First Impressions: 2025 BYD Seal Facelift – Sharpening an already strong package

KUALA LUMPUR: Facelifts are interesting things. Sometimes, they’re just a light refresh — new wheels, fresh colours, a slightly updated interior. Other times, they represent a brand really listening to customer feedback and fine-tuning a good product to make it even better.

The 2025 BYD Seal facelift is firmly in the latter camp. This is a car that was already well-received when it arrived in Malaysia in 2024 — stylish, feature-packed, and powerful enough to make Tesla take notice. But it wasn’t perfect, and BYD knew it. This facelift is their chance to put the final polish on one of their most important EVs.

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When the Seal launched here, it came in two variants: Premium Extended Range (RWD) and Performance AWD. Both delivered compelling value, undercutting European rivals while offering equipment lists that bordered on luxury. The Performance, in particular, impressed with its numbers — 530 PS, 670 Nm, AWD traction and a 0–100 km/h time under 4 seconds.

Yet, as good as the Seal was, there was one area that split opinions: the ride. The Premium’s simpler passive suspension setup made it feel relatively composed on our highways, while the Performance’s Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) shocks, tuned for more control, could feel a touch firmer than some expected. Not unlivable, but on our terrible jointed concrete highways, you noticed the car working harder than it should.

It wasn’t a deal-breaker — plenty of owners were still happy — but it was clear there was room for refinement.

Adaptive Dampers – The Star of the facelift

That brings us to the biggest update of the 2025 Seal facelift: DiSus-C adaptive suspension. And this is where things get exciting.

BYD’s DiSus-C suspension sits right in the middle of the brand’s high-tech suspension hierarchy. It's more sophisticated than the basic DiSus-P air suspension, but not as extreme as the full DiSus-A hydraulic active system you’d find on BYD’s flagship models.

What DiSus-C does is pretty clever. Each damper is electronically controlled, constantly reading the road surface, wheel speeds, braking and steering inputs, then adjusting itself in milliseconds.

You don’t need to fiddle with settings on the screen every time you drive — the system is passively adaptive, always working in the background.

What you can do is influence its character through the drive modes. In Comfort it eases off for a smoother ride, while Sport tightens things up, keeping the body flatter and more composed through corners.

It’s essentially BYD’s way of making the Seal more versatile: comfortable enough for everyday Malaysian roads, but sharp and confidence-inspiring when you decide to push it.

Adaptive dampers also give the Seal Performance what it was missing: flexibility. In Comfort mode, the ride is supple, ironing out rougher tarmac and taming those highway expansion joints that could unsettle the older setup. Switch to Sport, and the dampers tighten up, keeping the body flat through corners and giving you confidence to exploit the car’s strong performance.

The result is a Seal that finally feels complete. It’s not just quick in a straight line anymore — it’s a car that feels equally comfortable tackling Malaysian city streets, highways, and even your favourite B-road.

On the outside, the facelifted Seal plays it safe. The sleek coupe-like silhouette remains unchanged, which is no bad thing. This was always one of the most handsome EV sedans on sale, and BYD wisely chose not to mess with it.

The changes are subtle: new wheel designs, and a new Shark Grey colour option that replaces Arctic Blue. The other shades — Cosmos Black, Aurora White, and Atlantis Grey — remain, giving buyers a neat four-colour palette. Interestingly, this palette is identical to the bigger Sealion 7 SUV, creating a little family resemblance.

So no drastic styling changes here — but none were needed. The Seal still looks fresh, modern, and confident.

Inside – Familiar, but better

Step into the cabin and the Seal continues to impress. The centrepiece is still the 15.6-inch infotainment display, which rotates between portrait and landscape. It’s paired with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display, ensuring you’re never short of information.

Audio comes from a 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, and comfort is well catered for with ventilated and heated seats, eight-way power adjustment for the driver, and six-way for the passenger. You also get dual-zone climate control with PM2.5 filtration, two wireless chargers, and four USB ports split between front and rear.

A small but very welcome update is the addition of a powered sunroof shade — simple, but in our climate, a lifesaver. And BYD has also made wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard, following feedback that wired-only was an inconvenience when the car first launched.

It’s these little tweaks that show BYD isn’t just chasing big headlines — they’re paying attention to the details that matter to owners.

Safety – Still Comprehensive

As before, the Seal doesn’t skimp on safety. You get nine airbags (including far-side driver protection) and the full ADAS suite: adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane departure prevention, cross-traffic alert with auto brake, high-beam assist, and a 360-degree camera.

In short, everything you’d expect from a modern EV — and then some.

Variants, Prices, and Warranty

For Malaysia, the facelift trims the range down to two. A lower-priced Dynamic variant was briefly offered but has since been dropped again with the 2025 facelift.

• Premium Extended Range (RWD) – RM171,800
• Performance AWD – RM199,800

Yes, the entry-level Dynamic Standard Range has been dropped, but that makes the line-up clearer and both remaining variants benefit from the suspension upgrade and feature improvements.

Warranty coverage remains generous:

• 6 years / 150,000 km vehicle warranty
• 8 years / 160,000 km battery warranty
• 8 years / 150,000 km drive unit warranty

To sweeten the deal, the first 300 buyers get a launch package worth RM10,888, including a wallbox charger, service package, and rebate.

On the Road – First Impressions

The first impression is just how much more settled the facelifted Seal feels. Expansion joints that previously could unsettle the Performance now barely register. Around town, the suspension is calm and composed, but when you pick up the pace, you can make the adaptive dampers firm up and keep the body in check.

It’s the duality that was missing before. Now, you can enjoy the Seal’s explosive acceleration without bracing yourself for a jolt every time the road surface changes.

The BYD Seal was already one of the most compelling EV sedans on the market when it launched in Malaysia. It combined sharp looks, generous equipment, and strong performance at a price that undercut its rivals. The facelift doesn’t reinvent that formula — it perfects it.

By adding adaptive suspension, BYD has addressed the one area where the Seal drew criticism. Now, it’s not just a car that looks good on paper, it’s one that feels genuinely well-rounded on the road.

So yes, the Seal Performance is still fast, still feature-packed, and still excellent value. But now, it’s also more comfortable, more refined, and more enjoyable to drive every day.

In other words, this facelift has made a good EV sedan into a great one.

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