2026 BYD Sealion 5 review: Quick drive

Yes, another caller BYD stands earlier you.

Say hullo to the 2026 BYD Sealion 5, yet different caller SUV successful the Chinese car brand’s ever-growing lineup. This mid-size plug-in hybrid household crossover is looking to entreaty to the budget-conscious, and sits beneath the larger Sealion 6.

Due to onshore successful Australian showrooms aboriginal adjacent year, the Sealion 5 is astir the aforesaid size arsenic the Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander, but it’s strictly a five-seater and volition connection 2 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain options with up to 100km of EV range.

BYD is besides promising it volition beryllium rather affordable arsenic well, hinting astatine a terms constituent not acold disconnected the recently launched Atto 2 tiny SUV– perchance pointing to a ~$35,000 starting point, which could marque it the cheapest caller PHEV successful Australia.

Ahead of its authoritative motorboat successful 2026, BYD Australia invited america to person a speedy rotation of the Sealion 5 – arsenic good arsenic a scope of different incoming caller products – astatine the aged Holden proving crushed successful Lang Lang, Victoria.

Does the Sealion 5 person the makings of a household favourite? Or is it oversaturating BYD’s beingness successful the hotly-contested mean SUV segment?

How overmuch does the BYD Sealion 5 cost?

We’re not definite conscionable yet, but based connected BYD’s clues we reckon you’ll beryllium looking astatine the $35,000-$45,000 bracket for the Sealion 5, which nicely slots nether the Sealion 6 ($42,990-$52,990 earlier on-road costs).

The Chinese brand’s section limb has confirmed 2 variants for launch, some moving 1.5-litre PHEV drivetrains. The Essential gets a smaller 12.9kWh ‘Blade’ battery, portion the Premium gets a larger 18.3kWh unit.

More connected the drivetrain details further down, but arsenic noted earlier the Sealion 5 volition beryllium a cut-price PHEV alternate to the likes of the X-Trail and Outlander, competing connected terms with the likes of similarly-sized Chinese rivals successful the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid (from $39,990 drive-away) and Geely Starray EM-i (from $37,490).

What is the BYD Sealion 5 similar connected the inside?

The Sealion 5 hails from BYD’s older scope successful presumption of design, which makes consciousness fixed it dates backmost to 2019 successful the Chinese home market, where’s it’s known arsenic the Song Pro.

We lone had a look astatine the higher-spec ‘Premium’ astatine the thrust day, which has confirmed features similar a 12.8-inch touchscreen, 8.8-inch integer instrumentality cluster, powerfulness beforehand seats, a wireless telephone charger, and 360-degree cameras.

The sweeping dashboard plan and curved lines are determination betwixt those successful the Atto 3 and Sealion 6, and contempt its much budget-leaning anticipated terms tag there’s a bully level of perceived prime successful the mode everything is screwed together.

Leather-look surfaces with opposition stitching diagnostic throughout, and portion the clime controls are accessed via a dedicated virtual toolbar connected the touchscreen, determination are plentifulness of tactile buttons and toggles for cardinal functions some connected the steering instrumentality and centre console.

The Sealion 5 offers bully outward visibility from the driver’s seat, with its much upright assemblage and taller glasshouse making it consciousness a small much unfastened and airy than the curvier Sealion 6, for example.

Having a panoramic extortion successful Premium spec lone emphasises it further, and it doesn’t truly consciousness similar headroom is impacted arsenic a result, acknowledgment to the gangly roofline.

Comfort from the chunky beforehand seats is decent though the bolstering isn’t arsenic beardown arsenic the seats’ sporty plan mightiness suggest; and the slim integer instrumentality clump is… basic.

Storage is alright but not spectacular, with a fewer slim cubbies strewn astir and 2 phone-sized slots nether the touchscreen with 1 of those doubling up arsenic a wireless telephone charger.

I’ll besides enactment that portion BYD has done a bully occupation astatine minimising the usage of soft achromatic trim connected high-traffic surfaces successful the cabin, the glossy achromatic lacquer crossed the dashboard looks similar it’ll pull fingerprints, smudges and scratches beauteous rapidly if you person passengers that similar to poke and prod around, oregon propulsion schoolbags in.

Sadly I don’t person a photograph of the rear spot to amusement you (thanks BYD), but there’s plentifulness of country for 6’1″ maine to beryllium comfortably down a 6’1″ operator oregon beforehand passenger.

Again that boxy signifier origin means there’s bully abstraction successful each dimensions, meaning increasing families should person country for the kids and their friends. ISOFIX and top-tether kid spot anchor points feature, too.

You besides get rear aerial vents and a USB complaint larboard successful the rear, successful summation to representation pockets down some beforehand seats and vessel holders successful the doors.

Further backmost there’s a 463-litre footwear which expands to 1410L with the rear seats folded, which successful five-seat layout is really much than the BYD Sealion 6 (425L).

What’s nether the bonnet?

The Sealion 5 is powered by a 1.5-litre PHEV drivetrain with 2 disposable artillery sizes depending connected variant.

BYD’s ‘DM-i Super Hybrid’ exertion is acquainted from assorted products including the Sealion 6 and immoderate of its different upcoming models, with the drivetrain relying much connected the electrical centrifugal and mostly utilizing the petrol motor arsenic a generator alternatively than a thrust motor.

Interestingly, BYD besides quotes a substance depletion fig erstwhile the artillery is depleted to 25 per cent complaint oregon little with nary usable electrical range. Rated astatine 4.5-4.6L/100km, that’s beauteous awesome claimed depletion erstwhile the car defaults to ‘Hybrid’ oregon ‘HEV’ mode.

How does the BYD Sealion 5 drive?

I’ll preface this with the information that our thrust was constricted to a 30-45 infinitesimal stint connected a skid cookware with immoderate 0-100km/h runs, arsenic good arsenic a slalom, motorkhana and a dash astir the thrust and handling way – truthful successful short, it wassn’t precise comprehensive.

Having driven the overmuch much almighty Sealion 8 first, the Sealion 5’s acceleration is acold much leisurely and progressive than its dual-motor stablemate.

That said, the 0-100km/h assertion of high-7.0 to 8.0 seconds feels astir close by the spot of the pants, and competitory with rival hybrids from Toyota, Hyundai and Kia.

BYD has tuned the throttle and drivetrain to laic connected the powerfulness progressively adjacent if you effort to footwear it disconnected the line, helping to minimise wheelspin and torque steer, which makes consciousness for this people of car.

Under hard acceleration you’ll perceive the motor occurrence up and rotation distant portion you’re hammering it, and the ‘Xiaoyun’ petrol centrifugal is simply a small coarse and unrefined – but unless you’re ft to the level each the time, you won’t truly perceive it.

The tuning is precise airy and comfort-focused, truthful the choky handling people marked retired by cones was not wherever the Sealion 5 felt the astir comfortable. It’s not that engaging and it’s a spot rolly-polly successful quick, choky turns.

A thigh astir the thrust and handling people reiterated the Sealion 5’s much humble and comfort-focused pretentions, with its brushed thrust and creaseless acceleration making it a comfy cruiser and a comparatively neutral, if underwhelming steer.

Its gangly assemblage and softly sprung chassis makes for immoderate thin successful the bends, portion the smaller 18-inch wheels and chubby Hankook eco tyres aren’t truly conducive to engaging handling. Still, it’s accurate, predictable, and volition suit the people market.

The thrust and handling way has immoderate patchy surfaces and worldly similar simulated bid tracks and sine waves, which were a bully trial of the ride. The Sealion 5’s softer tune isolated bumps comparatively good but conversely meant it felt a spot wallowy and loose, peculiarly implicit the sine waves astatine 120-130km/h.

I’d besides enactment the dependable deadening isn’t each that large implicit coarse roadworthy surfaces, with noticeable tyre and upwind sound connected the handling course. For a ‘cheap’ SUV that’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s worthy of a mention.

We didn’t get a accidental to proceedings the assistance systems fixed the conditions and clip constraints, truthful we’ll person to hold for the BYD to officially motorboat earlier we thrust 1 successful the existent world.

What bash you get?

Two grades volition beryllium disposable from launch, but we lone person archetypal details for the up-spec Premium.

2026 BYD Sealion 5 Premium instrumentality highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• 225/60 R18 Hankook tyres
• 8.8-inch integer instrumentality cluster
• 12.8-inch touchscreen
  • incl. DiLink astute system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless Android Auto
• 9-speaker audio
• Dual-zone clime control
• Power beforehand seats
• 1 x wireless telephone charger, front
• V2L functionality

Is the BYD Sealion 5 safe?

The Sealion 5 hasn’t been clang tested by ANCAP oregon Euro NCAP arsenic yet.

Confirmed information features include:

• 7 airbags
• 360-degree cameras
• ‘Advanced Driving Assistance System’

How overmuch does the BYD Sealion 5 outgo to run?

The Sealion 5 should beryllium covered by BYD Australia’s six-year, 150,000km caller conveyance warranty and eight-year, 160,000km high-voltage artillery warranty.

CarExpert’s Take connected the BYD Sealion 5

It’s a spot aboriginal to marque a definitive telephone connected the Sealion 5’s competitiveness successful Australia’s largest caller conveyance segment, but should BYD beryllium capable to bring the Sealion 5 successful for the terms of an entry-level Japanese oregon Korean rival, it could beryllium a existent disruptor.

The income figures and user probe doesn’t lie. Now, much than ever, Australian caller car buyers are precise unfastened to trying caller powertrain technologies, arsenic good arsenic caller makes and models including Chinese challengers.

With terms being specified a captious origin for Australians, a $35,000 starting constituent for the Sealion 5 could marque it unthinkable worth for money, acknowledgment to plentifulness of usable EV scope successful a conveyance the size and terms of a basal Outlander.

All volition beryllium confirmed with regards to pricing and specifications successful the coming months, but our archetypal impressions are affirmative and the committedness of a bargain volition nary uncertainty assistance garner plentifulness of interest.

After all, this is the benignant of car that needs to conscionable enactment and beryllium affordable to run, truthful constricted razzle-dazzle is conscionable fine.

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