorway running, but there were enough adventurous stretches and then the suburban slog from the outskirts of Melbourne to the airport to provide a proper gauge on fuel efficiency.

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In BYD’s corner, the headlines numbers are ‘more than’ 1000km of range from a single tank at a rate of 4.1L/100km. Starting with a full battery and a full 65 litres of 95-octane premium unleaded in the tank we covered exactly 1002.7km over two days, returning an indicated 4.9L/100km, with 125km of range left to spare.

We drove the Touring normally, with no thought given to hyper-miling or conserving fuel at every opportunity. Instead, we treated the wagon like we imagine an ordinary buyer would, sitting at the speed limit, effecting rapid overtakes, and enjoying some of the Touring’s dynamic abilities when the situation warranted it.

What’s the verdict on the BYD Seal 6 Touring?

In a word, impressive. Station wagons are cool and in the BYD Seal 6 Touring the Chinese auto giant has given buyers an alternative to the armada of SUVs that dominate the new car sales charts and our roads.

There are some minor annoyances, including the fussy ride comfort and a tighter than expected second row. But as an alternative family hauler, the Touring makes a compelling proposition. It’s stylish on the outside, has a modern and clean interior, is fuel efficient, pleasant to drive and with just enough spice to have some fun. And as a station wagon, it stands out from the crowd. Now, that’s cool.

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BYD Seal 6 Touring specs