2024 BYD Sealion 6 DM-i first drive
Sea lions are renowned for being among the cleverest of all marine creatures.
Although they may resemble seals, these beady-eyed mammals have a host of differences, such as the ability to walk (instead of bounce around) on land. Combine this with their great intelligence and you won’t have to wonder why sea lions are the stars of many aquarium shows.
It is fitting, then, that BYD Philippines has chosen to call its latest electrified crossover the Sealion 6 DM-i. And that wasn’t a misprint – this new aquatic friend from one of the world’s largest battery-electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers is “electrified” because it has a little help from a gasoline range extender.
Despite this, the Sealion 6 DM-i doesn’t really fit the traditional definition of a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV). And based on the tricks that this new BYD crossover showed us, it’s about to outsmart its traditional HEV rivals, all for a price that you simply won’t believe.
An EV mode that isn’t lip service
The heart of the Sealion 6 is the innovative Super DM-i system.
This is composed of a rechargeable 18.3-kWh Ultra-Safe Blade Battery with an electric motor and a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. Combined output is a healthy 217 horsepower and 325 Newton-meters of torque.
Unlike many HEVs in the market, the Sealion 6 DM-i runs on EV mode by default, instead of having to press a switch manually. And unlike many HEVs in the market, the EV mode isn’t just for a five-minute stroll – BYD Philippines claims up to 105 kilometers of EV range.
On the road, it feels like driving a traditional BYD EV, with all the instant pep that you would expect. Even at full throttle, the gasoline engine simply refuses to participate in the motivation of this crossover until you go past around 85 km/h, where it kicks in just to charge the battery.
Put another way, the vast majority of your low-speed city driving can realistically be done without burning a single drop of fossil fuel. And if you want to go on a long, long, long journey, the Sealion 6 DM-i has a claimed maximum extended range of 1,200 kilometers, which can be further extended by a quick trip to the pumps and/or an EV charging station.
Fabulously premium cabin
And you would certainly enjoy every journey in the capacious cabin of the Sealion 6 DM-i.
That’s because it’s been loaded with the sort of standard equipment that would require you to sell nearly all of your internal organs to have in a Japanese rival.
These include imitation two-tone leather, electrically operated and air-conditioned seats, a panoramic moonroof, soundproof front door glass, 360-degree camera, dual wireless charging pads, a 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mated to a 10-speaker Infinity surround-sound system and the BYD Voice Assistant.
There’s also a sea of soft-touch materials and beautifully crafted center console that holds switches that feel like they’re made of crystal. Frankly, I’m surprised that this vehicle doesn’t come with wings and a flight attendant.
It helps that the Sealion 6 DM-i has very supple suspension, absorbing bumps with the adroitness that nears even European luxury cars. Just don’t hurl this big crossover into the corners as you will encounter quite a bit of body roll.
Unrivaled safety and convenience
The Sealion 6 DM-i likewise doesn’t skimp on safety.
Front, side and curtain airbags are standard, as well as ISOFIX child-restraint anchors and the life preservers, such as the electronic stability control with Anti-Rollover Control System. And to prevent you from getting into trouble in the first place, the Sealion 6 DM-i comes standard with the DiPilot ADAS active-safety suite.
This includes things like the automatic emergency braking system, lane-keeping assist, lane departure assistance, front collision warning, traffic congestion assistance, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed limit information and intelligent speed limit control.
Indeed, this all-new BYD has the sort of safety and convenience features that would make even some pilots envious.
Everyone else is prey
What BYD has accomplished with the Sealion 6 DM-i is to show everybody what HEVs should have been in the first place.
The DM-i system makes this crossover first and foremost an EV, with the range extender only kicking in to charge the battery. And you can do away with the engine altogether if you choose to charge from a plug – all Sealion 6 DM-i come with a free 7-kWh home charger, and a Type 2 AC port compatible with ACMobility’s extensive EV charging station network.
All this for around P1.6 million – my jaw dropped like a piano off a skyscraper because I was expecting this to go toe-to-toe with its Korean and Japanese rivals, none of which go below P2.2 million.
Add to this the once-a-year preventive maintenance schedule, and the ability to power appliances using your Sealion 6 DM-i, and the value-for-money proposition, sends a tidal wave, no, a tsunami throughout the sea of hybrid crossovers on sale in the Philippines today.
Did I mention that sea lions are also one of the most skilled and ferocious marine predators? For BYD’s newest offering, the name makes more sense than ever. INQ
