SEAL Design vs Ioniq 6 Premium in the UK: seats, parking and the real purchase quote

The BYD reference is the current UK MY26 leaflet, selecting Design rear-wheel drive. It lists an 82.5 kWh LFP battery, 312 PS and 354 miles combined WLTP. The battery figure is kept as labelled; we do not infer a usable-versus-gross capacity basis. The national SEAL offer and a current authorised-retailer Design enquiry route establish a UK buying channel, without confirming that a particular car is allocated to you.

Hyundai’s UK price and technical document says Model Year 25, data correct April 2026, with prices effective from 1 April. We select Premium 77.4 kWh RWD, rated at 168 kW or 228 PS. Do not substitute the 63 or 84 kWh specifications of a different-market or later version. Ask the dealer to identify the model year, powertrain, specification and delivery date on the order, especially if the showroom demonstration is a different trim.

The SEAL Design column marks Nappa upholstery, an eight-way electric driver’s seat with position memory, four-way electric driver lumbar support and a six-way electric front passenger seat. Both front seats are heated and ventilated. The heated steering wheel and panoramic roof are also included in the leaflet. Try the memory recall and the seat adjustment with each regular driver: the feature has value only if the resulting position suits you.

Ioniq 6 Premium has cloth seats, electric adjustment and electric lumbar support for both front occupants, heated front seats and heated outer rear seats. The same document places front ventilation, driver memory, leather seat facings and front relaxation seats in Ultimate. Those differences are clear without assuming that cloth is less comfortable or that an electric seat must fit better. Premium’s heated steering wheel and heat pump are already included; they are not reasons to add an Ultimate-only feature list to the quotation.

Ioniq 6 ventilation and memory belong to Ultimate, not the selected Premium.

Design includes the 360-degree camera and front/rear parking radars in BYD’s UK specification. Premium has front/rear parking distance warning and a rear-view monitor with guidance; Hyundai reserves the surround-view monitor and remote smart parking assistance for Ultimate. Test the actual image, the controls and what you can see over your shoulder. These systems assist a driver; neither a surround display nor a remote-parking label establishes safe clearance in your space.

Both documents list a powered boot function: an electric tailgate for SEAL and a height-adjustable smart electric tailgate for Ioniq 6. BYD lists 72 litres of front storage and 485 litres at the rear; Hyundai lists 45 litres in front and 401 litres VDA at the rear for RWD. BYD does not establish the same measurement basis here, so we do not declare a winner from the totals. Bring a pushchair or suitcases, check the opening and hinge clearance, and try the rear-seat fold with your driving position retained.

A camera label does not demonstrate visibility or permit unattended manoeuvres.

Luggage methods are not matched, so the litre figures do not establish a loading winner.

SEAL Design’s leaflet gives 354 miles combined WLTP, not its 428-mile city figure. Hyundai gives Premium RWD 338 miles combined WLTP. Those are manufacturer comparison figures, not distances we have measured on your motorway route. Weather, speed, load, battery condition and heating use can change what you achieve, so plan around your actual journeys and available charging rather than using a catalogue maximum as a promise.

BYD lists up to 150 kW DC and 37 minutes from 10 to 80%, or 26 minutes from 30 to 80%. Its maximum-speed conditions specify a CCS2 charger with output above 150 kW, voltage above 650 V and suitable ambient temperature of 25°C. Hyundai’s table quotes 18 minutes from 10 to 80% using a 350 kW station, while its footnote qualifies ultra-fast charging as 18-36 minutes depending on conditions. The 350 kW is the station rating, not a verified car peak. The source figures favour asking Hyundai for a rapid-charge demonstration, but they do not constitute a controlled head-to-head test.

For AC, BYD specifies 11 kW three-phase and 8.6 hours from 0 to 100%. Hyundai illustrates 0-100% in 7 hours 10 minutes at an 11 kW point. Do not assume an ordinary home connection supplies either stated scenario. Have an installer confirm the available supply, equipment and expected routine for your property; charger installation and a usable parking space are separate from buying the car.

Hyundai also qualifies its figure as 18-36 minutes; station rating is not the car peak and neither result is our test.