A Chinese arrived and won: BYD Seal was elected Car of the Year in Portugal | Automobiles

It was in May last year that BYD arrived in Portugal, via the Salvador Caetano Group, an importer of brands originating from distant places, but well established on the European scene, such as the Japanese Toyota or the South Korean Hyundai. The arrival of the Chinese emblem caused some buzz in the market with the three models it presented. But it was towards the end of the year that BYD proved to be looking at Europe as a market to stay and succeed.

The Seal, based on a new platform and with blade batteries, which, underlined by the emblem, reinforces the bodywork, debuted at the end of 2023 as a D-segment car, more designed to affirm the brand in a market that values ​​quality and details of what exactly to become a bestseller (although it directly rivals, even in terms of price, the Tesla Model 3, which was the seventh best-selling model in Portugal last year).

Now, the Seal wins the title of Car of the Year in the country, an award that, organized by Express and SIC/SIC Notícias, is awarded by 19 journalists from the sector representing their respective media bodies, PUBLIC included. And it becomes the first 100% electric car to achieve the feat, in a year in which the seven finalists also included Hyundai Ioniq 6, Hyundai Kauai, Renault Espace, Toyota C-HR, Toyota Prius and Volvo EX30.

In addition to the Seguro Directo Car of the Year/Troféu Volante de Cristal 2023, the BYD Seal won, with the Excellence version with 83 kWh battery, precisely the Tram Class, in which there were 14 entries. At the same time, it won the Design Award, a new category that asks the jury to select the most elegant car in the competition.

The announcement of the awards was made this Wednesday night, during the annual party that brings together several agents from the automotive industry, and included more winners. In the remaining classes, the Renault Clio was crowned City Car of the Year, the Renault Espace won the Family title, the Toyota Prius won the Plug-in Hybrid class, the Toyota C-HR scored points as the best hybrid proposal, the Kia EV9 won the Large SUV trophy and the Jeep Avenger won the Compact SUV award. In the blazing accelerations and performances taking your breath away, the Honda Civic Type R was crowned Sports Car of the Year.

The Technology and Innovation Award was given to Volvo, for the LiDAR system, a remote detection method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges with high precision and reliability. In other words, explains Volvo, “it is capable of detecting small objects, hundreds of meters in front, giving time to inform, to act and to avoid”.

Daniela Simões, CEO of startup Miio mobility company, with the Personality of the Year Award, the selection of which is the exclusive responsibility of the organization.

BYD Seal, electric exclusivity

The Seal is distinguished by its low, sculpted and, at the same time, fluid lines, which guarantee an aerodynamic resistance coefficient of just 0.219. Based on e-Platform 3.0, Cell-to-Body (CTB) technology debuts, with the battery being a structural component of the vehicle’s body, which contributes favorably to torsional rigidity, but also to safety (obtained five Euro stars NCAP) or for the space on board, particularly in height, without this having required increasing the roof line. Price: from €46,990.

Renault Clio, made for the city

The mid-life update of the fifth-generation Clio has adopted Gilles Vidal’s design language, with a checkered grille, which gives it a sporty touch, without compromising on efficiency. On the contrary: the E-tech Full Hybrid version, which was in the competition, was worked on to offer more power (from 140 to 145 hp) and, consequently, better performance (it now accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.3 seconds instead of the previous 9.9) without compromising consumption or emissions, which remained at 4.2 l/100km and 95 g/km. Price: from €26,070.

Renault Espace, the big family car

Based on the same CMF-CD platform, which also gives life to the Austral, winner of the Car of the Year title in 2023, the Espace is capable of transporting seven people, with only 159 liters of cargo space remaining; collected, it allows you to store between 477 and 677 liters in the boot. In the E-Tech Full Hybrid 200 version, it combines a 1.2 gasoline engine, two electric motors and a multimode gearbox for more than reasonable behavior: it allows acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 175 km/h. And consumption is family-friendly: 4.8 l/100km. Price: from €45,580.

Honda Civic Type R, the daring

What is believed to be the last Type R is probably the best of a generation of Civic, presenting an almost perfect balance between surprising performance (and keeping us in our seats) and comfort. In this new life, there is no bump in the road that scares the Type R: it passes them lightly and without any problems. And, despite looking more like a sheep than a wolf, this is far from the truth. Not only does it keep its claws out with the same personality as any predecessor, it also has better performance: it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. Price: from €74,000.

Toyota C-HR, efficient

With a 1.8 HEV variant, which combines a 1798cc gasoline engine, developing 98 hp at 5200 rpm, a 70 kW electrical system and a 0.85 kWh battery, the C-HR stands out for its good hybrid system management, with good results in terms of efficiency. On the other hand, it won’t be the fastest (it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a short 10.2 seconds), but the performance contained is compensated by the agile behavior, drawing curves without hesitation and as quickly gliding over an impeccable asphalt as absorbing any irregularities on poorly maintained roads. Price: from €35,350.

Toyota Prius, rational elegance

Variant only plugin, which combines a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 151 hp with a 163 hp electric engine, supported by a 13.6 kWh battery, for an electric range of almost 70 kilometers, the Prius proves to be up to the mobility challenges of today’s times. they run. And with a cherry on top: the most equipped version (Premium) can include solar panels, which recharge the battery when the car is parked, which allows the electric range to be extended by more than eight kilometers per day. Price: from €39,520.

Jeep Avenger, versatile

At the American Jeep, the Avenger was the first on several fronts: being designed for Europe, including 100% electric mechanics and, in a brand that leads the way in the off-road, with a strong city vibe. After being International Car of the Year a year ago, the Avenger scored points in the compact class by effectively being a car worthy of that designation (length of 4084mm) without sacrificing interior comfort or turning its back on Jeep’s DNA. The Avenger may have been made for the city, but it can also cope on more difficult trails. Price: from €37,800.

Kia EV9, electric giant

With more than five meters and seven seats, with rear and all-wheel drive variants, guaranteeing a range of more than 500 kilometers on a single charge, Kia’s top of the range created some frenzy around the South Korean brand when it took over. as an alternative to brand models premium, such as Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX, Mercedes EQE SUV, Tesla Model X or Volvo EX90. And with an advantage over most: the space an adult finds in the third row. What is certain is that it has already reaped dividends for its boldness: it was Car of the Year in the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year. Price: from €77,000.