Behold the BYD Sealion 6 Premium, yet another plug-in hybrid (PHEV) from the Far East. BYD – which stands for Build Your Dreams – is fast making in-roads into South Africa. The soon-to-launch Sealion 7 is a full battery electric vehicle (EV). While the 6 you see before you has a petrol engine which acts as a sort of range extender to keep its electricity topped up on the move.
In fact, the BYD Sealion 6 arrives in South Africa as the country’s most affordable plug-in hybrid at just R639 900 in Comfort spec. However, it’s the Premium all-wheel-drive (AWD) model we’ve been testing here, which goes for R789 900. So, is it any good?
BYD SEALION 6 PREMIUM AWD
Perhaps ironically, BYD’s most practical offering yet is also its least memorable to look at. We’ve reviewed the sub-R1-million Shark 6 bakkie, and were totally bowled over by its macho styling. And while it’s apples and pears, of course, its latest offering looks a touch generic in our book. The BYD Sealion 6 kind of blends into the sea of SUV crossovers already out there.
Nevertheless, underneath the metal resides genuinely impressive technology at a price that undercuts most PHEV rivals in Mzansi. As before, in other plug-ins from the Far East we’ve sampled, there’s a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. This is paired with two permanent magnet synchronous electric motors, drawing power from an 18.3-kWh battery pack. Combined system output is 238 kW and 550 Nm of torque.
HYBRID INTENT
For the money, the BYD Sealion 6 Premium offers pretty serious hybrid performance. But the real magic happens in how it manages its complicated power sources. 96 kW and 220 Nm comes from the standard petrol engine. This is then supplemented by a front electric motor that generates 150 kW and 300 Nm. While the rear unit adds an additional 120 kW and 250 Nm as and when required.
As a result, performance is pretty perky in the BYD Sealion 6 Premium AWD – zero to 100 km/h in a claimed 6.0 seconds. With a claimed EV-only cruising range of roughly 70 km. The only thing holding it back is the weight of the extra batteries and electric motor. Something which you can feel over every speedbump. BYD claims a combined consumption figure of 5.8 l/100 km, which we found to be fairly accurate after we used the petrol engine to top off the battery pack over the test period.
INSIDE THE BYD SEALION 6
However, what truly impresses is the interior execution. Step inside and you’re greeted by a cabin that punches well above its price point. A 15.6-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen dominates proceedings, complemented by a clear and concise head-up display. Premium finishes, supremely comfortable seats and a digital instrument cluster come standard. As do a host of helpful semi-autonomous driving tools.
Better still, the assembly quality is tight compared to some other Chinese offerings we’ve reviewed this year. Measuring 4 775 mm in length, 1 890 mm wide, 1 670 mm in height, and with an impressive 2 765-mm wheelbase, the Sealion 6 appears slight but is in fact RAV4 sized. This translates into genuinely usable space for five adults and their luggage. Folding the rear seats is done effortlessly and utility space for oddly sized items like surfboards and bicycles is impressive.
THE VERDICT
However, to our eye, the BYD Sealion 6 is rather too conservatively styled. Where the broad-shouldered BYD Shark 6 bakkie commands attention, the swoopy Sealion 6 seems content to blend in. Don’t get us wrong, it’s handsome enough in a generic sort of way. The lines are clean and properly proportioned but that’s precisely our issue. There’s nothing that stands out, especially when locals don’t already recognise the brand.
Who knows, perhaps the anonymity is actually strategic. Maybe BYD believes buyers in this segment will forego presence and excitement for quality. To that end, the BYD Sealion 6’s value proposition is compelling. It’s exactly the kind of sensible, well-executed product that could accelerate BYD’s standing in South Africa, if local motorists would just give it a chance …
BYD SEALION 6 PREMIUM AWD FIGURES
- Engine: 1 499 cc, four-cylinder turbo petrol + 18.3 kWh battery pack
- Power: 238 kW @ 5 000 rpm, 550 Nm @ 2 000 rpm
- Performance: 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds (estimated)
- Economy: 5.8 l/100 km (claimed)
- Price: R789 900
