BYD Seal 06 DM-i

Seal family grows with a plug-in, range-extending hybrid estate

Volvo may be wavering, but BMW, Audi, Peugeot and a bunch of others still believe estate cars are worth doing, even if it’s only the European market that’s really interested. Now BYD is joining the fold with the Skoda Superb-sized Seal 6 DM-i.As ever, BYD’s naming isn’t the most straightforward. The Seal 6 doesn’t share anything with the BYD Seal saloon that we know already. Whereas that is a natively rear-driven EV, the Seal 6 is always a front-driven plug-in hybrid. As such, it’s much more closely related to the BYD Seal U DM-i SUV.Still following? DM-i stands for Dual Mode Intelligent, because BYD’s PHEV system is quite different to the one in the Superb, or most otehr plug-in rivals for that matter. Whereas that is fundamentally a petrol car with a massive battery and an electric motor in the gearbox, BYD PHEVs are closer in concept to a range-extender EV, with electric motor providing the motive force and the ICE p