Audi S6 Sportback e-tron vs BYD Seal 390 AWD: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Seal 390 AWD hits 100 km/h in 3.77 s versus 4.08 s for the S6 Sportback e-tron. At this point, the Seal 390 AWD leads by 0.31 s and sits roughly 2 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Seal 390 AWD is doing 155 km/h against 146 km/h for the S6 Sportback e-tron. The gap is 0.29 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the Seal 390 AWD crosses the line in 11.93 s versus 12.52 s. The 0.59 s gap represents roughly 28 m of track - two to three car lengths.

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The Seal 390 AWD maxes out at 180 km/h while the S6 Sportback e-tron keeps accelerating towards 233 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.51 s.

Around 869 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the S6 Sportback e-tron overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 53 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the S6 Sportback e-tron finishes in 23.58 s versus 23.93 s. The 0.35 s delta shows an extremely tight race.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the S6 Sportback e-tron is capped at 240 km/h, the Seal 390 AWD at 180 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two electric powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (4.28 kg/hp vs 4.06 kg/hp) and transmission (Unknown vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 6.31 seconds. The 0.31 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.