It’s amazing how BYD reimagined and reinvented itself in the last couple of years. What used to be a relatively niche brand has become one of the biggest threats to legacy automakers in recent memory.
BYD’s distributor, AC Mobility, is on a mission to electrify just about every household in the country. If it’s not through its clever range-extended electric vehicles, it’s with their pure electric vehicles.
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As a way to spread the word of electric vehicles to a greater audience, the BYD Seagull made its way to the country in September 2024. It’s a tiny hatch, yes, but it has big ambitions. Its temptingly low introductory price seeks to sway hatchback punters to go electric.
Yes, it’s reasonably priced, but what’s more important here is value. So, how much EV can you get for a hair under P900,000? We spent a week with it to find out.
Styling
A friend of ours called it a Lambormini, and his comment does have basis. See, the design chief of BYD, Wolfgang Egger, was also the boss of Audi and Lamborghini’s studios from 2007 to 2013. So yes, the man who oversaw the design development of the Huracán and Aventador had a hand in making this humble little electric hatchback.
We see some not-so-subtle nods to the Italian supercar manufacturer in the Seagull. Perhaps the most obvious cues are the headlights and the ‘snowflake’ alloy wheels, but there’s also the deep creases and lines that give it flair and character. That’s what hatchbacks should be like, though: Fun and playful.
The single wiper is a novel touch. We actually wanted it to rain just so we can see it in action. Alas, it was bone dry and scorching hot during our time with the Seagull, so we never got to use it.
Interior
It seems that the bosses at BYD let the designers play around when it came to conceptualizing the interior. The result is a funky cabin that complements the exterior. It’s pleasing to the eye and not over designed, almost soothing, even. It’s certainly a nice thing to look at, too.
Normally, anything touted as a budget vehicle we expect cabin materials that wouldn’t look out of place in a Fisher-Price toy. The thing is, the Seagull is blessed with rich-feeling textures and high-grade materials. You certainly feel like you get more for what you paid for. Okay, there are some bits of trim that do feel hard and scratchy, but the parts the driver or passenger commonly interact with felt solid.
Ergonomics are generally okay. We did take some time to acquaint ourselves with the toggle switch gear selector, but everything else was easy and straightforward to use. We do wish the air-conditioning controls had a separate panel instead of being integrated into the main touchscreen.
So far, so good, although there is one thing we have to address. As it’s an electric vehicle, it does make good use of interior space. That said, there are limitations to its small footprint.
Room at the front is good, although it might be a bit of a tight squeeze at the back in terms of legroom. It’s fine if the front occupants aren’t that tall, but if not, there isn’t much wiggle room left back there. Still, we’ve experienced more cramped rear quarters, but it’s something to take note of should one ferry more passengers around.
Cargo space is good given the diminutive exterior dimensions. We were surprised to fit a baby stroller and 9kg sack of dog food back there with some room to spare. Spur of the moment IKEA runs, however, are out of the question, although the rear seats fold to make for more space.
Performance
On paper, the Seagull’s specs are far from impressive. It uses a single electric motor that puts out a conservative 74hp and 135Nm, hardly the ingredients to set pulses racing. The smallish 30kWh battery pack means a range of up to 300km, at least according to the manufacturer.
But the thing about electric vehicles is that it makes the driver feel that there’s more power out of its motor. In terms of performance, the Seagull feels peppy thanks to the instant torque that EVs offer. There’s strong pull right until about 70 to 80kph. If you try to go anywhere faster than that, the power just trails off. BYD’s claimed 0 to 100kph time of 13 seconds was believable.
So, it’s not fast, but certainly not gutless. But what’s more important here is its energy consumption. We saw figures of 8.7 to 10.1km/kWh in extreme congestion, while more reasonable traffic yielded 11 to 13km/kWh. The best figure we got was 22.7km/kWh along provincial roads with a fair bit of coasting downhill.
Realistically, you’re looking at about 250 to 270km of range with a full change. The heat was intense during the Seagull’s time with us, so the air-conditioning was working double time to keep us cool. We observed that the projected range would go down by 20 kilometers on hotter days.
Ride and handling
We’ll be upfront in saying that the Seagull is about average in the comfort and handling department. The ride is a touch on the firm side due to the short wheelbase and body length. It’s not crashy, though, but you do feel the road imperfections. However, on better road surfaces, the Seagull soaks up the bumps with relative ease.
Low-speed ride is generally okay, but it can a touch choppy once the speeds pick up. Then again, it’s a habit that most small hatchbacks have, and BYD did the best it could with the small dimensions.
As for handling, it’s no hot hatchback for obvious reasons. It’s competent enough, though, and doesn’t feel wayward despite the skinny tires. The only thing that holds it back are the tires. Those Ling Longs, and yes, that’s the name of the tires attached to our tester, aren’t the grippiest around.
There are upsides, though. The Seagull is a joy to drive around city streets. The light steering makes it easy to drive, and maneuverability is hard to beat. We reckon most owners won’t drive it enthusiastically, and for most of its customers, the handling can be best described as safe and secure.
We’d like to add that the regenerative braking system is one of the least intrusive we’ve experienced in an electric vehicle. It doesn’t feel like it wants to slow the car down all the time, and actually keeps a steady speed when going downhill. Brake feel and tuning is definitely one of the highlights of this car.
Extra features
This is the part where the Seagull shines. Of course, the rotating screen is there as it’s a BYD signature, but there’s more substantial features worth talking about. For instance, we were surprised to see six airbags fitted, something that couldn’t be said about a lot of sub-P900,000 cars.
Okay, it doesn’t get advanced driver assist systems, but that’s probably asking a little too much from its price tag. You do get cruise control, a clear rearview camera with dynamic guidelines, and even stability control. Wireless Apple CarPlay is present, as well as wireless Android Auto.
Oh, did we mention that the Seagull comes with V2L capabilities? Yes, this little hatchback can power your house in case of emergencies.
Verdict
We’ll just go ahead and say it: The BYD Seagull is perhaps the most sorted budget EV we’ve driven yet. It doesn’t feel cheap and flimsy, it’s loaded with features, pleasant to drive, and offers great value. Obviously, it’s not the most spacious car in the world, nor is it the most exciting or comfortable, but it’s absolutely fit for its purpose as a city runabout.
As a point A-to-B car around towns and cities, the Seagull does everything you want it to do. Heck, it even comes with a free home charger (installing it is at the customer’s expense), so there’s less range anxiety isn’t as much of a bother.
Not bad for something that goes for P898,000.
Specs: 2025 BYD Seagull
Price: P898,000
Motor and battery: AC Permanent magnet motor, 30 kWh capacity
Power: 74hp
Torque: 135Nm
Transmission: Single-speed
Layout: Front-wheel-drive
Seating: 4
Score: 9/10
