Battery size: 13 - 18 kWh
Range: 38 - 53 miles
Company car tax: 10 - 14% (2026/27)
Max charge rate: 26kW
Introduction and model history
The BYD Sealion 5 DM-i is the latest entrant to the mid-sized plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV class, which is no small matter as this is one of the biggest-selling car classes. After all, the family SUV is really the default family car these days, isn’t it? Hatchbacks are last decade’s news, and now it’s all about the crossover and SUV market. Which is why cars like the MG HS – a key rival to the BYD Sealion 5 DM-i – are often in the top 10 best selling cars in the UK.
It’s not the most exciting-looking car, it has to be said. If you want jazzy looks, then you may want to look to the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross or Jaecoo 7.
Range, battery and charging
Unusually for a PHEV, the Sealion 5 is offered with two battery choices. The entry level Design model gets a 12.9kWh battery that manages a claimed electric range of 38 miles, while the Comfort model gets a bit more equipment and a bigger, 18.3kWh battery for a claimed zero-emissions range of 53 miles. Coupled to the 1.5-litre petrol engine that will keep the car going when you’re out of electric running, that means that the BYD Sealion 5 is capable of CO2 emissions as low as 48g/km for the Design, or 62g/km for the Comfort.
Both of those batteries are LFP ‘Blade’ batteries, which are produced by BYD and are some of the safest and most advanced LFP batteries in the world. You can find out what an LFP battery is, and what the pros and cons are compared to other batteries, by having a look at our explainer article.
As for real-world range, I’d estimate that you’ll see some 40- to 45 electric miles in the Sealion 5 Design, and more like 25- to 30 in the Comfort model.
Just don’t forget that a plug-in hybrid like the Sealion 5 only makes sense if you can charge regularly and run on electric power most of the time. If you run a PHEV but don’t plug it in to charge it, you’re just carrying around a heavy battery for no reason, and will probably see worse fuel economy than if you bought a comparable petrol or self-charging hybrid.
Charging on the BYD Sealion 5 DM-i is slower on the Comfort, which makes do with 3.3kW AC charging. That’s not much faster than a normal three-pin domestic socket will provide, but it’s still good enough to charge the battery in around six hours from a car charger, while a normal plug socket will do the same in more like eight- to ten hours.
The Sealion 5 Design does get faster charging of up to 26kW, which is good enough for an 80% top-up in 23 minutes in ideal conditions, although most owners will rely on a standard 7kW home charger for a full charge of that 18kWh battery in around three- to four hours.
Practicality and boot space
There’s a huge amount of rear passenger space in the Sealion 5. I’m 5ft 7in and can sit behind myself with so much legroom to spare that I reckon even our very own Mike – who’s roughly 7ft tall – would be able to sit back there comfortably. Unless you regularly carry your own basketball team around, rear passenger space will be fine. The standard leatherette upholstery’s useful, too, as it looks perfectly nice and will make it easy to wipe away the melted chocolate and crisp crumbs.
There’s plenty of headroom, too, and you get a centre rear armrest with cupholders and a couple of USB-C charging ports. The only disappointment is that there’s no panoramic roof even as an option, and the only interior colour is black – regardless of which trim you go for - so it does feel pretty dark back there.
The 463-litre boot is a decent size, and is a fraction bigger than the boot in the MG HS, if not as big as the boot in the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.
Interior, design/styling and technology
It’s a straightforward dash in the Sealion 5 DM-i. Nothing overly brash, but there are manual air vents and a straightforward digital readout behind the steering wheel for your speed and essential driver info.
There is a physical button to set your air-con to auto, and to turn on the windscreen demister, plus for your drive modes and a few other essentials, but other than that there are no buttons and you’re on your own with the 12.8-inch touchscreen. This is your window to all of the cars features, of course.
I rather like the peaceful, high-def landscape images that make up the screen saver, but I can’t help but feel that it’d be useful to sacrifice some of the image for bigger icons. The buttons on the bottom of the screen are just a bit tricky to hit when you’re driving, and the voice control isn’t always faultless. Still, when you’ve got your configurable shortcut buttons (wipe down to access those) set to the way you want them, and you’ve got your wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto sorted, it’s all pretty easy to get along with.
Motors, performance and handling
The BYD Sealion 5 is one of those ‘just does the job’ cars. It’s not fast, but it gets 212hp and front-wheel drive, and it’ll do 7.7 seconds to 62mph if you go for the small battery Comfort model or 8.1sec if you opt for the bigger battery Design.
There’s no four-wheel drive variant, but the BYD is perfectly confident and secure nonetheless. The powertrain is reasonably quiet unless you rev the petrol engine really hard, and while I’d like more feel and consistency to the brake pedal’s response, driving the Sealion 5 is generally an inoffensive and relaxing enough experience (provided you’ve turned off the driver attention warning, which is unbearable when on and will bong ceaselessly no matter how avidly you’re watching the road).
The 1.5-litre petrol engine does its job just fine, and the plug-in hybrid system offers the option to save your battery power for later in the journey if you want to – or you can leave it in hybrid mode and let the car manage its own power source.
Ride comfort on the 19-inch wheels of the Design car I drove was okay. A bit firm and restless over town roads, and there’s plenty of body movement, but everything is controlled well enough that it doesn’t really bother you. If it’s ultimate comfort that you’re after then the Citroen C5 or Hyundai Tucson are better options.
I really don’t mind the way the BYD Sealion 5 drives. It really quite boring, but… well, like I said. It does the job.
Running costs and pricing
The BYD Sealion 5 is really good value, especially given how well equipped it is. Even the entry-level Comfort model gets leatherette upholstery, keyless entry, LED headlights, reversing camera and adaptive cruise control, which isn’t bad for just under £30,000. Most will go for the Design model given that it costs £3,000 more for the bigger battery, heated front seats, wireless phone charging and a 360-degree parking camera.
Monthly finance deals are really good, too. At launch BYD is offering monthly PCP finance from £300 per month with a very low deposit, and while that will no doubt change a bit, BYD is typically very competitive on monthly deals. You also get a six year, 93,750 mile warranty on the vehicle, while the battery is covered for eight years and 155,000 miles.
Your efficiency will depend on how often you charge. Plug in at home on an off-peak tariff, and use your electric running as much as possible, and you can be paying less than 5p per mile. Run the petrol engine more often and you’ll be seeing some 38- 45mpg and will be paying around four times that price.
Probably the biggest problem for the Sealion 5 is that the MG HS looks a bit smarter and goes further to a charge, so I suspect it’ll sway a lot of buyers on that basis alone. And it also makes the MG the cheaper option for Benefit in Kind company car tax, which will be another big win for the MG as the business and fleet drivers account for a decent chunk of the buyers shopping for a PHEV.
Verdict
The Sealion 5 DM-i (and no, I don’t know where the Sealion 1, 2, 3 or 4 went, either…) is a spacious, sensible and good value family plug-in hybrid. I much prefer the looks of the Hyundai Tucson, Citroen C5 and even the Jaecoo 7, but the BYD is a solid and inoffensive car to drive, the tech is decent and it feels like a good workhorse. That middling electric range and the lack of a pano roof or even some interesting paint colours is all a bit disappointing, but if you can get the right deal and it suits your lifestyle then it’ll do a fine job.
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