BYD Sealion 5 DM-i (2026 – ) review

Comparing running costs between hybrids and electric cars can be a nightmare for all the vagaries of claimed versus real fuel consumption, complicated tax rates and all the rest. So, we’ll skip to the good news – the Sealion 5 DM-I is both very affordable to buy and, seemingly, cheap to run. Without getting too bogged down in the numbers it seems to deliver on BYD’s promise of petrol car pricing with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) running costs, the starting price several thousand less than rivals using equivalent technology like the Nissan Qashqai e-Power. Even the PHEV version of the MG ZS looks pricey in comparison, though it is quite a bit faster. If you are buying as a company car don’t feel a moment’s guilt about opting for the more expensive and better equipped Design trim either – the bigger battery and better CO2 actually means the Benefit In Kind tax is not far off half that of the cheaper model. It doesn’t quite pay for itself over a typical ownership cycle on that score, but that still feels like a win! Worth noting, though, that if BIK is a big factor in your number crunching the bigger Seal U has even better CO2 stats, so could actually save more in tax.

BYD is still too new to the UK to have really established much of a reputation for reliability, but we’ll take some confidence in the quality of its engineering and fact it shares its tech with a host of other car brands. A six-year warranty helps inspire confidence, the fact this will out-last most initial finance or lease terms a benefit for the next owner as well the first one. Which, in theory, should help resale values.

A familiar story here, the Sealion 5 packed with lots of driver assistance tech we’d rather celebrate than moan about as an irritation. It speaks volumes that the first thing the BYD team did when handing over the cars was to point out the swipe-down shortcut for switching the alerts off. Out of curiosity we left them in place and were promptly bombarded with chimes, bongs and flashing yellow warnings in the instruments any time we dared to look anywhere but dead ahead or glance at the screen for even a moment. Which you need to do to adjust anything as basic as heating or ventilation. Time spent on the screen isn’t helped by graphics smaller than the bottom line of an optician’s sight test and a fiddly interface. The speed limit alerts are just as useless, the system howling in protest because it somehow missed the fact we’d left the 40-limit it thought we were in and were now driving along a 70-limited motorway. If basics like this don’t work properly how can you trust the rest of the kit works as advertised?

Once you’ve silenced all the stupid bonging from the safety systems the Sealion’s cabin is a very peaceful and restful place to spend time. It’s a good size, and bigger than most of its direct rivals in the dimensions that matter. This means plenty of room up front and in the back, the flat floor meaning even the middle passenger does alright. The boot is actually a fraction bigger than that in the Seal U from a class above and, if not gigantic, big enough for most family duties. The near silence of the electric motor that drives the car in most situations likewise adds to the sense of calm, the Sealion 5 striking a nice balance between family-friendly comfort and decent body control, even when keeping pace with the locals along twisty Welsh B-roads. It’s no sports car but nor does it completely go to pieces when confronted with a set of bends, which is a big tick compared with some other Chinese rivals. The only surprise is the somewhat heavy steering, which we appreciated in this kind of driving but might be an irritation at lower speeds.

Given the very competitive starting price and monthly finance rates the Sealion 5 doesn’t seem wanting for kit, the interior trimmed with ‘vegan’ leather while metallic paint, LED lights and 18-inch wheels are all standard. Power-adjustable front seats are also included, though – weirdly - you’ll need to upgrade to the Design trim if you want them heated. This also adds a 360 camera, wireless phone charging mat and power tailgate, all of which are nice to have. BYD is proud of its tech, and all models get the same combination of digital instruments and a large central screen with app support and option to use your phone as your key. BYD is better than many in its retention of physical switches for basics like mirror adjustments, volume and basic heating and ventilation controls. But it’s still a very screen-heavy environment, and the interface is fiddly and difficult to use safely on the move thanks to its tiny graphics. A shame, because otherwise the general build quality, fit and finish are pretty high, if nothing flashy in design terms.

We like the fact BYD doesn’t chase pointless power outputs in family SUVs like the Sealion 5, the performance absolutely sufficient for a car of this type and good for effortless progress around town and on the motorway alike. Which may be all you need to know, other than the fact the higher Design level trim gets a much bigger battery for the hybrid side, so goes further and for less fuel. How it achieves this is as clever as it is technically complex, the Sealion 5 basically driving like an electric car with all the smooth and silent power delivery you’d expect of that. The petrol engine is there to act as a generator if you’ve exhausted the electric-only range, which is just shy of 40 miles on the standard car and a little over 50 on the Design. If you can plug in overnight and that’s enough to cover your daily errands the petrol engine will remain silent, only firing up if there’s not enough juice in the battery or you’re demanding every last ounce of acceleration. For longer journeys a full battery and a full tank should see you to over 600 miles, too.