2024 BYD Sealion 6 Hybrid Premium AWD | Hybrid Car Review

BYD continue swinging hard with their first hybrid model, the BYD Sealion 6. BYD claim that this is New Zealand’s first ‘super hybrid’, that ensures a seamless supply of renewable energy that recharges while you drive. This combines all the benefits of a fully electric vehicle with a hybrid engine for the best of both worlds. Drivelife was keen to test this one to see if BYD’s claim was fact or fiction.

The new BYD Sealion combines their latest Blade Battery Technology with the 1.5-litre Xiaoyun engine. The claim for the Sealion being a super hybrid comes from the super efficient battery and engine systems they have combined. These specialised Blade batteries for the hybrid platform boast power capacities starting at 18.3kWh, enabling a pure-electric range of up to 92km, alongside numerous advantages such as enhanced safety, optimised strength, extended range, and longer lifecycle. The Xiaoyun engine is designed to be compact and maximises power output, delivering peak power and torque. 

Apart from the BYD Shark Ute, this is the only mid-size passenger SUV hybrid that BYD have available in New Zealand. Based on its design and drivetrain, the only thing we feel would be close is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and their base model is just $2,000 less than the Sealion’s top spec model.  

What We Like and Dislike About The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Premium AWD

What’s In The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Range?

There are two variants for the BYD Sealion available in New Zealand, the Dynamic FWD and the Premium AWD. The Dynamic front-wheel drive variant features a Xiaoyun plug-in hybrid 1.5 litre high-efficiency engine with an all-electric range of 92kms and an estimated combined driving range of up to 1,100 km. The Premium all-wheel drive model features the Xiaoyun plug-in hybrid turbocharged 1.5Ti engine with an all electric range of 81kms and an estimated combined driving range of up to 970km.

The big question is, with all the tech and all this super hybrid power, what is it going to cost? Surprisingly, not as much as I had thought; the Dynamic FWD starts from $57,990 and the Premium AWD starts from $64,990. And apart from the 2WD and AWD drivetrain, which is a single or dual motor, the difference between the two specs is minimal. The only visible difference would be that the Premium comes with a heads-up display. Under the skin, the Premium also comes with Mud, Sand and Snow driving modes, while the Dynamic only has Snow.

2024 BYD Sealion 6 Colour Range

The BYD Sealion is available in 5 different colours.

• Arctic White (our review vehicle spec) no extra cost
• Harbour Grey – $1250
• Delan Black – $1250
• Azure Blue – $1250
• Stone Grey – $1250

Our Review Vehicle’s Optional Equipment

The BYD Sealion options are spec’d out for each variant, there are no additional options available for either the Dynamic FWD or the Premium AWD. Which means the retail price is $64,990.

For a full list of specs and options available for the 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Hybrid Premium AWD head on over to BYD’s New Zealand’s website.

How Does The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Hybrid Premium AWD Compare To Its Competition?

There are a lot of hybrids out on the market these days, however some of these things are not like the other. Right now, there are multiple different setups for hybrids, the two main forms of drivetrain for hybrids: a Parallel Hybrid and a Hybrid Electric Vehicle, or HEV. In simple terms, a parallel hybrid system uses both a combustion engine and or electric motor to power the vehicle, working in parallel. A HEV is essentially an electric vehicle that has an internal combustion engine to generate power for the electric motors. It may all sound the same, but they work in very different ways, and can make some vehicles drastically more efficient than others.

This is usually reflected in the combined fuel economy, with very low figures for HEV. Based on experience, the only vehicle that is close in comparison to the BYD Sealion HEV system is the Mitsubishi Outlander VRX PHEV. The Outlander has always ranked high with Drivelife, and it’s super efficient, but it’s over $10,000 more than the BYD Sealion.

Make/ Model	Engine	Power/ Torque kW/Nm	Seats	Fuel L/100km	Towing Capacity	Boot Space, litres	Price
Mitsubishi Outlander VRX PHEV	2.4-litre, 4-cylinder petrol/plugin hybrid	185 / 450	7	1.6	750 / 1600	472	$75,990
GWM Tank 500 Lux Hybrid	2.0L 4-cylinder Turbo Petrol Hybrid	255 / 648	7	8.5	750 / 3,000	98 / 795 / 1,459	$74,990
Jeep/ Renegade 4xe PHEV	1.3L T4 Turbo GSE Plug-in Hybrid 4xe	176 / 270	5	5.7	600 / 1,150	330 / 1277	$69,990
BYD Sealion Hybrid Premium	1.5Ti Hybrid Turbo Charged	238 / 550	5	1.4	750 / 1300	425 / 1440	$64,990
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV VRX	2.4-litre 4-cylinder hybrid	94 / 199	5	3.7	N/A	359	$57,990
BYD Sealion Hybrid Dynamic	1.5Ti Hybrid Turbo Charged	160 / 300	5	1.1	750 / 1300	425 / 1440	$57,990
GWM Tank 300 Lux Hybrid	2.0L 4-cylinder Turbo Petrol Hybrid	255 / 648	5	8.4	750 / 2,500	400 / 1,635	$56,990
Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid	1.5Ti Hybrid Turbo Charged	179 / 530	5	5.2	750 / 1500	560 / 1445	$43,990

Please note that DriveLife does its best to ensure the information above is correct at the time of publication, however, prices, specifications and models can change over time. Please bear that in mind when comparing models in the comparison table.

First Impressions Of The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Hybrid Premium AWD

My first impressions of the BYD Sealion 6 were good – it’s a nice-looking car. It doesn’t look like an electric vehicle, with some of those oddly trying to be eco-designs. It just looks like a premium level luxury SUV. If you swapped the badge out, it wouldn’t be hard to convenience many people that it’s a Porsche Cayenne. 

The styling all around the Sealion is easy on the eye’s, the strong front with narrow headlights and vented grille. The black wheel arches give it a big stance, while also making the wheels feel bigger than they are. The rear is finished off well too, clean lines with a light running across the boot connecting each tail light, which was a nice touch. 

Overall, it’s a sleek and semi-sporty design that delivers a more upmarket look than the price tag would normally provide. 

What’s The Interior Like In The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Hybrid Premium AWD?

Steeping inside the BYD Sealion 6, you find yourself in a clean and sleek interior. The main dash is very simple, finished in nice leather, with a piano black fascia and soft-touch plastics. There are no buttons, just the large central touch screen. The seats are a great two-tone sporty design, which carries through to the rear seats. 

The front seats are well appointed, with 8-way adjustment on the driver’s seat and 4-way adjustment on the passengers. Both front seats are heated and ventilated, which is rarely seen in this price bracket. I found the driver’s seat very comfortable, and got situated in no time at all. Surprisingly I had to pull the seat forward to get to my normal driving position, which was really impressive, most cars I just go all the way back and that’s my spot due to my height. 

This also left great room in the rear for tall passengers. The rear seats followed in design with the front, just a bit more simplified and contoured. It was super easy to get my daughter’s booster seat in, and it sat nicely between the belts so that she could do it up each time without any fuss. In some cars, this ends up under the booster seats, which is not only frustrating for the child, but the parents too. 

The cabin’s main feature is the 15.6-inch central display touch screen, and this is where you can control a lot of features of the vehicle. Thankfully, unlike Tesla, they have not moved every last button to this screen; BYD has kept the must-have buttons around the cabin. On the home screen, it’s split into 3 large icons, Navigation, Streaming Music and Radio as a default setting. They can be configured to your liking, and the remaining apps are on the following screens when you swipe left. There is a lot of customisation available, different colours and themes, that my daughter loved. She also had her mind blown when the screen rotated itself 90 degrees to become a portrait screen. She loved it, I was indifferent, but it was nice to see that you could adjust and change it in many ways for the driver’s or passenger’s preference.

My daughter and I will have to agree to disagree, she loved the main screen in the portrait position, I preferred it in the landscape view. As I was the driver, I told her my view wins. I preferred this view too because the top of the screen pops up above the dash a bit and can obstruct your view partially when parking or slow driving around the city. I also thought the apps were set up better for the landscape view. The navigation maps were great, as you’re able to see so much around your location, making it easy to plan out your route. 

The cabin’s air-conditioning is also fully controlled on the central touch screen. Easy enough to use, but I felt that the auto setting never cooled the car low enough. My normal setting would be between 19 and 20, and I had to have it lower to research a comfortable feeling when compared to other vehicles.  

The central console is the other main feature in the cabin, identified by the crystal-style driver mode selector. Elegant and simple to use, with R, N and D and a separate button for Park. To the left and right, you have three quick access buttons. On the left you have the hazard lights, Parking Sensors and auto-hold park brake. On the right you have auto climate control, on/off climate control, and front window demist. Below all of this you have the start/stop button for the vehicle, drive mode selection, EV/HEV selection and media volume control. The entire panel is very clean and elegantly put together, so it does not feel too cluttered.

Above this are two Qi wireless fast charging pads, which is a bit different. I thought this was thoughtfully designed, as you have not only an area for two phones to charge at the same time, but you also have an area that can be used to just put things out of your hands, like a wallet or purse. Far too many cars are becoming too clean and not allowing for space for how the user uses the vehicle in the day to day.

The view out of the rear window is good, no blind spots there. Combined with the parking camera, which uses the big central screen, you have a very clear view of everything around the vehicle at all times.

The boot is a nice size, at 425 litres. It has a height adjustable floor panel, which can be lowered for extra space. The rear seats have a 60/40 split, with the smaller side on the driver’s side of the car. Once the rear seats are down, the boot space opens up to a massive 1,440 litres. There is a sunken storage pocket on the left-hand side of the boot, for items that you don’t want rolling around. There is no spare wheel, instead there is a single-use gel puncture repair kit. 

What’s The 2024 BYD Sealion 6 Hybrid Premium AWD Like To Drive?

One thing I like about most BYD models is that they have not wasted their time getting caught up in the pointless 0-100km/h times, like Tesla. It proves nothing, a rocket can go fast, but it’s not comfortable. It’s all publicity and gas bagging, because most people don’t know what to do with that much power or vehicles that can do 0-100km/h in under 4 seconds. The BYD Sealion has a reasonable but swift time of 5.9 seconds, which is a nice middle ground of go while not being too slow. 

What this also means is that BYD is actually focusing its vehicles on the people, not gimmicks. Is the BYD comfortable? Yes. Is it well-equipped? Yes. Does it feel like a luxury car? Yes. And does it drive like a luxury car? Yes, it does. For a vehicle in this price range, there are not many other HEV SUVs that could say the same thing. 

The BYD Sealion 6 actually feels smaller than it is, which is great around town. From the driver’s viewpoint, the bonnet of the vehicle curves down, providing you with a better feeling of where the vehicle is and what’s around you. This is supported by the surround-view parking cameras, which remove any blind spot when parking or navigating in tight spaces. One thing I really loved about the parking sensors is that they actually tell you how far away you are from something, as well as a beeping noise. Instead of having to have blind faith in the beeps, it shows on the screen; 60cm, 40cm, 25cm, 10cm etc. I love that.

Out on the open road, the Sealion 6 drives well, road noise is low in the cabin which is another plus. It would be even lower if New Zealand could build some better quality roads, but that’s a rant for another day. At 100km/h I did notice the steering is very light, so you do have to keep an eye on it as it can drift a bit with slight movements of your hands. Nothing dangerous, but noticeably lighter than other vehicles. I also noticed that there is more body roll in the Sealion too, going around roundabouts. When compared to my own Range Rover – which has a higher seating position and much less body roll going around the same roundabouts

Brakes are good; a nice firm feel, without being too aggressive. This is great, as the Sealion 6 is a heavy vehicle. To put it in perspective, it’s 50kg more than my 2017 Range Rover Sport. Which might have something to do with the body roll I mentioned before.

Fuel economy, well this is the main event, and the BYD Sealion 6 did not disappoint. BYD claim that the combined fuel economy is 1.4 litres per 100km, which is amazing. I was able to achieve 3.6 litres per 100km, which may be double what they claim, but it’s still an amazingly low figure for a vehicle that I did not drive in any way to improve its economy. The claim of 961km per tank is no joke if those figures are anything to go by, which is why if you’re looking for one of the most efficient vehicles on the market, this Sealion needs to be on your test drive list.

The last list of impressive things about the Sealion 6 is that both the Dynamic and Premium models both have all the same spec levels in terms of driver safety features. The only difference between the two is that the premium has the driver’s heads-up display. Here is a list of the main safety and security features. 

After all that, what’s the new BYD Sealion 6 like to drive? Not too bad. A bit more body roll than some cars, light steering, but overall a smooth, comfortable and easy drive.

2024 BYD Sealion 6 Hybrid Premium AWD – Specifications

Vehicle Type	Large Hybrid HEV SUV
Starting Price	$64,990
Price as Tested	$64,990
Engine	Xiaoyun plug-in hybrid turbo-charged 1.5Ti high efficiency engine
Power, Torque kW/Nm	238 / 550
Transmission	–
Spare Wheel	N/A
Kerb Weight, Kg	2,100
Length x Width x Height mm	4,775 x 1,890 x 1,670
Boot Space / Cargo Capacity, Litres (seats up/seats down)	425 / 1,440
Fuel tank capacity, litres	60
Fuel Economy, L/100km	Advertised Spec – Combined – 1.4 Real-World Test – Combined – 3.6 Low Usage: 0-6 / Medium Usage 6-12 / High Usage 12+
Towing Capacity Kg, unbraked/braked	750 / 1,300
Turning circle metres	11 Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+
Warranty	New vehicle warranty: 6 years or 150,000 km, whichever comes firstRoadside assistance: 8 yearsEV Traction Battery warranty: 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first
Safety information	ANCAP Rating – 5 stars – Link Rightcar.govt.nz – 4 Stars – QRD499