First-drive review: BYD Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid SUV

BYD is one of the fastest-growing car brands in the UK (registering 51,422 cars in 2025), and its model range is quickly expanding.

Alongside its range of electric cars (such as the Dolphin Surf hatchback and Seal saloon) it offers several plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) such as the Seal U DM-i SUV and Seal 6 DM-i estate and saloon.

The Sealion 5 DM-i medium SUV is the latest PHEV to join the BYD range in Europe, and BYD predicts it will be one of its most popular models in the UK. Rivals include PHEV versions of the Cupra Formentor, Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson.

So how does it compare? Ahead of our lab test, I’ve taken it for an initial test drive.

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BYD Sealion 5 DM-i: key manufacturer specs

The Sealion 5 DM-i is available in two trim levels. Entry-level Comfort cars have automatic windscreen wipers, automatic LED headlights, vegan leather seats, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and lots of driver assistance technology.

Top-spec Design cars have an electric tailgate, heated front seats, a wireless smartphone charger, front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system. They also have a larger battery which gives a longer electric-only driving range.

Driving performance

In total, the Sealion 5 has 212hp, which is a good figure when compared to rivals (the slightly larger MG HS PHEV has 299hp). The Sealion 5’s petrol engine generates 96hp on its own with the electric motor generating the rest.

Both trim levels accelerate well at most speeds. I found performance dips noticeably when driving in EV mode and accelerating at motorway speeds, and the engine frequently has to work to add extra power.

I didn’t hear much road noise and double-glazed windows help to reduce wind noise, although this can still be heard on some occasions. Engine noise is usually limited and the car’s electric motor is near-silent when used. However, it’s quite noisy when idling and it can be raucous when accelerating hard - especially, as I found, when driving in Sport mode.

The engine and motor are generally smooth, too, although note that all cars come with a single-speed automatic gearbox, which can sometimes apply power quite inconsistently when accelerating.

At higher speeds, the Sealion 5 is comfortable, but at lower speeds it isn’t as soft and you’ll feel bumps and holes in the cabin. The car’s body also moves slightly when you drive over bumps and it can take time for it to settle down after driving over them.

The Sealion 5 drives around corners quite well and body roll is limited. The steering isn’t perfect, though. While it’s direct and has some weight when it’s in the Sport setting, I thought it felt very unnatural in the Comfort setting. It isn’t very accurate, either, meaning you’ll often have to turn the wheel more than expected when driving around corners.

The car’s brakes are easy to use and are responsive.

I thought that the car’s adaptive cruise control worked well during my drive but the intelligent speed-limit assist (ISA) wasn’t very good. It didn’t always identify the correct speed limit during my drives and didn’t know what national speed limit signs meant, so didn’t display a speed limit when driving on these roads. The lane-assistance tech worked well, but it can be irritating if the car’s intelligent cruise control system is used, as it regularly pulls you into the centre of your lane. While this is helpful on dual carriageways and motorways, it’s less useful on other roads and hasn’t evolved much over the years and through different models I and other members of the team have driven.

The driver monitoring system can be irritating if you use the touchscreen a lot (which, as explained in a moment, you’ll have to do) and will frequently warn you to look ahead.

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Interior: features and quality

The Sealion 5 DM-i’s interior is generally well-made, although I noticed that the centre armrest of the Comfort car I drove creaked when I drove it (I didn’t notice this in the Design car I also drove).

Soft-touch materials can be found on the top of the dashboard and the door trims, but the entire lower section of the dashboard and most of the centre console are made of hard plastic. That said, the sun visors and roof lining are covered with soft-touch materials.

A 12.8-inch touchscreen is fitted to all models. As we’ve seen in other BYD models, it’s quite distracting to use as many basic functions (such as the heated rear windscreen) are buried in menus, which require additional operating steps to access them. Many of the touch icons are quite small and some precision is required to press the correct icon.

At least the screen is well-positioned and is generally easy to read. Unlike in other BYD models, the screen doesn’t rotate from landscape to portrait, which can make it hard to reach the edge of it. There are also some touch pads for demisting the windscreen, among other things. You also get a physical volume dial and toggles for the driving mode and power source settings. The 8.8-inch digital instrument display is generally easy to read but could be larger. Some of the information that’s displayed could also be larger, in my opinion.

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Unlike some brands, BYD fits physical buttons to the steering wheel, which are easy to use and aren’t as distracting as touchpad controls. Like most BYD cars, you also get standard door handles, unlike the pop-out versions used by other Chinese brands like Leapmotor and XPeng.

I found the front seats reasonably comfortable, despite having fixed headrests. They don’t have many adjustment options, though, while the passenger seat doesn’t have height-adjustment. The rear seats are contoured slightly, although the bases are quite flat.

I thought that all-round visibility was adequate, as the car’s high-set driving position and large windows give a lofty view out of the cabin (something that’s exacerbated by me being more than 6ft tall). The rear roof pillars are rather wide, though.

The boot is practically sized and shaped although there’s no underfloor storage area beyond a tray for small items.

As with most SUVs, it’s some way off the ground but there isn’t much of a step to contend with from the boot floor to the rear of the car. The boot floor is near-flat when the rear seats are folded.

I thought that the boot lid was quite bulky and heavy so I’d recommend a top spec model, which has an electric tailgate.

The cabin is very spacious although you sit very high up (especially if, like me, you’re tall) which reduces head space. Unlike many Chinese cars, no Sealion 5 comes with a glass roof, although the light-coloured roof lining helps with creating space. The rear cabin also has lots of space and even tall adults can sit behind each other.

Reliability and warranty

BYD offers a 6 year/93,750 mile warranty on its cars, which isn’t as generous as some rival brands (like Chery and Kia). The car’s battery is warranted for 8 years/155,343 miles (250,000km) which is the same length as rival brands although the mileage limit is much higher.

While we don’t have any specific data on the reliability of BYD’s PHEVs, we do have data on the reliability of their entire range. Head to our most reliable brands guide to find out how reliable BYD’s cars are.

BYD Sealion 5 DM-i: Final thoughts

We’ll reserve final judgement on the Sealion 5 until we lab-test it, but it’s certainly spacious and has good performance for a family car. Perhaps its biggest draw is its price: the entry-level model undercuts all rivals whether purchased through cash or PCP. The top-spec Design model is also well-priced, although the MG HS PHEV is available for a similar price and has a longer EV driving range.

The Sealion 5’s biggest competition comes from within: the brand’s Seal U model doesn’t cost much more than the Design version and also has a longer EV driving range and a classier interior. The driver assistance tech is also much less overbearing. It’s the model I’d choose when looking for a lower-priced family PHEV SUV.

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