2025 BYD Seal 5 Dynamic PHEV

No Contest

BYD is on a roll in the Philippines.

The brand has been here for a long time, but it was really only last year that they surged up the sales charts. That rise was driven by vehicles that looked great, had the latest in plug-in hybrid and EV technology, and all at prices previously unheard of in each respective vehicle class. Not a believer? Just count how many Sealion 6 units you see on the road.

Just when we thought they were going to relax a bit and focus on sustaining efforts in marketing the Sealion 6 and their other also newly launched models like the Seagull EV, they revealed another. And it’s even more interesting: the Seal 5.

This isn’t to be confused with the Seal EV; a model that is definitely more performance-oriented. Rather, the Seal 5 is a compact 4-door saloon that has a similar kind of PHEV technology as the Sealion 6, but at a much lower price than any of its rivals.

There are two variants. The higher Seal 5 Premium variant is just under PHP 1.2 million, and you’ll read our review of that soon. What I wanted to try out was the Seal 5 Dynamic entry-level model for the simple fact that it comes in at PHP 948,000.

Think about that price for a second. A plug-in hybrid for well under PHP 1 million? Could it be real? Perhaps it's apt that this Seal 5 is also known as the Destroyer 05 (I’m serious) in China; it does have the potential to destroy the norms in this price range. But is it really compelling based on the yardsticks we use for automobile reviews? Or is it too good to be true? That’s what I want to find out.

The Seal 5 was first revealed about 3 years ago but it still looks every bit as modern as many of the models revealed today. The front is clean and has quite a few horizontal satin silver elements that look classy.  The side is rather plain, but that’s alright. Meanwhile, the rear kicks up quite a bit for that fastback look and has that full-width LED taillight with smaller brake LED lights on the sides.

Compared to the Premium, this Dynamic doesn’t have things like the sunroof or the 360 camera system, but I didn’t expect those niceties at this price point. Sure, the wheels are rather small at 16 inches and have a wide sidewall, but it’s not bad at all. That can be easily remedied by a set of aftermarket wheels, but you will affect how this vehicle was intended to be. More on that in a bit.

At this price, we would normally expect an interior to have cheap materials, basic standard features, and maybe even a rudimentary 1-DIN or 2-DIN audio unit. I’m going to guess that during the product planning phase BYD probably said: “Nah, we’re not doing that.”

Step inside and you’re greeted by a rather neat interior with plenty of soft-touch materials; something that you simply don’t get often at this price point. The upholstery is leather… well, faux leather. The only thing I don’t really like is that it’s white; not an issue for me personally, but it will have discoloration faster than darker tones.

And then you’re greeted by the dual screens: a slimmer display for the instrument cluster, and the larger 12.8” screen as your infotainment and control panel for most of the digital features.  Oh, and it rotates just like the other BYD models.

Wireless Apple Carplay and wireless Android Auto are standard too which are always a welcome feature. The airbag package isn’t just dual; there are still 6 in here.  Stability control, traction control, tire pressure monitoring, NFC, and power side mirror adjustment are still here. And the biggest surprise: cruise control.

Normally we’d expect significant omissions of features compared to the Premium, but BYD didn’t do that. Sure, they omitted things like the power mirror fold, the power seat adjust, the sunroof, the 360 camera (you’ll have to slum it with a clear reverse cam), the dual-zone climate (you’ll make do with the single-zone auto climate control), and the wireless phone charger. There are a few more deletions but this is still very well equipped for what it is. And if you want a mirror on your driver sun visor, you can always order one online for cheap.

The key to the Seal 5 is the powertrain. Both variants are plug-in hybrids (using Type-2 chargers) that BYD calls DM-I or Dual-Mode Intelligent. It has the ability to use the hybrid system in EV mode if the SOC (state of charge) of the battery is enough, and can also be driven in series hybrid mode with a 1.5L engine powering the motor and charging the battery. The engine can also drive the front wheels directly at higher speeds like 80 or 90 km/h and up.

There is a difference in performance and capacity between the two variants. The Premium has 197 PS and 325 Nm from the motor, but this Dynamic has 179 PS and 316 Nm. It’s not a big difference, and I think it’s more because of the size of the Blade (LFP) battery and the power it can deliver. While the Premium has a larger battery 18.3 kWh, this one has 8.3 kWh.

Truth be told, it doesn’t really matter: this car is quick. It’s not performance EV quick, but it is certainly quicker than any similar 1.5L engine car you’ll encounter. True story: on the expressway, it’s too easy to blast past any Vios G or City RS hogging the left lane. And the car is superbly comfortable on the expressway or even on asphalt.

The thing with the battery is that being less than half the capacity of the Premium, it also has less than half of the EV range at 50 km total. It may sound like a letdown to have just 50 km of range but it really isn’t. On my daily drive which is about 15 km one way, I can leave home, go to the office, and come back with enough charge to spare and without using the engine. Then I can plug the car into my socket at the garage (using the included charger) and do it all again the next day. Or I can top up at a mall or any place that has a Type-2 charger.

The claimed 1175 km range of the entire system (gas + battery) is very real. We can talk about km/l or l/100 km but I’d rather frame it like this: I started with 68% SOC and about 90% fuel tank, and in my time with the car, I drove from my home in the east of Metro Manila to Manila Bay and home, then home to Calamba to home, then home to Clark and home (I forgot to take note of all the mileage) along with many other side trips. At the end of the week, returned the car with about 50% of the tank left and without plugging in at all.

The Seal 5 Dynamic isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. There are some flaws I noticed from panel gaps inside (e.g. the center console box/armrest), and the positioning of the B-pillar that is in the way when I want to look left (have to lean forward a little bit more), but nothing really major. In fact, there are only two things I can knock the car down for. The first is handling: it’s not great or lively around the corners because the suspension is soft and the car itself is heavier (because hybrid). The other is the sound insulation; it’s not fantastic, but I really wasn’t expecting it to be.

The Seal 5 Dynamic is perhaps the most ideal first passenger car that I can think of right now because it looks good, feels good inside, has a comfortable ride, is well equipped, is bigger than any other sedan at the same price, drives well, and is ultra-efficient. This is coding-exempt too. And at 948,000 pesos, there is no comparison unless you’re really thinking of resale value and only resale value.

Come on Japanese brands. Do something.