BYD is taking the world by storm. They’ve been around for quite a while now but 2023 was their strongest year yet when they ended up as the numero uno New Energy Vehicle (NEV) brand globally. That means they sold more hybrids and battery-electric vehicles than any other brand. Their ‘NEV’ positioning is quite foreign to us though.
In the Philippines, all they’ve offered were their battery-electric vehicles. It wasn’t until July of this year when they finally brought in the Sealion 6 DM-i, a Plug-In Hybrid Electric or PHEV crossover. It promises 105 kilometers of EV-only range and a 1,100km of Extended Range, meaning if the electric motor was used together with the gasoline engine.
In case you have no idea how insane that is, let me explain. An average compact crossover with an internal combustion engine has an average range of around 500 kilometers with one full tank (depending on the size of the fuel tank). Even if you add the BYD Sealion 6’s 105 kilometers of EV-only range, that’s still a far cry from the 1,100 kilometers they’re promising.
They know we are skeptics when it comes to range promises. So, for this drive with the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i, they’ve only tasked us to drive 1,000 kilometers. We’ll head north from Ayala Malls Manila Bay to Hotel Luna in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The next day, we’ll go further up to Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte. We’ll head back south to our starting point on the third day. In between are a few detours and stops to make the overall trip 1,000 kilometers. Oh, and we’ll do that with one full tank of gas.
I have virtually no experience with BYD cars. I had a previous assignment before that made me drive their dynasty EVs—the Han sedan and Tang SUV—but that was around one minute of driving time each. This is my first extensive date with Tesla’s closest rival and I am surprised at many things.
The seats were heavenly. The front section looked like cushioned bucket seats as their headrests are fixed. It looked weird to be honest but once you sit down, they will hug you like a teddy bear from Blue Magic. I’m a wide man yet I found the seats to be very comfortable, as if they included big people in their definition of what “average size” means. It’s so comfortable that apparently, I dozed off mid-sentence when I was sharing a story with my co-passenger. I’m a sleepyhead, but that was my first time sleeping within seconds of being a passenger.
The tech of the Sealion 6 DM-i is mixed. The volume control is in a very unfamiliar place (beside the drive mode, which is to the right of the shifter), there’s only an On and Off or Auto mode for the climate control (no fan control buttons), and there’s no quick way to activate the 360-camera system. As expected, most of the controls are in the huge 15.6-inch touchscreen which can be rotated for a landscape or vertical mode. The icons may be huge and responsive, but once you’re moving, it suffers the same fate as other touch systems: hard to use.
Another tech snag in the BYD Sealion 6 DM-I is its smartphone integration. In our experience, the Apple CarPlay tends to disconnect every once in a while, and if you’re not lucky, you’ll need a vehicle (and/or device) restart in order to get things working again. Not fun if this happens on the road. There are also USB ports at the underside of the center console. They’re under the shifter, so it’s hard to reach.
In both scenarios there is an easy fix—just buy one. If you own it, the Sealion 6 DM-i will recognize your device quickly and there’s less chance of the connection dropping during a drive. You’ll also surely have a dedicated cable on the ports so you won’t have to bend over just to plug it in.
Then again, you probably won’t need cables anyway. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be done wirelessly and there are dual 15-watt wireless chargers. At least for my iPhone 13 Pro Max, it was charging up while having to use wireless CarPlay. I wouldn’t recommend that as a regular thing though since the heat will deteriorate the device’s battery life.
The cabin is also a music lover’s paradise. It’s very quiet and insulated. The only noise that got through were the loud aftermarket pipes of sweet potato riders, and the horns of trucks and buses. You will barely hear even the loudest diesel-powered vehicles if they’re next to you, especially if you’re playing music.
Speaking of, the 10-speaker Infinity Sound System is just lovely. Every genre is just crystal clear no matter where you are seated. There’s also a noticeable change if you modify the sound profile or orientation, giving you a very customizable aural adventure to go with your drive.
Another thing that made me love the Sealion 6 is its build. BYD is still relatively young as they only started in 2003, but I appreciate the attention to detail they have. The doors are solid, the steering has minimal play, the pedals are comfortable to use, and they were able to maximize the weight of the batteries on the floor for minimal body roll. It certainly didn’t feel like it would overshoot even in unfamiliar turns.
The only aspect that’s left unanswered for me is the ride comfort. I can’t judge the real ride quality of the Sealion 6 because the tires were over inflated during our drive. On the first day, I noticed roughness in the ride. Turns out our tires were at 40+ PSI, which naturally went higher once the tires were heated up. On the second and third day, they were still at 36+. There’s a bit of improvement, but since it didn’t have any EDSA time, I can’t say for sure if it’s par or still subpar.
Going back to the range, the BYD Sealion 6 can indeed reach 1,000 kilometers. Our car finished three days traversing 1,000 kilometers with 40 percent remaining in the car’s battery and fuel left in the tank. Our reading wasn’t even the best as we had to play catch-up since we were at the back of the convoy. The lead car had much more range and battery left in their unit because they were using EV mode whenever they do overtakes or any uphill driving. As a caveat, one car had to refuel on the way back, because they drove in Sport mode the whole time. Basically, the 1,100-kilometer marketing promise of the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i is possible, but it also depends on your driving technique and how well you utilize the technology.
BYD was also insistent on including the ‘DM-i’ whenever they refer to the Sealion 6 and for good reason. DM-i stands for “Dual Mode – Intelligent” and refers to the powertrain of the car that can switch from ‘EV mode’, ‘Range Extended Mode’ and ‘Full Power Mode’. EV mode is as the name implies. Range Extended mode means the engine is just charging the battery, and the electric motor drives the wheels from power from the battery. Full Power means the wheels are driven both by the electric motor and the 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine, so you have access to the full 217 horsepower of power and 325 Nm of torque.
The Range Extended mode of the Sealion is what gives it the capability to go far. If your battery is full, you can adjust when it will start charging, starting at 70 percent remaining. If it’s above that, it will only use your battery while the engine is also off. Combine that with the Regenerative Braking and it’s possible to go short distances without the engine activating.
Even if your battery falls under that threshold, the engine will charge it efficiently and not abruptly. That means you won’t be wasting gas on a high-revving engine, while the electric motor draws power from the battery. Of course, this system will change depending on your throttle input which is why your driving technique is a factor in the Sealion 6 DM-i’s capability to go far.
As someone who lives in San Rafael, Bulacan and has to go to events in Makati, Parañaque, Alabang, and BGC; while having gigs in QC, Marikina, and Makati, I am salivating at the thought of having my own BYD Sealion 6 DM-i. 1,100 kilometers is three full tanks of gas in my personal car. More so if I include the additional range from Regenerative Braking whenever I encounter the numerous downhill sections in my usual drives. The DM-i technology of the Sealion 6 DM-i is such a powerful asset that it redefines what a hybrid can do. The Sealion 6 DM-i is not perfect, but I can easily forgive its tech quirks in exchange for the range, power, and very comfortable cabin it has.
Words and Photos by Vincent Villa.
Hats off!
ReplyDeleteNissan Kicks has a real world range of about 800 km full tank (42L) so it means 19kpl. If the Kicks had 62L tank capacity it has the range of +/- 1100 km. so theoretically the Kicks and this have the same fuel consumption.
ReplyDeleteBYD Seal 06 GT looks HOT
ReplyDeleteThe advanced technology here is really the bigger fuel tank. Consumption wise the others are better. The 1000km plus range must be put in context of consumption kml real world.
ReplyDeleteagree, less trip to the gas station but fuel efficiency is on par with other hybrids
DeleteBigger fuel tank is not an advanced technology. It's the same as putting bigger battery in a BEV.
Delete