Almost all carmakers in the country may be slowly pivoting to electrification today. However, most brands aren’t as bold as the Chinese EV maker BYD.

While others opt for a mix of hybrids or battery-electric vehicles with conventional internal-combustion-engine cars, the Sino automaker’s product lineup in the country mostly consists of BEVs, save for the Sealion DM-6.

Not too long ago, the brand launched its most affordable EV yet, the Seagull. But BYD Cars Philippines isn’t done yet. And in the recently concluded Philippine EV Summit, it added a very exciting product to its lineup, the Seal premium sports sedan.

As with any other BYD model, the car’s overall design doesn’t look like how a Chinese-designed car would. The front’s “X design concept” is sleek, neat, and modern, featuring all-LED lighting.

A good mix of curves and creases, including a character line running from the front fender to the rear trunk, exudes a premium yet sporty silhouette, similar to some European brands. The stylish 19-inch wheels are fitted with grippy 235/45 Continental rubber.

The back features a simple design with a functional diffuser for better aerodynamics. A lightbar is seamlessly fused with the quirky taillamp clusters adorned with diamond patterns.

There are four finishes to choose from: Aurora White, Cosmos Black, Atlantis Gray, and Arctic Blue (the hero color).

Though the roofline is quite low, the interior offers tons of space, thanks to a long wheelbase and a flat floor. A panoramic glass roof further gives the impression of an abundance of space.

The dash design is simple yet modern, with two displays: a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch infotainment screen that rotates like in other BYDs. The door cards, the dash, and the seats are wrapped in high-quality leather, suede inserts, and other soft-touch materials.

It also features powered, heated, and ventilated front seats; dual-zone air-conditioning; and an advanced air filtration system (which includes a negative-ion purifier, a PM2.5 filter, and a CN95 filter). A well-insulated cabin further makes the 12-speaker Dynaudio audio system sound better.

The Seal comes with a ton of safety features, too. Topping that list is BYD’s DiPilot suite of advanced driver-assistance systems.

It has adaptive cruise control with a stop-and-go feature, predictive collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure, lane-keep and -change assist, front and rear cross-traffic alert and braking, blind spot detection, and traffic sign recognition.

These are in addition to other passive safety features like front, side, and side curtain airbags, traction control, electronic stability control, and antilock brakes.

At 4,800mm long, 2,150mm wide, and 1,460mm long, the car is set to compete against the Toyota Camry, the Lexus IS, and the BMW 3-Series. But this isn’t made like any of those models mentioned.

First, the Seal is a pure battery-electric vehicle from the get-go. Propulsion comes from two electric motors providing a combined system output of 522hp and 670Nm of torque. This allows the car to sprint from rest to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

BYD’s 82.6kWh proprietary Blade Battery technology offers up to 580km of driving range. Charging this takes 16 hours (with the supplied AC wall charger) or as quick as 30 minutes (with a fast DC charger) using the CCS2 standard.

The car rides on BYD’s cell-to-body technology, combining its e-Platform 3.0 and Blade Battery technology in one structure. This lowers the center of gravity while making the car more rigid to improve handling while protecting the battery pack.

Its intelligent torque adaption control (iTAC) system ensures that the power and torque delivery of the two motors are properly controlled to maintain good traction. This improves the car’s stability and allows its driver to enjoy the powertrain’s full potential.

The Seal could be yours for just P2,548,000, and is now available in any of BYD’s dealerships nationwide.

With a boatload of features, advanced powertrain and battery systems, and an amazingly low price. Expect this model to shake up the country’s midsize executive car segment.