[sameerg]

I would say go for neither.

X1: As mentioned by others, not worth the price. It's really underpowered and not even that spacious. If you want that badge, you can check Audi

BYD: Given its origin and the climate between the two countries, coupled with it being EV I would stay away from it. EV tech is evolving, and I would assume that in the next 3-5 years, we should see leaps in technology and a decent reduction in pricing.

You may want to check out Tiguan or Kodiaq if you want to go the German way.

[AbhiJ]

If you want to go for the X1, go for the iX1.

Otherwise BYD Seal might be a smarter buy

[Mitadru]

If you want a head turner, go for the BYD Seal, cause not even a Mercedes S class will be able to get that much attention like a BYD Seal. And the Performance variant 's powerful motor and tech will make you feel that every money spent on it is worth it.
If you want the BMW, go for it, but I hope you don't suffer from the remorse that you could buy a better car for almost the same price, but you didn't go for it. The only advantage of the X1 is it's high ground clearance. Buying a electric car now is the best decision. You are futureproof to all those whimsical rules and regulations of the government that ICE owning people may suffer. Also if you are a green loving person, you can pat yourself on the back for reducing tailpipe emissions.
Now the rest is up to you. Keep us posted on your decisions.

[Moontan]

The X1 is front wheel drive. Enough said. It's not really a Bimmer, just badged as one.

I've been in an Uber BYD in a different geo and I was impressed by its overall build quality and aesthetics so much so that I asked what car it was. BYD was the reply. I don't know the model though. It's tech is impressive.

[Guna]

As someone suggested, you can go with iX1. Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ioniq5 are sensible buys.
While the BYD Seal may be very tempting, I feel it may be bit impractical as an everyday car (5 meters in length, low GC, glass sunroof without cover etc).

[doctorjee]

X1 is a laughable option against BYD Seal. However, given the ground clearance requirements of Gurgaon, I would recommend Kia EV6 for your price point.
Since you have never driven any EV before you may also consider Atto3 or the upcoming MG4

[evil_grin]

The X1 is a 3rd class car. It neither has power, nor RWD, nor luxury, comfort, interiors, space or features.

Brands have Halo cars that improve people's perception of them. The X1 is the reverse.It is a textbook case of not brand dilution, but flushing a brand down the drain.

Everything it does, it's competitors do better.
Nobody should be buying X1, A class and Q2s anyways. They suck.

[sreeharipv]

Drive Seal and X1 back to back and then if you can still look at the X1, go for it.

One thing others didn't mention I guess, when a proper EV SUV from BYD or the likes emerge in the 40 - 50 L segment, your X1 residual value might tank like a lead billet.

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by ManiPrakash

. My heart is torn between two very appealing options: the BMW X1 and the BYD Seal. Having always dreamed of owning a luxury vehicle, I find myself at a crossroads, weighing ownership costs, brand value, and the evolving landscape of EV infrastructure in India.

Until now, I've been driving a Honda City and was initially inclined towards buying an SUV for the versatility and ground clearance it offers.

As someone who owns a BMW X3 20d (which lots of our BHPians diss for being underpowered and unrefined for its price point) and also a Tiguan Allspace & an Ioniq 5, I think I am well placed to offer my two bits without having driven either the current X1 or the Seal.

Buying any luxury car at any price point does not make sense on an Excel sheet. Mass market brands like Hyundai, Kia and VW have products that on paper are as good if not better than those of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volvo or JLR. But an increasing number of people all over the world still buy luxury cars.

And that is because a car is an emotional purchase - it is the most visible indicator of your having arrived at a certain level of success. It is very easy for someone like me who already has an X3 to buy a Tiguan Allspace (which is as powerful and more spacious than an X3, and was available for half the price) as a second car. It is a great car - very refined, good interiors, nice to drive - but I still prefer to drive my X3 which has a certain “Je ne sais quoi” which an Allspace does not give. So if you want to upgrade to a luxury brand - do it! Drive comparable cars from these brands and buy the one you like. Based on my own experience, you will be happy with that car 6-7 years and 60-70,000 km down the line. A Seltos may offer a lot of what the X1 does at half the price (and more in some respects) but it won’t give you the delight of having fulfilled an aspiration. If you put cars on an Excel sheet, every Indian would buy the Innova Hycross.

If you wish to consider EVs, BYD in most markets is a great choice. But in India, it currently represents a major gamble. Despite their partner, Megha Engineering, being the biggest purchaser of Electoral Bonds, their FDI application was turned down. India is too big a market for them to ignore and they will try for a few years. But we don’t know how geopolitics will shape up and you could well end with them pulling out.

Hence if I were in your place and wanted an EV, I would (and have) look at the Ioniq 5 and potentially at the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID4 assuming they will be launched shortly. I might even look at new offerings from MG - whose JV with JSW makes them a far more stable choice in India. And of course I would look at the largest selling car of them all - the Tesla Model Y - which could well launch in 6 months or so.

If I could stretch my budget by another ₹20 l, I would consider the IX1 and the Volvo C40. But even ignoring the fact that the Seal is a low slung sedan which you would need to drive very carefully, BYD is a huge gamble.

Btw, from what I have seen, resale values for luxury cars after 5-6 years hold far better than those for mass market products.

Best wishes and do let us know what you decide.

[antz.bin]

Not getting into the geopolitics, the more apt options would be:

BMW X1 vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV6 vs Volvo XC40 Recharge
https://www.carwale.com/compare-cars...9873&source=17

BYD Seal is a Sedan and a long wheelbase + low slung one at that.

Had this been X1 vs Model Y (the best-selling car in the world for 2023), it would have been a no brainer. But as it stands right now, X1, even with the engine under the hood, holds too much of an advantage on practicality AND emotions over the BYD Seal.

I understand why BYD Seal made the cut. I mean, it is is one of the candidates of World Car of the year 2024 and its hard to pass up 500+ hp when you have that option right there! But unfortunately, given our roads, it might be prudent to wait it out for the BYD Sea Lion or the Tesla Model Y instead of going for the Seal.

From the current options, I would pick the Volvo in AWD guise.

[ManiPrakash]

Originally Posted by AtheK

Except for the badge, nothing is going for the BMW X1, which is a joke of a product at that price point. That steering wheel itself looks like an eyesore.

With BYD Seal, you can also include the Volvo XC40 recharge in the mix if you want to keep the SUV form factor in consideration.

Ultimately, it is your money, and the X1 will win any day over Volvo or BYD if you want that badge. Still, I always believe in buying the top end of another manufacturer rather than an aspirational brand's base model.

Checked out Volvo XC40, personally didn't like the sense of space in the car. It's more practical though, badge value, Safety (they are the best), performance. But it just didnt catch my heart's attention. so Dropped this one.

Originally Posted by GoBabyGo

Hi, I agree with you about BYD Seal. However, I strongly feel that as of 2024, Hyundai IONIQ 5 offers better peace of mind at similar price. It offers very similar driving range (about 50km less than Seal but good enough for long highway drive), higher seating and respectable ground clearance. Feature wise IONIQ 5 is very well loaded.

I am given to understand that NCR dealers are offering 1.5 lacs to 2.0 lacs discount on IONiQ 5.

Drove Ioniq 5 last week.
Loved the Car, it drives well, is spacious and is loaded with Tech.

Moreover with higher ground clearance, it ticks the boxes for NCR roads too.
Personally I found the interiors to be "not so premium" for a 50 L car. It was plasticky at a lot of places and gave the sense of a regular entry level car.

Checked on price, it's 48.5L OTR in Gurgaon.
The car is sold directly by Hyundai, Dealers only facilitate the test drives and transactions. Then it is taken over by Hyundai corporate. so, no discounts here.

At 48.5L, I found Seal to be much more mesmerising.

[ManiPrakash]

Hi All,

Thank you so much for the valuable suggestions. This last week was packed with back-to-back test drives and here are some of my observations:

Toyota Camry:
Love the car, it drives well, is quick (not compared to some other cars I drove), low maintenance and amazing FE for a car this size. But the car's interiors don't justify its price. They are basic, even a 10L car has more to offer. Moreover, a new facelift is expected by the end of 2024, so dropped the plan as I would rather wait for the facelift than buy this.

Ioniq 5:
Amazing Car, Quick, drives well, high GC, luxurious on the inside.
Didn't like the interiors (that's a personal choice), found it to be plasticky and too white for me. I love light colour interiors though (My Honda City is Beige) but this one is lighter beyond my threshold too.

Audi A4:
Loved it. Just found it to be small (sense of space). Compared to my existing car, not too roomy but of course, drives much better and is a rocket on wheels if compared to City. But with a similar driving style (sedan), I would want an upgrade on space too.

Skoda Kodiaq:
The car has my heart. It is amazing. Checks all the boxes.
The engine, the space, luxurious interiors, German quality, high GC and an SUV, I think nothing can go wrong if I have this. I will be able to take the car wherever I want without thinking twice. No charging is required, can handle rough roads and the car feels huge on the inside (at this price point).

My reservations about the Kodiaq (personal): The facelift version is already out and there is still time for it to be launched in India (as per dealers, it will land on our shores by mid-2025, sure they will say that to clear their existing stocks). I want to have the latest product offered by the company (that's a personal choice mostly) and knowing that a facelift is present, the heart is not convinced about buying a generation-older product.

I love the car, but this one thing is playing on my mind and I know I won't be happy with my decision when the newer model is launched. I know facelifts and updates are part of the process, but in this case, the newer model has already been launched. So I won't buy an N-1 model.

BYD Seal
Drove it for close to 40 kms, the Premium version (mid-variant) and I was blown away. What a drive. It's faaaaaasssstttttt. No other car mentioned above comes close.

It's spacious, it's quick, it's silent. It definitely has everything from a driver's POV.

But the car has its downsides. I was mindful of taking it over speed bumps or bad interior roads due to low GC. But it didn't scrape anywhere even once. We had 4 adults sitting in the car (I explicitly asked the car to be loaded with 4 people to check the GC issue). I had to slow down, but due to the power, the car would make up for the speed lost due to breakers.

My second EV drive (after Ioniq 5) and this car was nothing like I had driven before. Don't know what sports cars feel like, but this was quick enough.

Update on the Decision
Firstly thank you all for all the help.

After driving all these cars multiple times through multiple dealers in Delhi and Gurgaon, I finally booked a BYD Seal Premium.

It was a tough choice and I am aware that the Seal is not a go-everywhere car but I am willing to take that for the amazing driving dynamics this car has to offer.

Cannot wait to have the car with me (according to the dealer, it might take up to 2 months for the car to land on our shores (as per my booking slot). Will share the photos soon.

Thank you!

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by ManiPrakash

BYD SEAL
Drove it for close to 40 kms, the Premium version (mid variant) and i was blown away. What a drive.
my second EV drive (after Ioniq 5) and this car was nothing like I have driven before. Donno how sports cars feel like but this was quick enough.


UPDATE on Decision
Firstly thank you all for all the help.
Afterall driving all these cars multiple times through multiple dealers in Delhi and Gurgaon, I finally booked BYD SEAL PREMIUM.

It was a tough choice and I am aware SEAL is not an everywhere car but I am willing to take that bet for the amazing driving dynamics this car has to offer.

Cannot wait to have the car with me (acc the dealer it might take upto 2 months for the car to land the shores (as per my slot booking).

Congrats. Hope the Seal gives you many thousands of miles of happy motoring. Don’t think you can go wrong with this car - let’s just hope that geopolitics don’t intervene here. But ultimately what matters most is that YOU are happy with the car you buy.

Please do post a detailed review of the Seal once you get it - nothing as nice as user reviews of a car.

[GoBabyGo]

Originally Posted by ManiPrakash

Hi All,

UPDATE on Decision
Firstly thank you all for all the help.
Afterall driving all these cars multiple times through multiple dealers in Delhi and Gurgaon, I finally booked BYD SEAL PREMIUM.

It was a tough choice and I am aware SEAL is not an everywhere car but I am willing to take that bet for the amazing driving dynamics this car has to offer.

Cannot wait to have the car with me (acc the dealer it might take upto 2 months for the car to land the shores (as per my slot booking). Will share the photos soon.

Thank you!!

Hi, congratulations on your booking. Hope we will see your initial ownership review soon.

Could you please share your experience on ingress and seating posture compared to Honda City you have. Also your experience on knee room at the front and rear for people with height of 5ft 8inch to 6ft. Is it really an issue that rear passenger can not strech her/his feet under front seat for better comfort. This is an important factor in long travel to us atleast.

[ManiPrakash]

Originally Posted by GoBabyGo

Hi, congratulations on your booking. Hope we will see your initial ownership review soon.

Could you please share your experience on ingress and seating posture compared to Honda City you have. Also your experience on knee room at the front and rear for people with height of 5ft 8inch to 6ft. Is it really an issue that rear passenger can not strech her/his feet under front seat for better comfort. This is an important factor in long travel to us atleast.

The car is much bigger if I compare it to Honda City.
The seating position is definitely lower but since it's a long car, you wont find dearth of space at all. I am 5'10.5, and with my driving position, my brother who is 6'4, didn't find the lack of leg space sitting right behind me.

However, there are few things to note.
Due to battery under the hood, the knees are relatively upright if you compare it to ICE cars. Also, the space is limited under the front seat to stretch your legs, but I believe that is needed only if you have lack of space in the backseat.

If you're under 6 feet in the driving seat, the rear passenger with similar height wouldn't find it an issue at all. But since everyone has a diff definition of comfort, you might want to try if it suits your requirements.

Hope that helps.