I’ve been using a seal as it’s part of the work fleet and it brilliant. I would buy one over Tesla 3 or Y which I’ve also used at work. Not sure how I would rank it over other EVs as only other ones I’ve used have been a Renault megane ev
The BYD Sealion 5 arrives early next year as Australia's cheapest PHEV, offering a larger body than a Toyota RAV4 priced below a top-spec Yaris.
BYD Sealion 5 pricing and specifications
Australia's cheapest plug-in hybrid below Tiggo 7 and Starray EM-i
Essential and Premium grades with different battery sizes
Priced from $33,990 before on-road costs
2026 BYD Sealion 5 price and specs: Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid due early next year
The 2026 BYD Sealion 5 has been locked in as Australia's cheapest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – and the most affordable hybrid family SUV – ahead of customer deliveries early next year.
Priced from $33,990 before on-road costs, the Sealion 5 undercuts Australia's cheapest plug-in hybrids, the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid ($39,990 drive-away) and Geely Starray EM-i (around $41,000 drive-away).
It is also the most affordable hybrid family SUV, with or without plug-in electric capability, below the Toyota Corolla Cross (from $37,440 plus on-roads), GWM Haval H6 (from $40,990 drive-away), MG HS (from $40,990 plus on-roads) and Hyundai Tucson (from $42,850 plus on-roads).
The top-of-the-range Toyota Yaris ZR ($34,590 plus on-roads) and mid-spec Corolla SX ($35,260) hybrid hatchbacks are also dearer than the plug-in hybrid Sealion 5 Essential, and the $37,990 Premium costs less than a Corolla ZR ($39,100).
The Sealion 5 will be offered in two grades, Essential and Premium, both featuring a 76kW/122Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 145kW/300Nm electric motor for a combined system output of 156kW.
Battery capacities differ between the Essential and Premium, at 12.9kWh and 18.3kWh, respectively, for an NEDC-rated electric-only driving range of between 71 and 100 kilometres.
Combined fuel consumption, with a battery state of charge of 100 to 25 per cent, is rated at 1.2 litres per 100 kilometres for the Essential and 1.3L/100km for the Premium, rising to 4.5L/100km and 4.6L/100km, respectively, when the battery falls below 25 per cent.
Standard features in the Sealion 5 Essential include 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, six speakers, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, and satellite navigation.
It also includes vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, rear parking sensors, full LED lighting, dual-zone air conditioning, keyless entry and start, and digital key support to lock, unlock and drive using a smartphone.
The Premium adds a larger 12.8-inch touchscreen, nine speakers, a wireless smartphone charger, heated and ventilated front seats, a powered driver's seat, a surround-view monitor, and front parking sensors.
It also gains power-adjustable exterior mirrors – the Essential has manual exterior mirror adjustment – an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a panoramic sunroof, and an electric tailgate.
Measuring 4738mm long, 1860mm wide and 1710mm tall, with a 2712mm wheelbase, the Sealion 5 is 143mm longer, 6mm wider and 8mm taller than the new-generation 2026 Toyota RAV4, with a 22mm-longer wheelbase.
Both grades offer a 463-litre boot capacity with the second-row in place, and a 750-kilogram braked towing capacity.
The BYD Sealion 5 will arrive in Australian showrooms early next year.
2026 BYD Sealion 5 price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2026 BYD Sealion 5 Essential DM-i standard features:
12.9kWh battery capacity
76kW/122Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine
145kW/300Nm electric motor
156kW combined system output
71km NEDC driving range rating
1.2L/100km combined fuel consumption rating
18-inch alloy wheels
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality
Tyre pressure monitoring
Rear-view camera
Rear parking sensors
Driver's side window auto up/down with anti-pinch
8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Six-speaker audio system
Satellite navigation
USB-A (one front, one rear) and USB-C (one front, one rear) charging ports
LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights
LED cabin lighting
Keyless entry and start
Electronic parking brake with auto-hold
Near-field communication (NFC) key card and BYD digital key support
PM2.5 air filter
Dual-zone air conditioning
Rear air vents
Autonomous emergency braking
Lane-keep assist
Lane departure warning
Blind-spot monitoring
Rear cross-traffic alert
Door opening warning
Traffic sign recognition
Intelligent speed limit assist
Automatic high beam
BYD Sealion 5 Premium DM-i adds (over Essential DM-i):
18.3kWh battery capacity
100km NEDC driving range rating
1.3L/100km combined fuel consumption rating
12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen
Nine-speaker audio system
15-watt wireless smartphone charger
Heated and ventilated front seats
Six-way power-adjustable driver's seat
360-degree camera
Front parking sensors
Auto up/down windows with anti-pinch for all four windows
Auto-folding, power-adjustable exterior mirrors with heating
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Electric tailgate
Panoramic sunroof
Roof rails
Available colours include:
Aurora White – no cost
Atlantis Grey – $600 extra
Harbour Grey – $600 extra
Cosmos Black – $600 extra
What's the risk? They are the kings of the battery and electric motor game.
The kings of the infotainment and electronics game.
Motors are a well worn path now, and a 76kw 1.5 litre motor is massively under-stressed.
With 100klm range, I think most Australians are going to be wiring 32A circuits into their house pretty soon.
I’ve heard they seem to be the best when it comes to Chinese cars however I am still a little bit sceptical of them.
I wonder if they can reach around 1,000,000 km with minimal issues (although that’s pretty irrelevant since Australians and now starting to upgrade their cars more than ever)
Not sure why “families” are equated with “SUVs”. I want a wagon but they’re so few and far between. I don’t want 4WD or a high centre of gravity. We had 2 kids and a Mazda3 so not sure what I’d need a big car for but they seem to be a default. A Mazda6 wagon is way roomier than most “family” SUVs.
How is a vehicle nearly 5 years old an ancient design? A lot of companies usually run a model for about 5-7 years with no issues and people still buy them.
I guess Australia is now getting used to upgrading their vehicles every year or so.
I quite like the look of a lot of BYDs cars, and if I was going to buy a car right now would probably get a Seal, but their naming scheme confuses me
It makes a lot more sense if you understand they spin a giant wheel to pick the names.
I’ve been using a seal as it’s part of the work fleet and it brilliant. I would buy one over Tesla 3 or Y which I’ve also used at work. Not sure how I would rank it over other EVs as only other ones I’ve used have been a Renault megane ev
The BYD Sealion 5 arrives early next year as Australia's cheapest PHEV, offering a larger body than a Toyota RAV4 priced below a top-spec Yaris.
2026 BYD Sealion 5 price and specs: Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid due early next year
The 2026 BYD Sealion 5 has been locked in as Australia's cheapest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – and the most affordable hybrid family SUV – ahead of customer deliveries early next year.
Priced from $33,990 before on-road costs, the Sealion 5 undercuts Australia's cheapest plug-in hybrids, the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid ($39,990 drive-away) and Geely Starray EM-i (around $41,000 drive-away).
It is also the most affordable hybrid family SUV, with or without plug-in electric capability, below the Toyota Corolla Cross (from $37,440 plus on-roads), GWM Haval H6 (from $40,990 drive-away), MG HS (from $40,990 plus on-roads) and Hyundai Tucson (from $42,850 plus on-roads).
The top-of-the-range Toyota Yaris ZR ($34,590 plus on-roads) and mid-spec Corolla SX ($35,260) hybrid hatchbacks are also dearer than the plug-in hybrid Sealion 5 Essential, and the $37,990 Premium costs less than a Corolla ZR ($39,100).
The Sealion 5 will be offered in two grades, Essential and Premium, both featuring a 76kW/122Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 145kW/300Nm electric motor for a combined system output of 156kW.
Battery capacities differ between the Essential and Premium, at 12.9kWh and 18.3kWh, respectively, for an NEDC-rated electric-only driving range of between 71 and 100 kilometres.
Combined fuel consumption, with a battery state of charge of 100 to 25 per cent, is rated at 1.2 litres per 100 kilometres for the Essential and 1.3L/100km for the Premium, rising to 4.5L/100km and 4.6L/100km, respectively, when the battery falls below 25 per cent.
Standard features in the Sealion 5 Essential include 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, six speakers, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, and satellite navigation.
It also includes vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, rear parking sensors, full LED lighting, dual-zone air conditioning, keyless entry and start, and digital key support to lock, unlock and drive using a smartphone.
The Premium adds a larger 12.8-inch touchscreen, nine speakers, a wireless smartphone charger, heated and ventilated front seats, a powered driver's seat, a surround-view monitor, and front parking sensors.
It also gains power-adjustable exterior mirrors – the Essential has manual exterior mirror adjustment – an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a panoramic sunroof, and an electric tailgate.
Measuring 4738mm long, 1860mm wide and 1710mm tall, with a 2712mm wheelbase, the Sealion 5 is 143mm longer, 6mm wider and 8mm taller than the new-generation 2026 Toyota RAV4, with a 22mm-longer wheelbase.
Both grades offer a 463-litre boot capacity with the second-row in place, and a 750-kilogram braked towing capacity.
The BYD Sealion 5 will arrive in Australian showrooms early next year. 2026 BYD Sealion 5 price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs. 2026 BYD Sealion 5 Essential DM-i standard features:
BYD Sealion 5 Premium DM-i adds (over Essential DM-i):
Available colours include:
Interesting now phevs are cheaper than hevs. For too long, phevs have cost a lot more than petrol and hevs.
Will Australians risk the new Chinese phevs?
why wouldnt they everything is chinese made these days its not like we manufacture anything over here.
What's the risk? They are the kings of the battery and electric motor game.
The kings of the infotainment and electronics game.
Motors are a well worn path now, and a 76kw 1.5 litre motor is massively under-stressed.
With 100klm range, I think most Australians are going to be wiring 32A circuits into their house pretty soon.
I guess driving around in a car made with Uighur slave labour aluminium isn’t technically a “risk”, but it’s probably worth noting.
Australians will literally buy anything so I’m sure heaps of people will buy them.
They could release whatever car they want and Australians will buy them no matter what.
I think by in large we're pretty agnostic about who makes our stuff. As long as it fits our needs and it's the best option we'll buy it.
Sure there's people that'll make loving/hating things from certain countries their whole personality but they're the vocal minority.
I’ve heard they seem to be the best when it comes to Chinese cars however I am still a little bit sceptical of them.
I wonder if they can reach around 1,000,000 km with minimal issues (although that’s pretty irrelevant since Australians and now starting to upgrade their cars more than ever)
1m km is fuckin huge. I've never heard of a car in my life that could make it that far with minimal issues, or indeed at all.
You would be surprised a lot of older vehicles could reach that easily, even some more modern Toyotas have had that happen in recent years.
My 02 prado made is 308k before giving up the ghost, and it needed a good amount of work.
Not doubting but even mechanics i know say 400k is a great innings
Oh wow that's cheap.
*Buys a Camry Hybrid*
Those Toyota Camry’s ( especially the Australian ones) are absolutely indestructible.
Edit: LOL I get downvoted for saying how indestructible they are, people really need an education.
Not sure why “families” are equated with “SUVs”. I want a wagon but they’re so few and far between. I don’t want 4WD or a high centre of gravity. We had 2 kids and a Mazda3 so not sure what I’d need a big car for but they seem to be a default. A Mazda6 wagon is way roomier than most “family” SUVs.
White Grey and Black
This is an ancient design. Nearly 5 years old and it looks and feels like it.
Nope from my end.
How is a vehicle nearly 5 years old an ancient design? A lot of companies usually run a model for about 5-7 years with no issues and people still buy them.
I guess Australia is now getting used to upgrading their vehicles every year or so.