Images
Chinese maker BYD further establishes its growing position in the mid-sized SUV Plug-in Hybrid market with a second potentially more affordable model, the Sealion 5 U DM-i. There's everything here you need from a car this kind and nothing you don't - at a cheaper price than you might expect to have to pay.
+ More
Background
BYD seems like an unstoppable force. It's still Britain's fastest-growing car maker and globally, it now sells more EVs than Tesla. In our market though, with its hesitating electric transition, the bigger BYD emphasis is now on PHEVs, with the Seal U DM-i mid-sized Plug-in Hybrid SUV one of the company's biggest sellers. Encouraging the brand to add in a couple of PHEV products above it - the Seal 6 U DM-i saloon and tourer estate. And a couple more below it - the Atto 2 DM-i compact SUV and the car a look at here, the more mid-sized Sealion 5 U DM-i.
If you're wondering, as we were, why the company needs two separate mid-sized SUVs with PHEV power, drilling down into the detail reveals some of the answers. The Sealion 5 U DM-i is available with a smaller-battery version of the 1.5-litre PHEV powertrain used by its Seal equivalent, which allows this Sealion to offer a significantly lower entry-level price.
With that 13kWh 'Comfort'-spec base Sealion 5 model, BYD can target cheaper contenders in this class like PHEV versions of the MG HS and the Citroen C5 Aircross. Leaving the Seal U DM-i more targeted against pricier mid-sized SUV Plug-in Hybrids like the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid and the Ford Kuga PHEV. Go for that base Sealion 5 U DM-i and potentially, you can get yourself a family PHEV crossover for the price other brands will charge for drive technology you can't plug in. Sounds like a good approach. Let's take a closer look.
+ More
Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 29995 | 32995 |
| Insurance group 1-50 | 27 | 40 |
| CO2 (g/km) | 1422 | 1422 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 106 | 106 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| Min | Max |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 3853 | 3853 |
| Length (mm) | 4738 | 4738 |
| Width (mm) | 1860 | 1860 |
| Height (mm) | 1710 | 1710 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 463 | 463 |
Driving experience
As you'd expect, the Sealion 5 U DM-i uses broadly the same 1.5-litre petrol PHEV system as the brand's Seal U DM-i - though there are small differences. Most versions of the equivalent Seal are sold with broadly the same 18kWh 209bhp powertrain that most Sealion 5 U DM-i customers will also want. Range is 53 miles. Unlike the equivalent Seal, this car can't offer this PHEV powertrain in its longer-ranging 26.6kWh form. But the Sealion 5 U DM-i does exclusively offer a smaller-battery 13kWh option (with the same drive motor), though with that, EV range falls to just 38 miles.
The 1.5-litre powertrain in play here is one of those PHEV units where nearly all of the grunt comes from the electric motor. The four cylinder petrol unit contributes just 95bhp and is content to be unused most of the time, chipping in unobtrusively when necessary. So it's quite an EV-like driving experience - though not an especially engaging one, with light feel-less steering. The all-independent suspension is reasonably supple and drive always goes to the front wheels.
Refinement is excellent as the two power sources blend seamlessly. The intrusive nature of the various ADAS systems isn't, so try before you buy. With 300Nm of torque, 0-62mph takes 8.1s for the 18kWh model and 7.7s for the lighter 13kWh version. Top speed either way is 106mph. There are four drive modes - Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow - and two selectable levels of regenerative braking, neither of them of the aggressive 'one-pedal' variety.
+ More
Design and build
You probably won't be choosing this Sealion 5 U DM-i primarily on the basis of the way it looks. As you'd expect from the name, there are styling cues from the bigger Sealion 7 EV - but few from the car this Sealion 5's territory overlaps into, the Seal U DM-i. BYD calls the Sealion 5 a 'compact SUV' but at 4,738mm long, it's actually more a lower mid-sized SUV - and a reasonably substantial one at that, almost 30cm longer than a Nissan Qashqai for instance. For reference, a Seal U DM-i is 37mm longer.
Inside a Sealion 5, you'll probably be quite pleasantly surprised given the price tag if you haven't tried a BYD before. If you have, you might be a little disappointed to find that the 12.8-inch centre touchscreen doesn't rotate as it did with earlier BYD models (and does with the equivalent Seal). The instrument cluster screen isn't as cluttered as it usually is on Chinese cars and at least there are physical buttons around the fascia.
The cabin finish is fine provided you don't mind the rather artificial feel of the standard vegan leather upholstery. The air vents and column stalks feel a little cheap and the steering wheel could do with more adjustability, but the orange stitching is nice, there are soft materials on the doors and dash - and there's a proper chunky gear selector.
Rear seat space might really sell this car to you; there's plenty of it, even for tall adults, who'll enjoy plenty of legroom - much more than in a Qashqai for instance. And because of the flat floor, a third centre-seated adult could occasionally be accommodated if need be. The boot capacity suffers the little because of the palatial rear seat space; it's rated at 463-litres, 11-litres more than a Seal U DM-i but 16-litres less than the Qashqai and 124-litres less than a Kia Sportage. Still, the trunk area is square and the load lip is relatively low.
+ More
Market and model
At first glance, the Sealion 5 U DM-i seems to be priced quite a slug below the brand's identically-engineered Seal U DM-i - but that's illusory. The eye-catching £30,000 entry price that the Sealion 5 was launched with only gets you the base 'Comfort' version, which uses a relatively feeble 13kWh battery that the Seal U DM-i doesn't bother to offer. The Sealion 5 U DM-i with the more normal 18kWh battery that most customers will want is the 'Design' version - and that cost around £33,000 from launch, just £345 less than an equivalent 18kWh Seal U DM-i 'Boost' model. There are no other trim variations with the Sealion 5 U DM-i 'Comfort' and 'Design' packages.
So it'll come down to which of BYD's interpretations of what a mid-sized Plug-in Hybrid SUV should be takes your fancy. Either way, you'll be getting plenty of standard equipment. Even 'Comfort' spec gets you vegan leather upholstery, keyless entry, roof rails, LED headlights and a Vehicle-to-Load function so you can power external devices from the car's drive battery. Inside, there's an 8.8-inch Driver's Display and Intelligent and Adaptive Cruise Control. Media stuff's taken care of by a 12.8-inch central touchscreen with navigation, intelligent voice control, 4G connectivity, cloud services and 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. The bigger-battery 'Design' version adds a 360-degree camera, heated front seats, a powered tailgate and a wireless smartphone charger.
In terms of safety and advanced driver assistance, the Sealion U DM-i offers Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Brake, Lane Keep Assistance, Lane Change Assist and Emergency Lane Keep. There's also Adaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Cruise Control, a Blind Spot Detection System, ESP, Traction Control, Hill Decent Control, Automatic Vehicle Hold, Intelligent Speed Limit Information and Intelligent Speed Limit Control.
+ More
Cost of ownership
The 18.3kWh and 26.6kWh batteries used here can be either AC-charged at up to 11kW or DC charged at up to 18kW. Maximum AC charging power is 3.3kW and AC charging time using that 3.3kW single-phase source is 4 hours 30 minutes for the 'Comfort' and 6 hours for the 'Design'. That's not especially fast; a Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid, for instance, can charge almost three times faster. We gave you this Sealion 5 model's drive range figures in our 'Driving' section: 38 miles for the 13kWh base 'Comfort' model and 53 miles for the 18.8kWh 'Design' version.
The 'Design' variant has a quoted combined consumption figure of 470mpg (or 282mpg for the 'Comfort' version), but you're not likely to achieve either of those stats outside of a laboratory. CO2 emissions are supposedly 22g/km for the 'Comfort' and 14g/km for the 'Design'. A more realistic stat is that base variant's total range figure of up to 631 miles (for the 'Design') with a combination of a full battery charge and a complete 52-litre fuel tank. It's up to 616 miles for the 'Comfort' version.
There's a better warranty than you get from most rivals - up to six years or 93,750 miles, with an extra two years for the drive unit and the battery. That battery is covered for up to eight years or 125,000 miles and is guaranteed to retain at least 70% of its capacity throughout the warranty duration.
+ More
Summary
You can see why BYD thinks the Sealion 5 U DM-i is going to be one of its biggest sellers. For its baseline 'Comfort'-spec price tag, obvious rivals can't offer Plug-in Hybrid tech - and aren't as spacious. It might well be a winning sales formula.
Unless of course you happen to object to the kind of caveats tend to apply to other BYDs - and most Chinese models of this type; uninvolving drive dynamics and intrusive ADAS features. But those things didn't put many people off this car's Seal U DM-i stablemate and this Sealion 5's potentially cheaper price makes such issues even less likely to be relevant here. Expect to see plenty of these about.
+ More
Have you considered these alternative models...
Find a Review
We have over 500 new and used car reviews to help you find your next car.
Browse reviews and model guides for all makes
