First Drive: 2024 BYD Sealion 6 - Is the 1100 km hype real?
What we liked about the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i after 1,000 km with it
When BYD launched the Sealion 6 DM-i in the market, everyone was buzzing about the plug-in/range extended EV crossover as being the game changer that would revolutionize the way we see electrified vehicles in the country.
A crossover that offers an electric range of up to 100 kilometers with a total driving range (full tank + full charge) of over 1,000 kilometers at a price just under PHP 1.6 million will shake things up in the market.
But here at Autoindustriya we always try to make it a point to look beyond the unique selling points of a vehicle and assess how a car truly is as a whole package. For the Sealion 6 DM-i, I got to know most of what BYD’s latest electrified crossover is all about on a 1,000 kilometer trip from Manila Bay to Ilocos Norte and back.
There are actually plenty other things to like about the crossover, and here are some of them:
Elegantly styled
When I made my way to the basement parking lot of Ayala Malls Manila Bay, more than a dozen Sealion 6 units were already waiting for us. The three colors – Arctic White, Azure Blue, and Harbor Gray were all brought out by AC Mobility to serve as media cars, as well as control cars for the organizers/route masters of the drive event.
At first glance to be honest, the Sealion 6 isn’t the flashiest crossover in terms of looks nor is it a facsimile of a particular vehicle. It kinda grows on you. As we spent more time seeing the crossover during the trip, I’ve come to appreciate its flowing lines that give off a premium vibe. It’s very demure. Very mindful.
I actually think that if the badges were covered up, one would easily mistake it as a crossover made in Europe. If the Sealion 6 was painted in British Racing Green or in flashy Arancio Xanto, it would look close to an Aston DBX in front, or a Lamborghini Urus at the back. That’s a rather good thing as European design usually ages well.
Easy to use
The major deterrent to a promising technology becoming popular is when the system becomes too complicated for the layman. But during our time with the BYD Sealion 6, it turns out that the sophisticated plug-in/range extended EV crossover is relatively easy to use.
Much like a regular ICE crossover, it has the PRND shifter, and a couple of drive modes to alter the throttle response and the weight of the steering. No more extra buttons to press or follow a sequence.
The Super DM-i system consists of an electric motor, a 1.5-liter engine that serves as a power generator, and an 18.3 kWh Blade battery, but the switch between pure electric to a combined electric + ICE is only determined by two things – a simple toggle at the console between HEV and EV mode, and the second - your right foot.
In normal driving scenarios, the system stays on EV mode and solely relies on the batteries. But when the system detects the battery’s state of charge is under 25%, that’s when the engine powers up to help in recharging while you’re moving. Lastly, if you bury your right foot and put the pedal to the metal, the engine combines with the electric motor to give you all 217 PS and 325 Nm of torque at your disposal.
Also, the ADAS features turn out to be great in terms of refinement. At its standard setting, the warning systems like forward collision are not being too intrusive, and the intelligent cruise control that combines lane keep with adaptive cruise gave us an effortless drive on the long expressways of NLEX, SCTEX, and TPLEX.
Comfy seats, comfy ride
When we set off to start the 1,000 km journey, I noticed the Sealion 6 had a rather crashy ride for a crossover. But upon looking at the onboard TPMS, it turns out the tires were still overinflated to transport pressure. Carmakers usually do this in the shipping/transport stage to prevent flat spotting which can happen when a car sits in one place for a long time.
When it was finally set to the recommended tire pressures, the Sealion 6 returned a buttery smooth ride, even with its big 19-inch wheels and low-profile tires on. Granted, the suspension is softly sprung so you can find the crossover to porpoise (albeit gentler) a bit over major road dips.
Over sharp road surface imperfections though, the suspension manages to soak it up very well. On a crossover like this, you would be happy to trade off a little less sportiness for more comfort.
The seats are also really comfortable both on the first and second rows. The front seats have a cooling and heating function, while the back is generously padded. The acoustic fender liners and windshield greatly minimized NVH from the already smooth and refined hybrid system. This gave us plenty of snooze time whenever we weren’t driving, fully enjoy our 90s playlist with the Infinity sound system, and greatly reduced our fatigue over the long trip.
It rewards efficient drivers
The Sealion 6 DM-i has a rated electric range of 100 km, and a total driving range of up to 1,100 km. One would imagine that you’d need extreme hypermiling measures to reach those numbers but when we did the trip, it turns out you don’t really need to try too hard to reach those numbers. You just have to be smooth as the regenerative braking feature rewards you with more electric range.
Whenever you come off the throttle or apply a bit of pressure on the brakes, the Super DM-i system recovers the lost energy during deceleration to charge back the batteries and increase your driving range. At the early part of the trip where we used full EV mode, we were able to cover over 100 kilometers before the Super DM-I system decided to switch on the engine.
For the majority of the drive, we only kept the regenerative braking to its standard mode. But whenever we would encounter downhill sections and moments of deceleration, the energy meter gives a negative kW reading that means the batteries are being constantly recharged. Doing those increased our battery percentage by up to 2 or 3%, while still keeping a modest pace and the momentum going.
Learning that from the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i enabled us to cover the 1000 km distance with still over 200 km of combined EV and ICE driving range. If we tried harder, maybe we could have been left with a lot more. But of course, we wanted to drive the Sealion 6 as close as we could get to normal, with a few fun short bursts in between.
Overall, the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i isn’t all about how much EV and driving range it gives you. On a long distance trip like what we did, it’s important to have a car that’s comfy enough to reduce trip fatigue, and entertaining enough for both the driver and its occupants. It turns out, the Sealion 6 DM-i could also deliver on those aspects.
A more detailed review will come soon, but considering the things we’ve experienced with the Sealion 6 DM-i, it means serious business. The hype is real.
