2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium review VIDEO: Quick drive
Known so far for its electric cars, BYD is now breaking new ground with the Sealion 6 plug-in SUV, but should you rush to cancel that Toyota RAV4 order?
- Loaded standard equipment list
- More affordable than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
- Promising hybrid technology
- Priced above all-electric Atto 3
- PHEV tech needs to work for your use case
- Not yet tested in real-world conditions
2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium
BYD Australia has set some ambitious sales targets, expecting to double its sales this year and double them again in 2025.
To do this, it will rely on the new Sealion 6, also known overseas as the Seal U, that lands in the hotly contested mid-size family SUV segment dominated by the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
And though we’ve not had a chance to test it on public roads just yet, this taster is enough to whet the appetite to give an indication of whether the big mainstream players should be worried.
How much is a BYD Sealion 6?
The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 is priced from $48,990 before on-road costs, which is significantly more affordable than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (from $57,290), but pricier than the MG HS Plus EV (from $43,690 drive-away).
This also places it above the slightly smaller all-electric Atto 3 priced at $48,011.
The Sealion 6 will be available in two forms – the base Dynamic and the top-spec Premium that raises prices to $52,990.
For the spend, BYD has included an enviable list of standard equipment, which starts with a panoramic sunroof, 19-inch alloy wheels, powered tailgate, rear privacy glass, keyless entry, push-button start, two wireless smartphone chargers, synthetic leather interior, heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, power-adjustable front seats, and LED exterior lighting.
It’s a list of gear that you would expect from a model that costs at least $10,000 more, and the only equipment addition you get in shelling out for the Premium is a head-up display.
But further differentiating the Dynamic and Premium grades is the powertrain, with the former fitted with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and single electric motor, while the latter scores a turbocharger and second electric motor.
This means the Dynamic produces a combined output of 160kW/300Nm powering the front wheels, while the Premium has 238kW/550Nm at its disposal, as well as all-wheel-drive traction.
Both versions send drive to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission. The all-wheel-drive Premium powers its back axle electrically.
Both are fitted with an 18.3kWh battery, though, which allows for a driving range of 92km and 81km respectively when tested on the NEDC standard.
Of note, that is only when using 75 per cent of the battery, as BYD quotes the driving range when a full battery is depleted to 25 per cent.
Key details | 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium |
Price | $52,990 |
Drive-away price | TBA |
Rivals | Toyota RAV4 | Mitsubishi Outlander | MG HS |
How big is a BYD Sealion 6?
Measuring 4775mm long, 1890mm wide, 1670mm tall and with a 2765mm wheelbase, the Sealion 6 is physically larger than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. This affords a generous level of space inside the cabin for occupants, even for those sitting in the rear seats.
Up front, the electronically adjustable pews offer a good level of manoeuvrability, while the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster offers a clear readout even in sunlight.
However, the display is a little busy with lots of the usual information like gear position and speed, but also advanced driver assistance systems, all being thrown at the driver with fancy graphics.
Luckily, it is slightly customisable, so you can tweak it to find a less fussy option, but be aware it might take you a minute to become accustomed to the Sealion 6’s readout.
Elsewhere, the cabin is spacious and practical, offering room in the door pockets for a large bottle, a dual wireless smartphone charging tray, two cupholders in the centre console, sunglasses storage, a cavernous underarm storage cubby, and even an additional storage tray found under the smartphone chargers.
And the rear seats are generous with leg, head, and shoulder room too, able to accommodate three adults without much fuss thanks to the flat floor.
In the rear, storage options include door pockets, a fold-down armrest, and back-seat map pockets, while amenities extend to air vents and charging ports.
However, the rear seats in the Sealion 6 can also recline, letting you sit back and relax if the mood arises.
Moving to the boot, there is a sizeable 575 litres of volume on offer, eclipsing five-seat rivals in the mid-size SUV segment, so expect to be able to fit the pram, bags, groceries, golf clubs, and anything else in your day-to-day life.
The rear seats are also split-folding 60:40 so you can liberate even more cargo capacity, but BYD is yet to reveal exactly how much more volume you can fit with the second row stowed.
Keep in mind you may have to contend with the Sealion 6’s charging cable too if you plan to charge away from home. It's housed in a pouch in the boot, but it is easy enough to move around if you have to fit larger objects in the boot.
2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 575L seats up |
Length | 4755mm |
Width | 1890mm |
Height | 1670mm |
Wheelbase | 2765mm |
Does the BYD Sealion 6 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Fitted with a massive 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, the Sealion 6 is the first local BYD model to support wireless Apple CarPlay, as well as wireless Android Auto.
The system also has functions for satellite navigation and digital radio, but the biggest party trick is the ability to orient the screen in landscape or portrait format at the touch of a button.
Like in the Atto 3, the Sealion 6’s infotainment system feels snappy, responsive, and fast when jumping around the different functions, but it was hard to ascertain how well this system all works in the limited time I had with the car.
Is the BYD Sealion 6 a safe car?
The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 has not yet been crash-test rated by ANCAP, but the overseas version, known as the Seal U, has been assessed by Euro NCAP where it scored a maximum five stars.
The Seal U scored well in the adult occupant and child occupant protection tests, notching a 90 and 86 per cent result respectively, while the vulnerable road user score (83 per cent) and safety assist test (77 per cent) also netted a strong outcome.
While ANCAP can use Euro NCAP crash-test data to assess local vehicles, the BYD Sealion 6 is still unrated by the local authority at the time of writing.
2024 BYD Sealion 6 | |
ANCAP rating | Unrated |
What safety technology does the BYD Sealion 6 have?
The Sealion 6 is fitted with a wide gamut of safety equipment – both passive and active.
Kicking things off is autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, rear and front cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, blind-spot detection, a surround-view monitor, front and rear parking sensors, and exit warning.
There are also seven airbags throughout the cabin.
And all that is included as standard across the entire Sealion 6 range.
I’ll point out that the only notable missing feature is a driver attention monitor, but it's wonderful to see that BYD has not gated handy safety features like adaptive cruise control behind the more expensive Sealion 6 Premium.
However, with such limited testing of the car in a closed environment, I was not able to determine how well or intrusive some of these safety systems function.
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | |
Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | |
Blind Spot Alert | Yes | |
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | Yes | Front and rear alert and assist functions |
Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist |
Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes speed limit assist |
Driver Attention Warning | No | |
Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, surround-view monitor |
How much does the BYD Sealion 6 cost to run?
BYD Australia is yet to reveal the warranty period or scheduled service intervals of the Sealion 6 at the time of writing.
It is expected this information will come to light closer to the on-sale date of the Sealion 6 sometime in May.
At a glance | 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium |
Battery size | 18.3kWh |
Driving range claim (NEDC 100–25%) | 81km |
Driving range combined (NEDC) | 970km |
Is the BYD Sealion 6 fuel-efficient?
With a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Sealion 6 Dynamic boasts an official fuel consumption rating of just 1.1 litres per 100 kilometres, while the Premium is slightly thirstier at 1.4L/100km. Keep in mind, though, that this is in controlled testing conditions and assessed on the more lenient NEDC standards.
Plug-in hybrid powertrain efficiency is also contingent on actually recharging the battery at regular intervals to take advantage of the 92/81km all-electric range.
This means some owners might never use the petrol engine at all, resulting in the Sealion 6 being run as a battery electric vehicle – if your use case stays under the advertised driving range.
The flip side, however, is that if an owner never recharges, the mid-size SUV will run exclusively on petrol power, resulting in a much higher fuel consumption figure as the 1.5-litre engine has to contend with also lugging around a heavy battery and electric motors.
The Sealion 6’s PHEV set-up also has the ability to function as either a series-parallel hybrid or a range extender in the right situations.
This means that in some cases, the petrol engine will drive the wheels, and when appropriate, will be used instead to charge the battery and drive the electric motors.
BYD calls this ‘Super Hybrid with DM-i Technology’, but without an extensive real-world test, I’ll save judgment for how efficiently the system works until the Sealion 6 comes through the Drive garage for a comprehensive review.
Fuel efficiency | 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium |
Fuel cons. (claimed NEDC) | 1.4L/100km |
Fuel tank size | 60L |
What is the BYD Sealion 6 like to drive?
Full disclosure up front, I only sampled the BYD Sealion 6 at the Lang Lang proving ground in controlled conditions, so my reading of the car is not reflective of what the new mid-size SUV will be like in a real-world scenario.
My time with the car was also very limited, but the initial impression is that BYD is onto a winner with the Sealion 6.
What I can tell from my limited time behind the wheel, though, is the ride is really comfortable.
The ride quality is plush and comfortable, even riding on 19-inch wheels and over some tough terrain at Lang Lang.
The Sealion 6 is really good at soaking up the bumps and undulations of Lang Lang’s proving ground, and occupants are cossetted from any major jolts and jumps.
This bodes well for potential buyers who are thinking about a Sealion 6 as their next family hauler.
But aside from the comfortable suspension set-up, the electrified powertrain also has a part to play in elevating the driving experience of the Sealion 6.
In my time with the car, the majority of it was with the Sealion 6 operating in all-electric mode, meaning it is quiet, smooth and quick.
Of course, there were occasions when the petrol engine would kick in and you could see the revs start to climb, but in terms of being able to feel the changeover? It’s imperceptible.
The steering is also up to task, offering just the right amount of feedback and weight to be communicative without tiring.
Three driving modes are also on offer – Eco, Normal and Sport – which can adjust throttle response and steering accordingly, and BYD claims the top-spec Premium can accelerate from 0–100km/h in a hot-hatch-scaring 5.9 seconds.
Don’t go in thinking this is some kind of sports car, though, as in acceleration testing it didn’t seem as fast as BYD claims.
Even in Sport mode, the Sealion 6 never serves up enough dynamic thrills to be a truly engaging driver’s car.
Then again, the BYD Sealion 6 is designed to be efficient above all else.
Again, take these impressions with a grain of salt, as I drove the Sealion 6 in conditions not representative of the real world and for a very brief period of time.
Key details | 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium |
Engine | 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol, Twin electric motors |
Power | 96kW petrol 238kW combined |
Torque | 220Nm petrol 550Nm combined |
Drive type | All-wheel drive |
Transmission | Continuously-variable transmission |
Power-to-weight ratio | 113.3kW/t |
Weight | 2100kg |
Payload | 410kg |
Turning circle | 11.0m |
Should I buy a BYD Sealion 6?
Without knowing how the Sealion 6 performs in the real world, it is hard to make a recommendation on BYD's newest model.
However, the 2024 Sealion 6 offers up an attractive list of equipment and safety, wrapped in an inoffensively styled and relatively affordable mid-size SUV package.
Backing all that up is a plug-in hybrid powertrain that promises to be uber-efficient – if it lines up with your use case.
Most of the ingredients are there for a winner, but for now, consider my interest piqued.