Make and model: BYD Sealion 5 DM-i
Description: Small plug-in hybrid SUV
Price range: from £29,990
Summary: The BYD Sealion 5 delivers plug-in hybrid flexibility and strong equipment for the price, but its design, touchscreen usability and driving polish feel a step behind the best rivals.
Introduction
BYD likes to describe itself as the world’s most advanced battery company. Much of its growing UK car range looks modern and slightly unconventional, which helps reinforce that message.
The BYD Sealion 5 feels different. At first glance, it’s surprisingly ordinary. In fact, it looks more like a ten-year-old MG than a forward-thinking new arrival. That’s partly because it isn’t a brand-new design. Underneath, this car has been on sale in China since 2019 as the BYD Song Pro. In car terms, that makes it older than most of the rest of BYD’s UK line-up.
But the more relevant question at its recent European launch wasn’t whether it looks exciting. It was whether the Sealion 5 makes sense here in the UK.
For a broader ownership picture, see our full BYD Sealion 5 Expert Rating.
Price and equipment
The Sealion 5’s strongest argument is its price. There are two trims in the UK: Comfort at around £30,000 and Design at roughly £33,000. Both are generously equipped, and even the lower-spec Comfort model doesn’t feel stripped out.
What makes that pricing significant is the powertrain. For the sort of money that would usually buy you a conventional petrol compact SUV, BYD is offering a plug-in hybrid. That alone will catch the attention of plenty of buyers.
The higher-spec Design trim adds a few cosmetic and convenience upgrades, but the core package remains the same. You’re not forced into ticking endless option boxes to get the essentials.
On paper, at least, it looks like strong value.
Inside the car
Climb inside and the Sealion 5 feels clean and modern enough. The layout is tidy, the twin-screen setup gives it a contemporary look, and nothing immediately feels cheap or flimsy. For the money, it makes a respectable first impression.
Space is competitive for a compact SUV. There’s enough legroom in the back for growing teenagers, and the boot should cope comfortably with weekly shopping or a family weekend away. It doesn’t feel cramped, and that matters more than flashy design details in this class.
After a bit more time, though, the cabin starts to feel less cohesive. Almost all key functions are controlled through the central touchscreen. That’s not unusual these days, especially for BYD, but it means even simple tasks require too many taps and too long glancing away from the road. The system itself isn’t especially quick either, so you sometimes find yourself waiting for it to catch up. It works, but it doesn’t feel particularly slick.
Seat comfort is much the same story. They’re perfectly acceptable, and fine for everyday journeys, but they don’t offer the sort of support that makes longer drives relaxing. You sit on them rather than in them, and after an hour or so you become more aware of that.
None of this is disastrous. The cabin is spacious and reasonably well put together. It just lacks the sense of polish that some rivals manage, even at similar prices.
Driving range and charging
As a plug-in hybrid, the Sealion 5’s appeal rests heavily on its ability to cover short trips on electric power.
Official figures suggest enough electric range to handle many daily errands without using petrol at all, provided you have access to regular home or work charging. We didn’t gather real-world efficiency data on this launch drive, so a longer UK test will be needed to see how closely it matches its claims.
The advantage here is flexibility. Around town, it should be possible to drive quietly on electric power. For longer journeys, the petrol engine takes over without the need to plan charging stops.
On the road
Cold, wet winter roads are not the easiest environment in which to shine, but they do reveal a car’s character quickly.
One clear positive is refinement. The Sealion 5 is impressively quiet. Engine noise is well suppressed and the switch between electric and petrol power is handled smoothly enough that you often have to check the display to see what’s happening. Around town, it feels calm and relaxed.
Most of the power comes from the electric motor, and the petrol engine tends to play a supporting role. Once the battery (which is smaller on the Comfort model than the more expensive Design model) is depleted, the petrol engine will run as a generator to replenish it and keep the electric motor in action. It’s only at higher speeds that the petrol engine is used to directly drive the wheels.
The ride, however, is firmer than you might expect from a comfort-focused family SUV. It doesn’t crash over bumps, but it never really settles either.
More surprisingly, that firmness doesn’t bring much benefit in terms of control. Steering feels slightly vague and the brake pedal lacks the crisp response you’d hope for on faster A-roads. It’s not unsafe, but it doesn’t inspire confidence when you want precise responses.
For everyday urban driving, this probably won’t matter much. But at higher speeds, the Sealion 5 feels competent rather than composed.
Overall, the driving experience is best described as forgettable. That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker for a family SUV, but it does reinforce the sense that this isn’t BYD at its most ambitious.
Verdict
The BYD Sealion 5 is a sensible, price-led addition to the brand’s UK range. At around £30,000, it offers plug-in hybrid capability and generous standard equipment for the sort of money that would normally buy you a conventional petrol SUV. For buyers focused on value and the ability to cover short trips on electric power, that alone makes it worth considering.
It’s also impressively quiet and easy to drive in everyday situations. Around town, it feels calm and unobtrusive, and the plug-in system appears flexible enough to suit normal family life.
But it doesn’t feel like BYD at its most impressive. The design is anonymous, the underlying model is older than much of the brand’s current line-up, and the driving experience lacks the polish and precision of the best rivals. The touchscreen-heavy interior works, but it doesn’t feel especially intuitive.
In many ways, the Sealion 5 feels like a pragmatic move to broaden BYD’s appeal rather than a showcase of its latest thinking.
If your priority is getting into a plug-in hybrid SUV at a competitive price, the Sealion 5 makes a rational case. If you’re looking for something that feels especially refined or forward-thinking, you may find stronger options elsewhere.
For a broader ownership picture, including safety, running costs and reliability data, see our full BYD Sealion 5 Expert Rating.
We like:
- Competitive pricing for a plug-in hybrid SUV
- Generous standard equipment
- Impressively quiet when driving
- Smooth transition between electric and petrol power
- Competitive interior space
We don’t like:
- Bland exterior design
- Touchscreen-heavy controls are not intuitive
- Ride feels firm without delivering sharp handling
- Steering and braking lack precision at motorway speeds
- Feels a step behind BYD’s newer models
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Key specifications
Model tested: BYD Sealion 5 DM-i Comfort
Price: £29,990
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol engine + electric motor, all-wheel drive
Gearbox: Single-speed hybrid automatic
Power: 212 hp (combined)
Top speed: 106 mph
0-60 mph: 7.7 seconds
Fuel economy (combined): 104 mpg
Battery range: 38 miles
CO2 emissions: 62 g/km
Euro NCAP safety rating: Not yet tested (as of February 2026)
TCE Expert Rating: B (67%) as of February 2026
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