The upcoming BYD Sealion 5 will be the cheapest plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in South Africa.
Our sister publication MyBroadband recently learned from well-informed industry sources that the Sealion 5 will have a starting price of R499,900 when it goes on sale within the next few weeks.
This makes it the first PHEV to cost less than R500,000, retailing for less than the nation’s other two “entry-level” PHEVs, the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH and the Geely E5 EM-i.
The Chery costs a minimum of R619,900, while the Geely starts at R599,999.
In other words, the Sealion 5 will cost R100,000 less than its most affordable competitor.
What to expect
BYD has yet to announce the localized spec sheet for the new crossover; however, South Africa typically receives the same models granted to Australia and New Zealand.
We can, therefore, take a look at the Sealion 5 sold in the Land Down Under to get a sense of what’s in store for us.
The Sealion 5 features a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a single front-mounted electric motor, resulting in a combined output of 145kW and 300Nm,
The e-motor’s battery size depends on the model, as the base Essential trim comes with a 12.9kWh cell with a New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) range of 71km.
The NEDC tends to be more generous than the more widely recognised Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Testing (WLTP) standard.
Based on other vehicles that have both a NEDC and WLTP range, the Sealion 5’s WLTP range will likely be around 50km.
In other markets, there’s also a higher-end Premium model that offers an 18.3kWh battery with a NEDC range of 100km.
This is the same battery found on the Sealion 6 on sale in South Africa, which has a WLTP range of 70km.
However, bear in mind the Sealion 6 is larger a larger vehicle, so the Sealion 5 is likely to get more mileage out of the same battery.
As for its equipment, the BYD should come with a fairly generous spec sheet.
Depending on the trim level, this should include keyless entry and start, a multifunction steering wheel, leather upholstery, automatic climate control, electric front seats, a wireless charger, a panoramic sunroof, a small digital driver display, and a rotating 15.6-inch infotainment screen.
Furthermore, the crossover is sold with a Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Software (ADAS) suite with adaptive cruise control, hill assist, automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane-keep assist, intelligent speed limit control, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.
Notably, the Sealion 5 also supports vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, meaning that owners can use the battery to power external appliances.
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