BYD has overtaken some long-established combustion engine brands globally in terms of sales and that shows how fast this electric car maker is climbing the charts. So BYD has developed a huge range of products in a very short time and has been steadily expanding its product range in India with the Seal being the company’s best product yet. It is a global competitor to the Tesla Model 3 and single and dual motor versions are available in India.

The top-end Performance spec is what grabs your attention as it claims to do 0-10 km/h in 3.8 seconds – hence the badge on the rear. This performance is thanks to the dual-motor AWD system producing 530 hp and 670 Nm. The battery is large, at 82.5 kWh, and you can easily get 400-450 km, while the official range is 580 km.

But with the BYD Seal Performance, it’s not about the range, it’s about the incredible speed you get. In short, it might be too fast for most, but its 0-100 km/h acceleration makes it a bargain considering the performance you get.

The Seal looks low slung from the front but also has a sleek/clean design that focuses on aerodynamics. At 4.8m it’s a long car but looks sporty and has plenty of presence. Of course flush door handles are to be expected and once you’re inside the interior is high quality enough to rival German luxury cars.

The main touchscreen is 15.6 inches and, in typical BYD fashion, can be rotated into either portrait or landscape mode.

Coming to the main highlight and there’s no other way to say it – the BYD Seal Performance is fast. When you put your foot on the gas it has acceleration that will make you feel uneasy. Grip is excellent and the way it ramps up to high speeds is shocking. It’s one of the fastest electric cars you can get and the all-wheel drive puts all that power cleanly to the road. Despite its weight, the Seal handles well and the perfect weight distribution is one reason for that. However, it feels more softly tuned and that’s OK as this isn’t a sports car.

On the plus side, the ride is not uncomfortable, you just have to be careful of the 145mm ground clearance but even on some monsoon-like roads it was not a problem. The Seal Performance costs Rs 53 lakh and that means it is a considerable step up from the long-range single-engine version. For most, the single-engine is the way to go as the power on offer is more than enough but if you want one of the fastest and also most humbling sports cars, this is the one!

What we like: Looks, quality, performance, value

What we don’t like: low ground clearance, glass roof heats up the cabin