CAR Magazine UK compares the BYD Seal with the Tesla Model 3 Highland and Polestar 2 with pictures, specs and verdict
► Old-fashioned body style is given new lease of lifeEstablished car makers lost faith in the saloon, but some of the best cars from EV specialists have brought new life to an old style. BYD’s new Seal, Tesla’s venerable Model 3 and Polestar’s Scandi-cool 2 go head-to-head in our comparison test.The Seal comes from BYD or Build Your Dreams – a new name in the UK but a long-established industrial giant back home in China. It doesn’t just do cars, it does the batteries too.
Polestar’s facelifted 2 has more performance and more range to go with its subtly fettled looks… a timely reboot for the first car to go toe-to-toe with the Model 3, then. The powertrain also integrates eight systems including battery management, drive motor and the on-board charger in one compact unit – in a nutshell it’s good for packaging and good for range.
It’s 7am on a dark winter’s morning when I first approach the Seal. The design is surprisingly sophisticated, its gentle curves given definition by crisp lines, sculpted surfacing and a boot that culminates with the satisfying tension of an archer’s bow. The man behind it is Wolfgang Egger, he of gorgeous Alfa 8C fame, not to mention various last-gen Lamborghinis and – most relevant – Audis. Shades of ex-Audi man Peter Schreyer’s transformation of Kia and Hyundai here.
Whichever mode you choose, the Seal is refined – the suspension has a long-travel sort of compliance, ruffled only a little by dampers that can get pattery and reactive on tougher surfaces, plus it’s stable at speed and there’s very little wind- or road noise at a 70mph cruise . Other than constant bongs for minor speeding infringements and indicators on the wrong side of the wheel like an old Japanese import, I find it very soothing.
Climb into the Model 3 and it’s the full Mother Hubbard after the generously stocked Seal. It’s been improved over its predecessor, but a whiff of movie set persists here, like it’d all fall over if you blew on it. Thankfully the Tesla’s barrenness extends to spaciousness, because despite being only second longest on test at 4695mm, it feels similarly roomy to the BYD in the rear thanks to a flat floor, loads of legroom and best-on-test headroom.
Even if there’s next to no road feel, it’s indicative of the Tesla being a much more reactive car generally, switching direction like a sheepdog let loose on the lambs and jinking playfully in time with mid-corner throttle lifts. Plus the body is better controlled than the Seal’s, even as the ride remains sophisticated enough to take the edge off lumps and bumps. It’s a good compromise and feels less brittle than the last 3 I drove.
Where does all this leave the Polestar? Well, it’s still very tempting, not least because of zero per cent APR lease deals like the old days, plus the design is my favourite on test, with a chunky mix of Volvo, crossover and coupe notchback.
To be fair, at 4.6 metres long the Polestar is also shortest on test, yet the boot is still a few litres bigger than the BYD’s at 407 litres and the frunk only a little smaller . Just know that teenage kids and adults won’t relish being back here. The ride is also pretty good, with decent compliance on the compression although rebound’s perhaps a little too abrupt. I like the steering’s weight and accuracy too, if not – like all our cars here – its anaesthetised feel. Less impressive is refinement, with too much wind noise in particular at motorway speeds, and 295bhp performance that’s ample but doesn’t have quite the kick of the others.
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