SEAL Design MY26 vs BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport: which family loading layout works?
Compare the current UK SEAL saloon with i4 five-door access, exact charging references and separate price terms before choosing the family main car.
The verdict
Try the i4 first if a large five-door loading opening could solve a recurring family task. Keep SEAL Design MY26 first if its saloon opening fits your actual luggage and its included cabin equipment meets your needs. Settle the decision with the same load and complete current cash proposals.
Buy the BYD SEAL Design MY26 if
The actual MY26 saloon takes your luggage, its documented Design equipment suits the household and its completed offer works.
Buy the BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport if
A five-door opening makes bulky loads easier in your own demonstration and the actual Sport specification and complete proposal justify the choice.
| Dimension | BYD SEAL Design MY26 | BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Price basis | BYD SEAL Design MY26BYD SEAL Design MY26: Published £45,730 OTR reference and £43,328.34 revised OTR in PCP example; not a matched personal cash quote | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportBMW i4 eDrive35 Sport: Comparison-page price has inconsistent tax wording; full current UK cash OTR unconfirmed |
| Loading layout | BYD SEAL Design MY26BYD SEAL Design MY26: MY26 saloon; manufacturer 485 L rear and 72 L front storage | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportBMW i4 eDrive35 Sport: Five-door order listing; manufacturer 470-1,290 L luggage reference |
| Combined WLTP | BYD SEAL Design MY26BYD SEAL Design MY26: 354 miles for Design RWD | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportBMW i4 eDrive35 Sport: 287-319 miles in selected manufacturer entry |
| DC reference | BYD SEAL Design MY26BYD SEAL Design MY26: 150 kW maximum; 37 min 10-80% | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportBMW i4 eDrive35 Sport: 180 kW maximum; 32 min 10-80% |
| Exterior | BYD SEAL Design MY26BYD SEAL Design MY26: 4,800 mm long; 1,875 mm wide excluding mirrors | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportBMW i4 eDrive35 Sport: 4,783 mm long; 1,852 mm wide excluding mirrors |
The i4 earns the first appointment when the opening solves a real problem
If you regularly carry a folded pushchair, bulky sports bag or awkward household purchase, book the i4 loading demonstration first. Its five-door description is a reason to investigate access above the load floor. It is not proof that the car will accept every large object, or that you should pay more without comparing the complete offers.
SEAL Design MY26 remains a strong candidate when the saloon opening takes your ordinary load without folding seats that passengers need. The updated manufacturer storage figures are substantially different from older SEAL documents. Treat the actual MY26 car as the subject of the demonstration rather than rejecting it on an old review's boot number.
For a family main car, I would decide this practical question before acceleration or a battery-size comparison. Set the same driving position, install the same child restraints and carry the same luggage to both appointments. The loading opening and the same real objects matter more than unmatched litre totals.
Identify Design MY26 and eDrive35 Sport on the order
The selected BYD is the refreshed UK SEAL Design rear-wheel-drive saloon. The current MY26 leaflet identifies an 82.5 kWh Blade LFP battery and five seats. Excellence AWD is another grade; its performance and suspension specification cannot be added to a Design order because the leaflet places both cars together.
The BMW selection is i4 eDrive35 Sport. The current official comparison selects that version and provides a configuration route; an authorised new-to-order listing describes a 210 kW, five-door car. The listing's 70 kWh title and the manufacturer's 67.1 kWh capacity field are not labelled to a common gross or usable basis here. Do not use the difference as a battery-efficiency conclusion.
Both have current UK retail routes, but neither route reserves a particular car for you. Have the proposal state the exact model year, build, wheel choice, paint, optional equipment and handover. The BMW build year and two personal cash quotations remain unconfirmed.
| Attribute | BYD SEAL Design MY26 | BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport |
|---|---|---|
| local selection | BYD SEAL Design MY26Current UK MY26 Design RWD, 82.5 kWh Blade LFP, five seats; exact unit and handover unconfirmed | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportCurrent eDrive35 Sport BEV/RWD, 210 kW and five-door new-to-order route; exact build and handover unconfirmed |
| purchase reference | BYD SEAL Design MY26Current PCP table £45,730 OTR / £43,328.34 revised OTR; complete unconditional personal cash proposal not obtained | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportFull UK cash OTR unconfirmed; official comparison tax disclaimer prevents treating its price as a reliable matched invoice |
MY26 storage changes the SEAL question, not the need to try the opening
BYD's current MY26 material declares 485 litres at the rear and 72 litres at the front. Older 400/53-litre figures describe earlier material, so they should not determine this comparison. BMW declares 470-1,290 litres for the selected i4. The methods and seat positions have not been harmonised here, and adding SEAL's two compartments does not create a single larger rear boot.
Keep charging leads in the front storage if that arrangement works for the actual car, then test the rear compartment with the passenger seats upright. On the BMW, check the opening height, parcel shelf, loading sill and clearance when the tailgate is raised in your garage. On the BYD, try the same awkward object through the saloon opening without relying on a diagonal manoeuvre that would become frustrating every week.
If both take the ordinary load, the five-door distinction may matter less than seat access, controls and the final offer. If one requires a passenger seat to be folded during a normal school or holiday journey, that is a concrete reason to prefer the other. We have not performed that packing test.
| Attribute | BYD SEAL Design MY26 | BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport |
|---|---|---|
| luggage reference | BYD SEAL Design MY26MY26 manufacturer rear 485 L and separate front 72 L; not older 400/53 L | BMW i4 eDrive35 SportManufacturer 470-1,290 L; five-door listing, with actual aperture and shared packing test unmeasured |
354 and 287-319 miles are combined WLTP references
Design's UK leaflet declares 354 miles combined WLTP; the selected BMW comparison gives a 287-319-mile combined WLTP interval. The interval should stay with its configuration context. Neither declaration is a measured cold-weather motorway return journey with your family aboard.
Use the trip you make repeatedly: its speed, destination charging, loaded parking time and acceptable arrival margin. A higher catalogue reference can make a route worth investigating, but it does not eliminate an occupied or unavailable charger. Check a second stop and a destination fallback rather than turning the upper value into the day's guaranteed distance.
For households charging overnight after short journeys, loading access and seat fit may affect more days than the largest range number. For regular long trips, charging locations and the actual car's route planning deserve an extended demonstration. Use each WLTP declaration to plan a route, then check weather and charging margins.
| Attribute | BYD SEAL Design MY26 | BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport |
|---|---|---|
| combined range | BYD SEAL Design MY26354 miles combined WLTP, UK Design RWD | BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport287-319 miles combined WLTP for selected manufacturer eDrive35 Sport entry |
Compare the whole stop, with the declared starting point kept beside the time
The SEAL sheet declares 150 kW maximum DC and 37 minutes from 10 to 80%; BMW declares 180 kW and 32 minutes over 10-80%. This is a common percentage interval, but it concerns different battery declarations and separately stated conditions. It is not a five-minute saving demonstrated at the same charger.
BYD specifies a suitable CCS2 charger above 150 kW and 650 V with 25°C ambient conditions for maximum charging performance. Charger capability, battery temperature and starting state affect the actual stop. The SEAL's separate 26-minute 30-80% declaration cannot replace its 10-80% number when compared with BMW.
Both selected specifications list an 11 kW AC capability. Check the supply where you actually park; an 11 kW car does not make a single-phase home a three-phase installation. Obtain an installer assessment and include any electrical work, permissions and charging losses in the decision. The 10-80% declarations are useful references, not a common timed charging test.
A finance example does not settle the cash price of the loading difference
The current BYD offer for orders from 7 October to 31 December 2026 publishes £45,730 OTR and £43,328.34 revised OTR in its Design PCP example. The finance example has its own deposit, contribution, payments, final balance, mileage and credit terms. Sandicliffe separately displays a £43,328 cash reference. That dealer display still needs an itemised proposal for the exact MY26 car and options.
BMW's selected comparison price carries a tax disclaimer that does not form a dependable UK OTR invoice. We therefore leave the matched BMW cash total open. Subtracting that display from a BYD finance or dealer headline would make the loading choice look more precisely priced than it is. Obtain two complete cash OTR proposals before deciding what the five-door layout costs.
Ask both sellers to itemise delivery, registration, applicable vehicle tax and any expensive-car supplement treatment for the actual registration and specification. Compare finance separately by the complete contract. For use costs, include your electricity purchases, insurance and servicing proposals. This research supplies no matched depreciation, repair-cost or annual-saving dataset.
Try included Design equipment and the actual Sport order
The SEAL MY26 equipment sheet marks automatic LED headlights, an electric tailgate, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and split-folding rear seats for Design. These are practical things to demonstrate with the seating position and load you intend to use. A comfortable seat in a brochure does not establish comfort on your commute.
The BMW's exact standard-versus-optional family equipment has not been reconciled to an individual Sport proposal here. Ask the seller to mark the equipment you need, including seat heating, parking views and assistance features, on the order. Do not price an optioned demonstration car as the base Sport or assume a similar screen provides the same control layout.
Check phone connection, climate adjustments and rear-seat access while parked safely. Obtain current insurance, maintenance and applicable vehicle/battery cover for both exact cars. Manufacturer assistance features do not constitute a shared safety test, autonomous driving or evidence of faster repair support. Check the actual parking bay and rear-seat access rather than inferring room from exterior size.
China-side evidence
Keep this choice tied to the UK cars
Chinese-market SEAL equipment and owner accounts can prompt questions, but they do not specify the British MY26 Design order. A review of an i4 with another motor, wheel package or option set cannot settle this Sport's equipment or range. No overseas list price, complaint count or residual-value percentage is used to predict a UK ownership result.
If you need a feature, have the retailer demonstrate it on the identified car and confirm it in writing. If you need evidence about reliability or repair time, look for a properly described sample relevant to the actual models; this comparison has no such dataset.
Owner reports, complaint records and recall notices from the Chinese market, each with the source and the date we read it. Sample sizes are small; read them as signals, not survey results.
Make the same loading task the final comparison
Choose SEAL Design MY26 when its actual saloon opening and cabin fit the family, the documented equipment is useful and the complete current proposal is attractive. Choose the i4 when the five-door opening solves a recurring task that SEAL cannot handle conveniently, and the actual specification and completed contract justify the choice. If neither passes the load and seating test, expand the shortlist through the UK guides.
This is documentary research using current UK manufacturer and authorised retail material read on 19 October 2026 UTC. MY26 technical and dimension pages were inspected; current prices remain within their respective finance, dealer or unresolved tax contexts. No CathayEV road, packing, winter-range, charging or reliability test was conducted. The recommendation is a practical order for demonstrations, not a claim that a litre total proves family suitability.
Questions before ordering a saloon or five-door
- Does the SEAL still have the old 400-litre boot?
- The current UK MY26 material declares 485 litres at the rear and 72 litres at the front. Confirm MY26 on the actual order; the two separate compartments are not one rear loading space.
- Does BMW’s 470-litre figure mean it carries less?
- No. The measurement procedures and actual loading opening have not been matched here. Try the same objects with the required passenger seats upright; five-door access can matter separately from nominal litres.
- Is the i4 guaranteed to save five minutes at every rapid stop?
- No. The manufacturers declare 32 and 37 minutes over 10-80% under separate conditions. There is no common timed test, and peak power is not the sustained session average.
- What is the exact current cash price difference?
- It remains unknown. BYD finance and dealer references need a complete personal proposal, while the BMW comparison price has inconsistent tax wording and is not treated as a UK OTR cash invoice.
Keep reading
Check the costs for your own driving
Estimate petrol and electricity spending from your mileage and charging access, then compare finance payments separately.