2024 BYD Sealion 6 price and specs: New plug-in hybrid family SUV undercuts Mitsubishi Outlander rival

The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) – the Chinese car giant's Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander rival – has entered showrooms priced from $48,990 before on-road costs, and is tasked with doubling the brand’s sales this year.

Known as the Seal U or Song Plus overseas, the Sealion 6 is available in two models – Dynamic and Premium – and is BYD Australia's first hybrid model in showrooms after the launch of the electric Atto 3 SUV, Dolphin hatchback, and Seal sedan.

The top-of-the-range, all-wheel-drive Sealion 6 Premium costs $4000 more than the front-wheel-drive Dynamic, at $52,990 plus on-road costs.

This significantly undercuts the similarly-sized Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (from $57,290 plus on-road costs), but is more expensive than the MG HS Plus EV plug-in hybrid (from $43,690 drive-away).

Australia's top-selling hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – priced $42,460 before on-road costs – but it uses a hybrid system that cannot be plugged in to recharge, and nor be operated on electric power alone for any significant distance.

The Sealion 6 is more expensive than the smaller BYD Atto 3 electric SUV, which is available from $48,011 plus on-road costs for the Standard Rage and $51,011 plus on-road costs for the Extended Range.

BYD Sealion 6 Dynamic buyers get a 1.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine and single electric motor that sends a combined 160kW/300Nm to the front wheels via a continuously-variable transmission.

Opting for the Premium adds a turbocharger to the petrol engine and another electric motor to the rear axle for all-wheel-drive grip, for combined outputs of 238kW/550Nm.

BYD claims the Dynamic can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds, while it says the Premium will cut that to 5.9 seconds. These figures are yet to be independently tested by Drive.

All Sealion 6 models are fitted with an 18.3kWh battery, which is claimed to enable electric-only driving ranges of 92km and 81km respectively for the Dynamic and Premium.

These figures are based on the less stringent NEDC standard – tested in a laboratory – and only when using 75 per cent of the battery (100-25 per cent).

Recharge times are currently unknown, but the Sealion 6 features vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities that will allow owners to power external devices using the car’s battery.

BYD dubs its PHEV system ‘Super Hybrid with DM-i Technology’ as it can operate as a 'range-extender' where the petrol engine is used to recharge the battery, a conventional hybrid where the petrol engine can drive the wheels as well as the electric motors, and in all-electric mode.

The fuel consumption claim – again tested on the NEDC standard, and relying heavily on electric power for much of the test cycle – is 1.1 litres per 100km for the Dynamic and 1.4L/100km for the Premium.

Standard equipment in both variants includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and start, two wireless smartphone chargers, synthetic leather-look upholstery, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, power-adjustable front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and LED exterior lighting.

Opting for the Premium grade, aside from the more potent powertrain, adds a head-up display.

All Sealion 6 models are also fitted with a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as in-built satellite navigation, digital radio, and a voice assistant.

Safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, front and rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, a surround-view monitor, front and rear parking sensors, exit warning, and seven airbags as standard.

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.