BYD Sealion 5 review

Our opinion on the BYD Sealion 5

Worthy of your consideration on price alone, there’s plenty to really like about BYD’s ninth new model in three years. The Sealion 5’s accomplished, efficient and refined DM-i plug-in hybrid system is among the very best of its type, while the spacious cabin, long kit list and premium-feeling interior will win it plenty of fans looking for an affordable, easy-to-live-with family SUV. It doesn’t handle as well as its European and Korean counterparts, but for many, that simply won’t matter.

About the BYD Sealion 5

This is the BYD Sealion 5 DM-i: the Chinese giant’s ninth new model in three years and a challenger to the strong-selling Kia Sportage. But here’s the hook: this spacious, plug-in hybrid family SUV, starts from less than £30,000.

Measuring just over 4.7 metres long, the Sealion 5 slots in at the top of the C-segment – alongside cars like the Sportage, plus the Hyundai Tucson, Skoda Karoq and Ford Kuga. Yet at that price, you’ll struggle to even find a pure-petrol alternative – let alone a fuel-efficient PHEV with a meaningful electric range.

So, the Sealion is worthy of your consideration on price alone. But is there more to this Chinese newcomer than its bargain billing? Can it battle with the best when it comes to standard equipment, family-friendly features, tech, quality, refinement or driving dynamics? We’ve driven a top-spec Sealion 5 DM-i Design on UK roads to find out.

BYD Sealion 5 prices and latest deals

The BYD Sealion starts from around £30,000 in base Comfort trim, and the fancier Design only pushes this up to £33,000. 

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You can build your ideal BYD Sealion 5 right now and save with the Auto Express Buy a Car service. We also have a number of Sealion 5 leasing deals available right now, and can even help you to sell your car.

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We found the BYD Sealion 5 particularly quiet at motorway speeds, with only a little wind and road noise making its way into the cabin. By and large, it’s a comfortable car; there’s a bit of fidget to the ride at lower speeds or over rough surfaces, but on the whole it’s easily a match for its European or Korean rivals in this regard.

Where it can’t quite hold court is when it comes to more spirited driving. The steering has a decent enough weight to it, but there’s something of a disconnect at the front axle. It feels very vague, and quite disconcerting at times – especially if you try to string together a series of quick direction changes.

Even with 209bhp and 300Nm of torque this isn’t a particularly fast car either, with seemingly little instant torque – even in the ‘Sport’ drive mode. In fact, the various settings do little to change the way the car drives; true to its slightly dowdy aesthetic, the Sealion 5 rewards a more relaxed approach.

We thought the brakes could do with fine-tuning, too. This might be due to the fact our car had done fewer than 1,000 miles, but the pedal felt both wooden and a bit grabby – none of which was improved by ramping up the level of regenerative braking; there are just two strengths, neither of which is particularly aggressive. If you like the idea of a one-pedal driving experience, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The BYD Sealion 5 is only offered with one powertrain: a petrol plug-in hybrid with a combined 209bhp and 300Nm of torque. As mentioned, it never feels particularly fast, even if the maker does quote a respectable 8.1-second 0-62mph time for the top-spec Design model. The lighter (smaller battery) model cuts this to 7.7 seconds, although we’ve not yet had a chance to try this version. Top speed for both cars stands at 106mph.  

“Having driven the BYD Sealion 5 on a variety of UK road types and surfaces, in the depths of winter, it’s clear this is a car that prioritises comfort and refinement, rather than any degree of dynamism. If you’re after a sporty driving experience, we’d direct you towards a Cupra Terramar.” - Richard Ingram, deputy editor.

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We were really impressed with BYD’s DM-i plug-in hybrid system when we drove the Sealion 5 for the first time on UK roads. It blends its two power sources (petrol and electric) almost seamlessly; while this makes for smooth progress, unless you reset the EV trip computer, you’re never quite sure how far you’ve gone on electric power alone.

BYD quotes an electric range of up to 53 miles for the bigger-battery Design, while even the base car can allegedly cover 38 miles before the engine kicks in. The longer range of the top-spec car makes a big difference when it comes to Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax, however; if you can stretch to Design trim, BiK drops to nine per cent (versus 13 per cent for the Comfort car).

You can ignore BYD’s claimed 134.5mpg combined fuel economy, because it’ll largely depend on how often you’re able to plug the PHEV in. The reasonable EV range should be enough to dramatically lower fuel bills if you’re coming from a petrol car and can charge at home on a domestic electricity tariff.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

It’s hard to say with any certainty how many miles our test car did before the engine kicked in, although the fact we didn’t even notice that initial transition is high praise for the Sealion 5’s composure and refinement on the move. The clever hybrid system juggles the two power sources almost imperceptibly; the petrol motor only makes itself known when you ask for full power, or when it fires into life at a set of traffic lights.

BYD quotes a range of between 38 and 53 miles depending on whether you opt for the Comfort or Design model – as the latter has a bigger battery. Neither offers DC fast charging however; a maximum charge rate of just 3.3kW means a full charge could take up to six hours.

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Up front, if you’ve never sat in a BYD, you’ll be blown away by the feel, fit and finish. The rear-view mirror is a bit flimsy, and the piano-black plastic on the gear selector won’t rival the tactility of some upper-end SUVs, but there’s vegan leather on the seats and steering wheel, plus soft materials on the doors and dashboard.

Visually identical, the base Comfort model gets big-car kit such as LED lights front and rear, 18-inch wheels and a twin-screen infotainment system, plus a 12.96kWh battery that’s good for 38 miles of electric-only running. There are four colours to choose from, although only our car’s Atlantis Blue is standard; black, grey or white paint is an £850 extra.

Stepping up to Design (£32,995) adds an electric tailgate, heated front seats, wireless phone charging and 360-degree parking cameras, but it also boosts the battery to 18.3kWh – taking the range to a useful 53 miles on a charge. Unlike the slightly larger BYD Seal U DM-i, neither version of the Sealion comes with DC fast-charge capability. 

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

The cabin centres around a twin-screen infotainment system, although in the Sealion 5’s case, the main display doesn’t rotate as it does in some of the maker’s other models. This is no great shame; we’ve previously found this feature to be little more than a gimmick, more often than not defaulting to the landscape orientation anyway.

The hardware and software buried within is slick and responsive, but some of the menus are still overcomplicated and it’s not always easy to find what you’re looking for. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, although on one occasion our car managed to inexplicably drop its connection despite maintaining a solid Bluetooth link – refusing to reinitiate until we’d deleted and paired our phone with the car again. 

“Looks are subjective, but we think BYD could’ve taken a few more risks with the Sealion 5. It’s not the most daring design, though we thought the interior and tech offering was strong”. - Richard Ingram, deputy editor.

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The cabin is vast, with enough room in the back for even tall adults to sit comfortably. You may even squeeze three abreast for relatively lengthy periods, thanks to the generous legroom and totally flat floor. The 463-litre boot is nothing to write home about in this area of the market, but the load lip is flat, and the space is square. There’s little in the way of under-floor storage, however.

Dimensions and size

BYD is pitching the Sealion 5 as a compact SUV, but in reality it’s longer than some mid-size rivals. At more than 4.7m nose-to-tail it’s more than 220mm lengthier than a Kia Sportage and more than 300mm longer than a Nissan Qashqai.

While that might put some people off – especially if you do most of your driving in town, and often have to park on tight or congested streets – the flip-side is it translates to a spacious cabin big enough for three adults to travel comfortably in the back.

Boot space

Despite the Sealion 5’s generous exterior dimensions, this is a car that prioritises passenger room ahead of outright boot space. The 463-litre load area is below average for this class (a Sportage offers up to 540 litres with the rear seats up, for example), and while there isn’t much in the way of hooks or tie-down points, at least there’s no substantial load lip to contend with. Fold the seats (they split 60:40) and you’ll reveal a reasonable 1,410-litre maximum cargo area. 

There is very little space under the boot floor, and no storage under the bonnet. You get a fixed parcel shelf (rather than a roller-cover), which is bulky and typically tricky to store. Only top-spec Design models come with an electric tailgate. 

Towing

BYD hasn’t yet revealed towing limits for the Sealion 5 DM-i. But given it’s front-wheel drive only, it’s unlikely to better 4x4 rivals in this regard, even if the electric motor’s instant torque should help at low speeds.

“We’d have liked a slightly bigger boot, but what the BYD lacks in luggage space, it more than makes up for with its hugely roomy cabin. If you need to carry five adults in relative comfort, we’d have no qualms recommending the Sealion 5 over one of this car’s European rivals.” - Richard Ingram, deputy editor.

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The BYD Sealion 5 hasn’t been assessed by Euro NCAP as yet, but the maker has a good track record in these tests so we expect a strong star rating when the scores are announced in due course.

That said, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in various Chinese cars have come under fire in recent years. Unfortunately, the Sealion 5 is another one that fails to meet European tastes and preferences. The incessant beeps and bongs are one thing, but the Driver Attention Warning (DAW)’s oversensitivity sees itself chiming every time you glance at the screen, or down at the array of buttons on the centre console. We found the naggy Lane Assist borderline unbearable too; BYD UK’s country manager, Bono Ge, told us this is something they’re working on, with fixes planned for the near future.

BYD didn’t do too well in our 2025 Driver Power survey, finishing in 30th spot – just one from bottom. At least every version comes with a generous six-year, 93,750-mile (150,000km) warranty, with the Blade battery covered separately for eight years. This should come as some peace of mind if this is your first BYD or, if coming from a petrol model, your first hybrid or electric car.

• Best buy: BYD Sealion 5 DM-i Design

BYD says the Sealion 5 will be available from just £299 per month on a four-year (6,000 miles per annum) finance plan, with a £1,999 deposit. Those wanting the added kit and extra range of the top-spec Design will pay £319 per month with a £2,999 deposit on otherwise identical terms. We reckon it’s worth spending the extra money considering you get extra kit plus a bigger battery for more range.

BYD Sealion 5 alternatives

The BYD Sealion 5 dives head first into one of the most competitive areas of the new-car market: the mid-size SUV. That means it goes up against big-sellers like the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan, but offers an efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain for less than most pure-petrol rivals.

But it’s not alone when it comes to new, affordable Chinese models with low list prices and strong kit lists. The Geely Starray EM-i is going on sale soon, while the MG HS PHEV is one of our favourite plug-in hybrids available for around the same price as the Sealion 5. BYD’s slightly larger Seal U DM-i is also worth considering if you want even more range from your Blade battery.