BYD Seal vs MG IM6

The MG IM6 costs £2,265 more than the BYD Seal. For that premium it adds 34 miles more WLTP range, 246 kW faster peak rapid charging and 265 litres more boot space. The BYD Seal is not just cheaper - it also offers lower energy use, 166 versus 182 Wh/km. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BYD Seal comes out ahead overall.

The BYD Seal is £2,265 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £184 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the BYD Seal comes out roughly £2,345 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 244 miles for the BYD Seal and 275 miles for the MG IM6 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The MG IM6 goes roughly 30 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 37 minutes in the BYD Seal and 17 in the MG IM6, so the MG IM6 loses less time at each stop. That makes the MG IM6 the stronger long-distance car.

The BYD Seal is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 113 mm narrower than the MG IM6. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 525 mm of total clearance for the BYD Seal and about 412 mm of total clearance for the MG IM6. The MG IM6 also turns in a 1.0 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the BYD Seal and 84% for the MG IM6. That gives the BYD Seal a modest edge in retained real-world range. The BYD Seal's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the MG IM6's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.