Say hello to…
…the BYD Sealion 5 a mid-sized PHEV SUV that sits just below the Seal U SUV. The Sealion 5 may only be a touch smaller than the Seal U in outright dimensions, but visually and in terms of pricing it rivals cars such as the Nissan Qashqai or Kia Sportage.
The Sealion 5 uses BYD’s hybrid system that operates almost all of the time as an electric car, with the 1.5-litre petrol engine acting as a range extender. The official EV-only range sits at 38 miles for the lower spec Comfort trim, while the top-spec Design version will cover 53 miles.
Trim levels:
- Comfort
- Design
Comfort includes metallic paint, 18-inch alloys, auto headlights, auto wipers, metallic paint, 8.8-inch dashboard display, powered front seats, dual zone climate control, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise, front cross traffic alert, keyless entry and start, 12.8-inch infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Design adds a powered boot lid and wireless phone charging.
Is The BYD Sealion 5 Suitable For My Fleet
If you pick the top specification Design trim then the BYD Sealion 5 is fleet suitable as the CO2 figure and EV-range mean the car qualifies for the 9% BIK tax band. However, don’t be tempted by the lower specification Comfort version which has a higher CO2 figure, pushing it out of the PHEV advantage and landing it at 18% BIK.
Leasing A BYD Sealion 5
Gateway2lease is offering the BYD Sealion 5 SUV in Design trim for £509 a month on a 3+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year. For a car that has a list price of £32,995, that’s a high monthly lease.
Driving A BYD Sealion 5
Given that BYD is offering the Sealion 5 as a large car in the C-SUV sector it is perhaps unsurprising there’s a lot of room inside. There’s both plenty of legroom for rear seat passengers but also a generous 463 litre boot too. The rear seats also fold properly flat so you can increase the carrying capacity to 1,410 litres if you want to use the car as a van.
The materials quality in the cabin is good as does the fit and finish. Equipment levels are generous too. However, as with many new cars, the driver distraction monitor is overzealous and is in its own right, distracting.
The large infotainment screen is relatively logical to use, but many functions are too deep in the menu system.
To drive, the Sealion 5 is almost a two-stage experience. When the battery is full the experience is quiet and smooth with little engine noise intrusion when it adds power to the battery. However, once the battery is depleted to about 20% the engine seems to have to work significantly harder resulting in a surprising and unpleasant amount of noise and vibration that can be felt through the seat and steering wheel.
Comfort levels are decent, the ride is on the firmer side for the sector, but that’s not necessarily a negative, more a personal preference. What’s less great is the jiggly ride on some surfaces at town speeds. It can depend on the road surface, but rivals handle this better.
However, BYD’s pitch of offering the Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid as a large car, with lots of room and kit, at the price level many rivals can’t match, will attract buyers.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The BYD Sealion 5
Pick the right specification Sealion 5 and there’s a good value company car available.
BYD Sealion 5
- Model: Sealion 5 DMi Comfort
- Power: 212hp
- Torque: 300Nm
- Max speed: 106mph
- 0-62mph: 8.1s
- Official mpg: 134.5mpg
- CO2 emissions: 48g/km
- BIK tax band 2025/26: 9%
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