Almost unreal: 3 days and 1,000 km in the 2024 BYD Sealion DM-i
I rarely do long media drives anymore because of all the work I do.
In between writing for you all here at Mobility PH and helping organize the General Petroleum Philippines Gymkhana, there’s just no way I could take two or three days off just like that. But BYD Philippines’ hottest new model really made me clear my schedule.
My interest had first been piqued after the Sealion 6 DM-i was officially launched in the Philippines last July with a jaw-dropping pricetag of P1,548,000. Given that this directly competes with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and the Honda CR-V e:HEV, undercutting these two electrified stalwarts by around P1 million sure made one hell of statement.
And then, BYD Philippines announced that the Sealion 6 DM-i did over 1,600 kilometers on one full tank and one full charge. This was no mere PR stunt – it was verified by no less than the Automobile Association of the Philippines.
My eyebrows went into the stratosphere, however, when the carmaker said that hundreds of people eschewed buying hybrids from Japan, considered the world master in the technology, for a crossover from a Chinese brand that has only recently experienced a huge local upsurge thanks to impressive battery-electric vehicles (EV) like the Dolphin and ATTO 3.
I just had to go for a drive, even if it meant covering 1,000 kilometers over three days.
a puddle is the winning entry of Inquirer Motoring and Mobility PH’s Tope Crisostomo in a
contest held in conjunction with the Ilocos Media Drive.
Superb expressway cruiser
Our journey began at the Seda Hotel near Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
Bleary-eyed from my meetings the night before, I got a jolt when I saw the itinerary – Manila to a lunch stop in Rosario, La Union, followed by a drive to Hotel Luna in the historical Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. In between, a visit to Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, then the same stops on the trip from Vigan to Manila.
On the road, I rode shotgun with Mobility PH’s super-photographer/videographer Tope Crisostomo while I was rushing to finish a story on my smartphone. As we threaded out of the rainsoaked and gridlocked metro, I immediately observed how refined and smooth the Sealion 6 DM-i was.
Things like the air-conditioned seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the powerful dual climate-control system made the ride so much more pleasant. On the North Luzon Expressway, I was able to get a stint behind the wheel, where I found that the Sealion 6 DM-i had more than enough grunt for expressway work.
It also helped that the brakes were strong, controlled by a fairly firm pedal with none of the grabbiness that usually happens with regenerative braking (Japanese brands, pay attention). Perhaps the only gripe I had were the dampers that made the car feel floaty at times, especially over bumps and high-speed corners.
No lip service here
But the crown jewel of the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i is its highly advanced electrified drivetrain.
The DM-i system may seem like a parallel hybrid that The Land of the Rising Sun made popular decades ago. But given that BYD is among the world’s leading EV manufacturers, the Sealion 6 DM-i is blessed with an EV Mode that can do 80 to 100 kilometers before needing a recharge.
In effect, you can just put P500 worth of fuel in the tank (so that the fuel pump doesn’t burn out) and simply charge this big crossover at home, then do your daily commute without burning a drop of unleaded. And on long trips like what we did, just fill everything up and get the sort of driving range that even turbodiesel sport-utility vehicles could only dream of.
Things like aforementioned regenerative braking are useful, especially when going down the steep mountain roads heading into and out of Vigan. And with the gasoline engine always at the ready to charge the battery and provide additional horsepower, range anxiety can be solved by a quick (and cheap) trip to the pumps.
Another great feature is the Sealion 6 DM-i’s adaptive cruise control system – on the open road, it maintains the amount of throttle to move the car while charging the battery.
No surprises
From tight city streets to the stunning plains of the north, the Sealion 6 DM-i performed far above any other vehicle that I have ever driven.
And if you think that we were just hypermiling our way around the Ilocos Region, our group actually had some of the worst consumption figures because of our rather spirited (lead-footed) driving. We added another 15 liters of fuel on the trip home, which gave us an incredible 305 kilometers of additional range.
But “worst” is highly relative here – consuming just 58.3 liters of fuel for a 1,000-kilometer journey is nothing short of breathtaking. Indeed, the Sealion 6 DM-i just took whatever we threw at it – steep grades, powerful downpours, ruts, expressways, gridlock – and maintained its composure and economy.
BYD Philippines’ electrified crossover is comfortable, easy to drive, spacious, supremely well-equipped and exceedingly fuel-efficient, all for a price that makes offerings from more established marques look pedestrian, antiquated and/or just plain overpriced.
Amid the charge for electrified mobility in the Philippines, the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i has undoubtedly moved the goalpost not only for hybrids, but for the entire local car. No wonder it is selling like hotcakes.
And my gut feeling was right – this car was worth adjusting my hectic schedule for.
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