FIRST DRIVE: BYD Seagull - Is this the EV you've all been waiting for?

Up to this point, electric vehicles in the Philippines have predominantly been second cars for the rich. For those who can afford them, EVs usually function as a non-fuel-consuming alternative for taking kids to school, buying groceries, and doing errands.

Because of their prohibitive pricing, only a few can consider buying one. And because the affordable ones are either too small or are range-limited, and given our country’s sparse charging station infrastructure, only a few would consider buying one as a first or only car.

But BYD under AC Motors is set to change all that once it brings in the newly launched Seagull EV in the Philippines. 

ALSO READ: BREAKING: Ayala-owned AC Motors to take over BYD distributorship; changes in AC Motors underway

Selling like hotcakes

The small 5-door hatchback is a hit in China. It registered 10,000 orders in just 24 hours of the start of its pre-selling last April. Priced between US$10,100 and US$12,300, the BYD Seagull comes with a 75 PS electric motor. With 135 Nm of torque, it is on the basic side of power, but because of its size, it is just right.

It is the third vehicle in BYD’s Ocean Series after the Dolphin, which our Senior Writer VJ test drove last year, and the impressive Seal (more on that later).

The BYD Seagull has a top speed of 130km/h, higher than the mini EVs from Jetour and Wuling.

In China, it has two battery options - 30.08 kWh and 38.88 kWh, which give the Seagull ranges of 305 km and 405 km (CLTC), respectively. 

To make the Seagull a viable first or only car, it comes with DC fast charging, taking the battery to 80% charge in 30 minutes. If only we had more DC chargers up north and down south, we’d likely see more EVs doing provincial rounds.

Pikachu, is that you?

From the outside, it looks flashy with its Lambo-like front end and origami styling at the sides and back. It is 1,715 mm wide, 3,780 mm long, and 1,540 mm tall. Longer, wider, and taller than a Honda Brio. So it’s more than livable.

Squint hard enough, and you will likely see the Pokemon reference. Don't you think?

During the brand’s media test drive at the Zhuhai International Circuit in Guangdong, China, I saw the BYD Seagull in person. I must say it does have a futuristic vibe about it. It’s cute in a hot hatch kind of way. Mount a set of (lightweight) 18-inchers on the Seagull, and you’ll be ready for the Saturday night tambay.

Unlike the Wuling Bingo displayed at the SM Mall of Asia recently, the BYD Seagull’s design is edgy and modern, showing itself off to the world as something that stands out from the crowd. The Wuling Bingo, on the other hand, went the opposite route with its classic rounded form. 

ALSO READ: Wuling Philippines now taking pre-orders for Bingo BEV hatch for ₱5K

Inside, it has more of the contemporary styling a Zennial might expect from an EV if they ever decided to buy one.

It comes with leatherette molded bucket seats, the norm in Chinese cars these days, a leatherette steering wheel with contrast yellow stitching, two-tone interiors, dual screens - a 7-inch one for the instrument cluster and a larger 10.1-inch screen for the infotainment and essential functions.  

Grin-inducing drive

The Seagull is the newest and freshest addition to BYD’s lineup, and the promise of having an affordable EV sized even larger than a B-segment hatchback intrigued me. 

While the track was unfortunately soaked due to the storm that passed by the area during our visit, the Seagull still held its own on the slippery track. Shod in 16-inch wheels, the Seagull I drove felt calm and composed throughout the almost two wet, hot laps we ran it in. 

Throwing the car into the corners was a hoot. As a front-wheel drive, it behaved predictably in the wet. Brake less, and you end up understeering into the turn. Even though it couldn’t defy physics, the Seagull held its own. The vehicle stability system worked as advertised. No surprises. Everything behaved as a front-driven car would. 

While on paper, it only has 135 Nm of torque, you must remember that this gushes as soon as you floor the accelerator. Unlike small ICE cars comparable to the Seagull, however, you don’t have to wait for the paint to dry to feel the full brunt of the permanent magnet synchronous motor. No, you won’t get pushed back into your seat like in the BYD Seal, but it is enough to put a smile on your face.

Floor the accelerator pedal, and you can still easily thread through corners. You could almost keep your right foot down on some twisties, and it would still keep traction.

It was almost too good.

But if you’re following a BYD Seal with 530 PS and 670 Nm of torque, forget it. How the Seal pulled away, even with the pedal to the metal in our Seagull, was just amusingly hilarious.

Know your audience

But the BYD Seagull is a city car, despite its sporty guise and the super touring car single-wiper reference. And it should be assessed as such. 

Its expansive cabin and the availability of an actual cargo bed behind the back seats make it a more practical urban commuter than the cheaper mini EVs. 

But also because of those reasons, the Seagull becomes a potentially viable provincial runner - stable and true on a straight line even when a rumaragasang bus sideswipes you along NLEX. Of course, you must still map out your charging stopovers if you dare venture further than Rosario, La Union, or Baguio. 

No price nor timing for its availability in the Philippines has been announced yet. But rest assured, AC Motors, BYD cars’ new distributor, will have it come with an English user interface and the accompanying warranties when it finalizes its official arrival here.

We say officially because grey imports of the Seagull are already arriving as we write this piece. 

“When we introduced BYD in the Philippines, it was not our intention for BYD to be a luxury car brand. Our intention was for us to democratize EV ownership in the Philippines,”  shares Toti Zara, AC Motors president.

We’ll hold him to his word.