Overview

BYD has doubled the number of Sealion SUV models to four this month with the arrival of the five-seat Sealion 5 medium segment and seven-seat Sealion 8 large segment duo.

The Sealion 5 arrives as a budget-friendly offering with petrol/plug-in hybrid power available from just $33,990 plus on-road costs, while the family-oriented Sealion 8 takes on established SUV players, and also with petrol/plug-in hybrid power, from $56,990 + ORC.

Chinese importer BYD says the duo focus not only on delivering customer value, but lower emissions, reduced operating costs, and all-round practicality. Both is offered in two trim grades – Essential and Premium in the case of the Sealion 5 and Dynamic and Premium for the Sealion 8 – with the seven-seater available as both a front- and all-wheel drive proposition.

The Sealion 5 is powered by BYD’s DM-i Super Hybrid System combining a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor for 156kW of system power. Drive is to the front wheels with an NEDC fuel consumption figure of less than 2.0 litres per 100km. The PHEV system offers up to a claimed 1030km of combined petrol/electric driving range.

For the Essential grade, the Sealion 5 utilises a 12.9kWh battery pack while the Premium steps up to a larger 18.3kWh unit.

Feature highlights include a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen (12.8-inches on Premium), an 8.8-inch digital instrument panel, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Digital Key access via smartphone, and 360-degree camera technology (Premium grade only).

Cargo space is listed at 463 litres with the rear seats in place expanding to 1410 litres all told.

Stepping up to the larger Sealion 8 we find motive power sourced from the combination of a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor to offer a total system output of 205kW/315Nm in front-wheel drive format.

All-wheel drive grades add a second electric motor to bolster output to 359kW/675Nm.

Electrical energy for the front-wheel driven grades is stored in a 19.0kWh lithium-ion battery, while all-wheel drive variants score a larger 35.6kWh battery pack that may be fast charged at a 74kW DC appliance (the smaller battery may be charged at a rate of up to 40kW).

Both battery packs accept an AC charge up to 11kW.

Combined cycle fuel consumption for the front-wheel drive is rated at 1.1 litres per 100km, jumping to 5.3L/100km when the battery’s state of charge (SoC) is below 25 per cent. The all-wheel drive is more efficient when fully charged – at 1.0L/100km – rising to a thirstier 6.3L/100km when the SoC runs below 25 per cent.

All-electric driving range for those variants fitted with a 19.0kWh battery is listed at 103km against the lenient NEDC measure while 35.6kWh pack offers up to 152km of NEDC driving range.

Irrespective of battery size, all Sealion 8 grades offer vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality.

All feature electrically assisted steering, are arrested by four-wheel disc brakes, and are suspended by the combination of a double wishbone arrangement at the front and sophisticated multilink setup at the rear.

The transmission is automatic regardless of variant or driveline configuration.

Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels (with repair kit ‘spare’), synthetic leather upholstery, six-way power adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, tri-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, automatic all-LED lighting, rain-sensing wipers, sound insulating and rear tinted glass, a self-dimming rear-view mirror, and powered tailgate as standard fare.

Infotainment and technology highlights include a 10.25-inch digital instrument screen, 15.6-inch central infotainment touchscreen, AM/FAM/DAB+ radio reception, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, voice control, four USB outlets, 10-speaker audio, and 4G connectivity with 2GB per month of data included for two years.

Standard safety and driver assistance systems for the entry-grade variant include adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert and rear cross-traffic braking, front and rear acoustic parking sensors, lane departure assistance, traffic sign recognition with speed limit reminder, and a 360-degree parking camera.

The all-wheel drive BYD Sealion 8 Dynamic (from $63,990) adds not only an additional electric motor, a higher driveline output, and longer all-electric driving range, but also features that include adaptive damping, perforated brake disc rotors, and 21-inch alloy wheels.

Finally, for the all-wheel drive Sealion 8 Premium (from $70,990) we find a 26.0-inch driver head-up display, front seat and door mirror position memory, steering wheel heating, leather upholstery, front seat massage functionality, an electrically adjustable leg rest and lumbar support for the front seats, second-row (outboard) seat heating, ventilation, and massage function, animated welcome lighting, LED ambient cabin lighting, and premium 21-speaker sound.

BYD offers a six-year/150,000km vehicle warranty and eight-year/160,000km traction battery warranty across its range.

Roadside assistance is included for the first 12 months of ownership while service pricing is capped for 11 years or 200,000km (whichever comes first) when servicing through a BYD dealership.

Driving Impressions

Our drive of both the Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 was rather limited, hence rolling the pair into a single review.

But in the short time spent behind the ‘wheel of the pair, we are thrilled to say that we come away impressed, with BYD doing a solid job of getting the fundamentals correct.

The Sealion 5 is a handsome little SUV with very good outward visibility, sensible ergonomics and cabin space, and an excellent compromise between ride comfort and agile handling from the combination strut/multilink suspension.

The electrically assisted steering is light but with sufficient feel to deliver confidence to the driver.

BYD’s DM-i Super Hybrid System driveline offers a decent amount of get-up-and-go, though we must add that the vehicle was running on petrol power only by the time we got our turn for a steer – suggesting it might be even pokier on a full charge.

To that extent, the petrol engine did have to work quite hard, maintaining higher revs for the majority of our road loop. While it made its presence known, it wasn’t what we’d call loud – a sentiment likewise applied to the level of tyre noise the Sealion 5 exhibited on test.

The e-CVT works cleanly to ensure the driveline is kept at its optimum and responds well to requests for additional power as required. There are no fake ‘steps’ to be felt, the transmission serving both linear acceleration and predictable deceleration, aided of course by the adequate regenerative effects of the motor/generator.

Our brief drive saw a fuel consumption figure of 5.0 litres per 100km. It’s a number we expect to improve with some electrical charge remaining, and one we think is still very impressive given the challenging drive course encountered and varied driving styles of the media present.

We are not fans of the adaptive cruise control, which is very conservative in the braking action it applies for corners, and found the driver monitoring sensor a little highly strung. Our advice is to turn it off and enjoy the remainder of what the Sealion 5 has to offer – for the price, it is very well done indeed, and a car we cannot wait to spend more time with.

The Sealion 8 is quite obviously a different kettle of fish (I’m sure there’s a pun in there somewhere given BYD’s marine flavoured naming convention…). It again offers sensible ergonomics and cabin space, coupled on this occasion with fair access to and from the kid-friendly third row of seats.

ISOFIX and top-tether child seat anchors are available in the second- and third rows, adding greater flexibility than many others in this class. We also appreciated the inclusion of ceiling mounted ventilation outlets, nifty storage cubbies, cup holders, and charging outlets throughout.

In driving the Sealion 8, we note a considerable difference in the power offered between the two- and all-wheel drive variants. While the former is acceptable, and quite progressive in its power delivery, the latter is a family-hauling rocketship that hustles off the line and delivers strong overtaking performance to boot.

We sampled the Sealion 8 duo before other media had the chance, meaning we got to experience the benefits of a vehicle that was able to use both its electric and petrol power sources to full and complete effect.

Though our drive was brief, it seems BYD is pretty much on the money when it comes to fuel use, the digital dashboard screen indicating a consumption figure of 2.1 litres per 100km in our time behind the ‘wheel.

BYD’s adaptive suspension works well to keep the Sealion 8’s mass in check, providing supportive posture in the bends and acceptable damping of the double wishbone/multilink suspension elsewhere. That said, the impact of larger bumps and potholes can be a little sharp at times.

The vehicle’s pitch is less admirably controlled with a nose down attitude observed when regenerative braking was in play. It’s not as evident when the regenerative settings are softened but is something to be mindful of if you’re wanting to make the most of recuperating electric power.

We found the steering of the Sealion 8 better suited to Australian tastes, with a little more heft and communication than was offered in the ‘5’. Unfortunately, tyre noise levels are about the same, though this is not an issue reserved to the BYD when it comes to most modern cars.

There’s little to criticise in terms of navigating the switchgear and menu systems, but again we note uptight driver monitoring that was difficult to silence on-the-go. While most menu systems are easy to access, those for driver assistance seem hidden away, requiring you to pull over (or adjust before setting off) to modulate safely.

Our time in the Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 was brief, to be clear. But we did come away feeling rather impressed with what the pair offers buyers for their money.

While some might find the performance and suspension tune of the Sealion 8 too aggressive, and the Sealion 5 a touch underdone, we think there are those in the market who will appreciate what each has to offer, particularly given the dearth of similar traits in much of the competition.

In short, and as different as these vehicles are from one another, there is a distinct feeling that BYD might just have delivered a pair of SUVs that tick a lot of boxes for Australian buyers; and we look forward to another drive of the duo very soon.