BYD Seal vs Toyota Kluger

What's the difference?

Those big auto executives have good reason to be worried, because the Seal is yet another impressive offering from China’s most formidable EV player.

It’s not perfect. In some ways it’s trying too hard to be a luxury car, and I think the software in particular could use a little work, but the Seal just does so much right I think it will be hard to be disappointed with one, particularly given its keen entry price.

In fact, if we had to pick one from the range, it would probably be this mid-spec Premium. The range and power on offer are stellar, and all for less money than an entry-level Model 3 or Polestar 2.

The Toyota Kluger GXL Hybrid has been the ultimate SUV this week, as it fits my gear and family in comfort, the on-road handling is excellent and the fuel usage makes owning this long term actually feasible.

This is a great example of a mid-spec seven-seater that is both functional and comfortable. There’s lots to satisfy here and even though it hasn’t been updated, it may be a case of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’.

The Seal looks great. It’s about as modern a take on the traditional three-box sedan as you can get. It’s low-slung with curvy lines and a sporty overall feel.

The design touches, like the headlight and DRL surrounds, side skirts, and wheels are maximalist compared to the minimalist vibes of the Model 3 and the Polestar 2. But I don’t necessarily think that's a bad thing as it offers buyers a genuine alternative.

I also like the way the brand has executed the LED lights and particularly the tail-light fittings. There’s also an admirable restraint when it comes to badging compared to a lot of this car’s Chinese rivals. It doesn’t give off the vibe of a cut-price product at all.

Inside there are elements which are appealing, and some things which fall short. First up, I do think the Seal wears its influences throughout the industry on its sleeve a bit.

The digital dash cluster theme, for example, seems to (poorly) emulate the Mercedes-Benz software, the little plastic crystal shifter piece on the inside seems to have been overtly influenced by a similar (actual crystal) piece available in Volvos, while the centre screen and dual wireless phone chargers are pretty obviously BYD’s take on the similar bits available in the Model 3.

Maybe in this sense, it’s trying a little too hard to be a luxury car and a tech-heavy electric vehicle, with items which aren’t quite up to the same quality (particularly the software). But then, it all works well enough, and can you complain at the price?

One thing I think BYD gets right though is the level of comfort on offer in the cabin and the clever little styling bits which remind you of its namesake.

The door handle pieces and integrated speaker bits are shaped like a Seal flipper. As are the dash-mounted air vents, and if you look closely even the plastic garnish on the steering wheel looks a bit like a top-down cross section of the animal.

I like it because its subtle rather than in-your-face as some of the Atto 3's design elements are.

The quality is also up to muster, big time. There wasn’t a creak, groan, or rattle from this car’s interior in my entire time with it, including on some of Sydney's worst roads. And the seats, which are designed like absolute thrones, are clad in lovely soft leather. You sink into them. Even the two-tone Alcantara finish through the doors and centre console is thoughtfully placed.

The Kluger epitomes what a large SUV was originally meant to look like. A big body and with enough ground clearance to earn the tag, but the shape is all long lines and gently curving panelling and that makes it look sleek rather than rugged.

Make no mistake, the Kluger is large at 4966mm long, 1930mm wide and 1755mm tall. It's only only 24mm shorter in its length than its big 4WD Toyota Prado cousin. It's size and road presence assures you that it's capable, but it's not trying to convince you it's a 4WD.

Despite not seeing any design updates, the Kluger still feels relevant and more than holds its own when it comes to kerbside handsomeness.

On the inside, the black synthetic leather trims, softly padded touchpoints and interesting dashboard make the cabin both pleasant to look at and spend time in.

The 12.3-inch multimedia display looks lovely with its clear graphics, but it’s still nice to see some traditional elements - like the gear selector, analogue instrument cluster (with a 7.0-inch digital display) and lots of buttons and dials to play with.

Interestingly, there isn’t a traditional transmission tunnel, which means you get a practical flat floor in the middle row and, thus, more legroom for middle seaters. 

It's a forgiving cabin that lots of different drivers will find something to like in.

The Seal has a huge cabin, and in a lot of ways it feels like the large sedans of old. You can sit nice and low in the cabin, and there’s heaps of knee and headroom thanks to its width.

Soft-clad materials for resting your knees and elbows on go a long way towards keeping this car comfortable on longer journeys, and the presence of a digital dash and a holographic head-up display is nice to have compared to the bare-bones dash of the Tesla Model 3.

The wacky rotating central touchscreen feature makes an appearance from other BYDs, but again, it’s a bit silly and I’m not sure how much use you’ll get out of it. Even Apple CarPlay only works in landscape mode, so I didn’t find it useful.

Practicality features are abundant, with a large bottle holder in the doors, and two more in the centre console. One even has a floating floor, so you can push it down to accommodate large bottles if need be.

Dual wireless chargers are always a nice touch, and the bridge-style console has a large pass-through storage area underneath, which also hides the USB-C, USB-A, and 12V outlets. The armrest console box is nice and deep, too.

The back seat is enormous. Possibly one of the largest spaces in this segment. It comes at a cost to boot capacity, but your rear passengers won’t want for space no matter how tall they are.

At 182cm tall I had leagues of airspace behind my own driving position, and the wide cabin, accommodating seats, and flat floor mean the centre position is even useful for a full-sized adult.

Storage comes in the form of three pockets on the back of each front seat, a large bottle holder in the doors, two cupholders in the drop-down armrests, a small tray on the back of the centre console, and a small flip-out cover which reveals a USB-C and USB-A charging port for rear passengers. The rear seat even gets dual adjustable air vents, but no third climate zone.

The massive fixed glass roof looks the business and keeps the cabin airy, just like in the Model 3 and Polestar 2, but I find these big glass fittings tend to cook interiors in the Australian sun.

BYD tells us the tint is so heavy it has a ‘solar transmittance’ of just 16 per cent, but 16 per cent is still a lot in Australian summer. Thankfully, unlike its two rivals, BYD ships the Seal with a fold-out cover screen as standard.

Remember how I said the massive rear seat comes at a cost to boot space? At 400 litres the Seal’s boot is a bit compact, made worse by the fact it’s a sedan and not a liftback, so the access area is a bit narrow.

It could only fit the largest CarsGuide luggage case alongside the smallest one, but not all three including the medium case. This could be a blow to family buyers who need to fit a pram alongside other things.

Under the floor there’s an extra space great for the storage of your V2L adapter and AC charging cable, but there’s also only a tyre repair kit and no spare.

The Kluger is both practical and comfortable for passengers as each row gets a great amount of head- and legroom – yes, even third-rowers, but the low level of amenities in that row will render it a 'sometimes seat' for adults or older kids.

The 208mm ground clearance, wide door apertures and low-sitting seats makes it a very easy SUV to get in and out of, even for kids. The access to the third row is also good as the 60/40 split middle bench seat can be slid forward.

The electric front seats offer lots of adjustments, including lumbar support on the drivers side, but both seats get heating. They’re also well-padded and quite comfortable on a longer journey.

The outboard seats on the middle row offer the most comfort as they have longer under-thigh support, but the entire row benefits from heavy padding and the seat backs can recline.

The third row offers a curious 60/40 split and is wide enough for two adults to not be squished like sardines.

Although the Kluger is a seven-seater, families will be bummed that there are no child seat anchor points in the third row. But the middle row has two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top-tether anchor points. It is more than wide enough to accommodate three seats side by side and you’ll have enough room for the front passenger when a rearward facing child seat is installed, too.

Individual storage is above average for the class, but the front row gets the best of it. There are two handy shelves built-into the dash, a glove box, a deep middle console (that swallows my arm) and cubbies in the centre console that include a phone cradle and two cupholders. There's also a sunglasses holder and little cubby beside the driver's knee.

In the middle row, you get two map pockets, two cupholders in a fold down armrest, and a drink holder in each door. While the third row gets a couple of cupholders.

Amenities are well-rounded for the most part, with the three-zone climate control and well-positioned directional air vents in the roof for the back two rows. Middle-rowers also get reading lights and two USB-C ports.

Technology is easy to use and looks great as the 12.3-inch display uses the same multimedia system as Lexus. The built-in satellite navigation is simple to set up and shows clear directions with lots of route customisations available.

There is wired Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, but you do have to initially connect the CarPlay via a cable.

Rounding out the cabin is the great-size boot that offers 241L with all seats in use, but that can jump up to 552L when the third row is stored.

The level loading space makes it easy to slide larger items in and out of, and there’s a handy underfloor storage compartments for smaller items. You get a full-size spare tyre underneath the car and a powered tailgate in this model.

You have to love a simple three-grade line up with variant names that aren't hard to say! The Kluger starts with the base GX, mid-spec GXL and then the flagship Grande model.

All Kluger models share the same all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain, and our test model is the mid-spec GXL, which is priced from $70,440 before on-road costs.

Its price positions it in the middle of its seven-seat hybrid rivals; the Hyundai Santa Fe Elite ($65,000 MSRP) and the Kia Sorento GT-Line AWD ($73,330 MSRP), but it should be noted that the Sorento hybrid is only offered in one high-spec grade level and the Kluger can’t always match the Sorento’s plush features.

The GXL is still fairly well-specified and includes eight-way powered front seats with heating, adjustable lumbar support (driver's seat), black synthetic leather upholstery, a powered tailgate, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing LED headlights, keyless entry/start and a full-sized spare tyre.

There is also 12 months of complimentary access to Toyota Connected Services, which allows you remote access, via the myToyota Connect app, to safety and security features, multimedia connect and driving insights.

The other technology is well showcased in the 12.3-inch multimedia display that has touchscreen functionality, in-built satellite navigation, wired Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth and digital radio. You also get a single USB-A port, three USB-C ports, two 12-volt sockets and three-zone climate control.

Each Seal variant gets its own drivetrain outputs, and the mid-spec Premium drives the rear wheels with a 230kW/360Nm electric motor via a reduction gear.

On paper, it’s slightly more powerful than the Model 3 RWD, with more power and less torque than the Polestar 2 Standard Range.

All Kluger grades are all-wheel-drives with a smooth continuously variable transmission. They share the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that produces up to 184kW of power. Toyota does not quote a combined torque output.

At first look, these outputs may look underwhelming, but the on-road experience has shown that it’s more than enough to move the Klugers big body around without it feeling underpowered.

The Kluger has a braked towing capacity of up to 2000kg, which means you can hook up most of your weekend adventure toys!

Providing power is a sizable 82.56kWh lithium-ion battery pack, using BYD’s signature weight and space-saving ‘Blade’ form-factor, and the more affordable LFP (lithium iron ferrophosphate) chemistry.

On the charging front, the Seal Premium can top up at 150kW on a DC unit (using a Type 2 CCS connector) for a 10-80 per cent charge in roughly 40 minutes, while on AC its a disappointing 7.0kW.

The 7.0kW inverter means it’s hardly worth plugging the Seal in at a slow public charger when you visit the shops, as you’ll only get about 50km of range an hour. It’s for this reason most cars with batteries this size have 11kW inverters.

Unlike the Model 3 or Polestar 2, though, the Seal features a V2L system, allowing you to power household appliances from its Type 2 charging port.

Claimed energy consumption for the Seal is 14.6kWh/100km which is low, and about what we were seeing on test. It’s a little hard to tell because the trip computer only offers total consumption over the entire life of the vehicle, or for the last 50km, but not for a set trip interval. Weird.

The Kluger may be massive but it has an excellent combined fuel cycle usage of just 5.6L/100km because of its hybrid powertrain.

Combined with its large 65L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 1160km, which is really good for a family SUV and rivals diesel models of the same size.

I’ve been super pleased with the fuel usage of our test model because despite doing quite a few long distance trips, which is where hybrids are usually the most inefficient, I’ve managed a real world usage of only 5.8L/100km! That is a great result.

The Kluger only accepts a minimum 95RON unleaded premium petrol.

I wasn’t expecting the Seal to impress me particularly. After all, it’s in this segment against tough competition, amongst recently updated versions of the Model 3 and Polestar 2, and while the previous BYDs I’ve driven have been a cut above their Chinese contemporaries, they also haven’t done a lot to stand out from the crowd.

Clearly, though, BYD has something to prove with its sporting sedan and the Seal is immediately impressive. The cabin is quiet and refined, the seating position is great it's smooth from take-off.

The steering has an artificial tinge to it removing a bit of feedback from the road, but proves at least quick and accurate at speed, and the handling is superb.

I kept pushing the Seal in my test drive, expecting gnarly characteristics to surface but they didn’t. This sedan grabs onto the road with excellent control and traction at the rear, spurred along by its long wheelbase, and improved tyre choice (Continental rather than the sub-par Chinese rubber worn by the Atto 3 and Dolphin).

While on paper it appears to have at least comparable motor output figures to the Polestar 2 and Model 3 - the Seal Premium doesn’t quite feel as rapid, its electric motor having a more relaxed vibe and responsiveness when you stomp on the go pedal.

This can be tweaked a little by dialling it up to Sport mode, and while it still doesn’t feel quite as breakneck fast as the Model 3, in particular, it’s plenty to be going on with.

The most impressive part of the Seal drive experience, though, is its ride. Ride is a constant problem for EVs as manufacturers go to lengths to tame the additional weight of batteries, but the Seal is the most impressive in its cohort, and by quite a margin.

It’s firm enough to be controlled, but has a lovely soft edge to it, so larger bumps, frequent corrugations, or sharper road imperfections don’t ruin your day.

The Model 3 and Polestar 2, even in their improved forms, are not this good. In a lot of ways the Seal’s suspension tune reminds me of the Mustang Mach-e. It has a soft edge, offset by a bit of secondary jiggle as the car settles, which is its only real blemish.

The Seal has no right being this good. It’s now not just matching its far more established rivals but doing some things significantly better.

The engine can sound like it’s under pressure, but that doesn’t translate to underwhelming power delivery. The GXL has enough grunt to make it a comfortable open-roader that’s confident on hills and overtaking.

The steering is light for such a big SUV, but with its 11.4m turning circle, it’s every parents dream when doing the school run or navigating small lanes or parks for after-school activities. It’s almost stupidly easy to drive and feels much smaller than what it is, even in the city.

Visibility is mostly good because of the large windows, but the B-pillar is larger than I’d like and I found myself checking my blind spots carefully. 

The ride comfort is really good and suspension is forgiving on the worst of the bumps without feeling like it floats on the road. Road noise is low, even at higher speeds, but occasionally you get a weird wind whistle through the air vents. 

Even those usually put off by a large SUV, should find this comfortable to get around in. Parking it is the only time you really notice its bulk. While the reversing camera is great quality, a 360-degree view system would have been much better.

The Toyota Kluger has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2021 and scored highly across its individual assessment scores. However, it only features seven airbags, which is a bit low for a car of this size, but the curtain airbags extend to the third row, which is good. 

The Kluger has lots of safety equipment, including daytime running lights, hill-start assist, seatbelt warning (all seats), lane departure alert, lane-keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, a reversing camera (with guidelines) and front and rear parking sensors.

The Kluger does miss out on family friendly safety items, like child-presence alert and side exit assist. The adaptive cruise control isn’t as well tuned as I’d like as it doesn't hold it's speed all that well, slows down too soon behind a vehicle, and sometimes can be sluggish to return to a normal speed once a vehicle has left its 'radar'.

The GXL has AEB with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assist and is operational from 10-80km/h (up to 180km/h for car), but it is usual to see that starting point sit closer to 5.0km/h.

The long-term ownership aspect for a BYD product is still a bit of a mystery as the current crop of cars have only just landed in Australia in the last year or two, but if it offers you any peace of mind, the Seal is covered by a six-year/150,000km warranty with a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty for the battery pack.

In order to avoid having to have a traditional dealer network, BYD has partnered with MyCar to fulfil servicing. Visits to one of these locations is required once every 12 months or 20,000km whichever comes first, and pricing is fixed for the first eight years, working out to an annual average of $299.

The Kluger is offered with Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, but that can be extended to seven years if you service on time and with a Toyota service centre, which makes it competitive against some rivals.

There’s a five-year capped-price servicing program available, with services costing just $285, which is cheap for the class. Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.