Last weekend I went to the 2026 Festival of the Unexceptional, held as ever in the stately surroundings of Grimsthope Castle in Lincolnshire. The event, generously sponsored by Hagerty, a motor insurance firm, has been going since 2014 and it’s the antidote to those posh car concours d’elegance, at say, Goodwood, Paris and Pebble Beach, opulent, champagne-drenched affairs ram-packed with Porsches, Delahayes, Ferraris, Bentleys and Bugattis. Nice as all that stuff can be, it’s sterile, almost literally.
The Festival of the Unexceptional is the kind of place where folk get more excited at spotting a mint 30-year-old Skoda pick-up, a four-wheeled Reliant, a Datsun Sunny, defiantly still in one piece, or a faded and rusty Chrysler Alpine. These were mundane, boring, deeply unspecial cars in their day, not truly “classics” by most definitions, derided by snobs, mostly once commonplace and now forgotten. But not quite at “Fotu”, as the aficionados call it.
This year’s winner of the sort-of prestigious “Concours de l’Ordinaire” was fairly typical – a neat but not pristine 2001 Volkswagen Polo E (base model) with 176,000 miles on the clock. Runners-up were a Toyota Picnic (unmemorable people carrier) and a Ford Focus (I forget the exact model, which is precisely the point).
Anyway, on arrival I ran into an old friend and colleague who asked me what I’d come in. I knew it would be a disappointment, but I couldn’t say “Morris Marina” or “Daihatsu Applause” because that would not only be a lie but he’d ask to have a look around it. So I said “Erm, BYD Seal 6 estate”. This elicited not even the tiniest facial reaction, let alone any follow-up queries. I was suddenly a ghost, and not a Rolls-Royce one either.
On my way back out (avoiding the crowds who’d surely lynch someone driving such an abomination as a new BYD), it did occur to me that, in about a quarter century’s time, the BYD 6 Seal estate (or “Touring”, officially) would actually be very welcome at Fotu, and might even be up for an award. In the best possible way, this remarkably comfortable car should qualify for entry and for excellence in certain Fotu qualities.
First, it isn’t particularly beautiful. Even in the slightly bizarre all-black treatment given to my lease car, it ain’t gonna stand out in a crowd (especially on a dark night). It’s not a bad looker, but no one’s idea of a modern-day successor to a Citroen DS, even though the nose does have a bit of aerodynamicist about it. It’s not ungainly – the estate lines echo those of a contemporary Peugeot, but neither is it too ugly to induce a shudder either now or in the decades to come.
It drives well, combining the very best of plug-in hybrid technology to deliver a smooth boost of power when you need it (mostly driving like an EV), thanks to the electric motor and the petrol unit working in harmony. You also get good fuel economy and an outrageous range (839 miles combined, fully filled and charged).
THE SPEC
BYD Seal 6 Touring Comfort Lite
Price: £36,990 (as tested; range starts at £34,990)
Engine capacity: 1.5l petrol 4-cyl, 6-sp dual-clutch auto + elec motor and 19 kWh battery. FWD
Power output (bhp): 209
Top speed (mph): 111
0 to 60 (seconds): 8.5
Fuel economy (mpg): 188 (inc battery-only use)
CO2 emissions (WLTP, g/km): 38 (inc battery-only use)
Like many a Fotu entrant was in its time, the Seal 6 is highly acceptable transport for a family. It does everything well, and nothing really badly – but there are flaws. These, though, are commendably minor and, well, not exceptional by any means.
The driver assistance is a tiny bit intrusive, though I never mind that because I’d prefer not to get a speeding ticket or have an “unforgettable” RTA. The thing I couldn’t get the hang of is the switch in the roof console that controlled the sunroof, impossible to use safely when on the move, and tricky even when stationary. Having now driven a good many Chinese-engineered cars, I am used to the light-grey graphics used in the dash and having to use the touchscreen a bit too much to, say, cool the seats in this sticky-hot weather, but those are just the gripes of a deeply spoilt man.
Inevitably, the BYD reminded me of some of the Japanese Toyotas, Lexuses, Suzukis, Subarus and Mitsubishis around this year’s Fotu. Half a century ago, these were the shock of the new. The now well-known brands did what BYD and some (though by no means all) of its Chinese peers are doing now – making solidly reliable if unglamorous, well-equipped and safe vehicles with value for money “as standard”. Thus, the BYD is perfectly competitive and a little cheaper (including on finance) than its also highly likeable estate rivals from Skoda, VW, Toyota, Volvo (albeit a V60 is much pricier) and Peugeot.
Estates are sadly a bit of a dying breed, but remain a more dynamic option than an SUV (ceteris paribus). I’m looking forward to Fotu 2051 when I might renew my acquaintance with my Seal and fondly try to recall what it was and how it got such a silly name.
