BYD continues bringing in an offering for each of the hottest segments in the Philippines. The target this time is P 1.2-million crossover range where heavy hitters like the Honda BR-V, GAC GS3 Emzoom, and the recently launched new Hyundai Creta reside. Their gladiator of choice is the Sealion 5 DM-i. Available in a single trim; it comes with an introductory price of just P 1,198,000 (official SRP of P 1,248,000).
Overall, it’s becoming quite formulaic for BYD now: offer a vehicle that’s one segment bigger and pack it with tech and an electrified powertrain. It’s worked the Seal 5 DM-i (S5) and the Sealion 6 DM-i (SL6), so will it be a hattrick for BYD’s hybrid offerings in the Philippines?
Call us spoiled, but honestly, things are a bit different with the Sealion 5. Although still reasonably loaded, it’s a mix and match of ups and downs.
The drive route this time started from Ayala Malls Manila Bay and ended up at Subic where we indulged ourselves with the freeport’s poorly maintained roads.
Before that, let’s start with the design: it’s weird. If you’re familiar with the DM-i (Dual Motor Intelligent or their in-house term for anything with a unibody plug-in hybrid), they basically have whiskers. The Sealion 5 DM-i, however, follows the EV fam more like the Atto 3 and eMax 7. Only, it’s blander and more dated. If I owned a Sealion 5, you won’t catch me doing a back glance at it in a parking lot.
What you might catch me doing though is drooling every time I open the door. The Sealion 5 DM-i’s cabin layout is straight out of the SL6 and that’s a good thing. The colors won’t blend well with me, according to my feng shui, but I like its brightness and neutrality. It makes up for that dull outer shell, and it’s not totally white so I guess it should age well.
The cabin materials are nice. The seemingly hard plastic at the top of the dash is soft padded, the cloth like accent under the screen is fabric-like, while most touch points are clad in soft touch or padded leather. There are gloss black trims but hey, at least they’re not as plentiful as in other cars.
The cabin also had its share of unpleasant surprises. In an era where New Energy Vehicles use touchscreen size to measure manhood, the Sealion 5 DM-i’s 10.1-inch screen looks absolutely tiny. And once you use it, you’ll find that it’s also not as responsive as the one found in the S5 and SL6.
Try to adjust your seating position, and you’ll be shocked to grasp manual levers instead of power adjustment ones. Look up and there’s no sunroof, not even a small one. I squinted at the side mirror and yup, no 360-camera system either. It’s very clear: BYD de-contented the Sealion 5 DM-i to make the price point.
On the bright side, the rear seats are comfy I just wish BYD took the effort to relocate the air vents elsewhere to distribute the cold air more effectively. Still, the combination of cool dedicated canned air, comfortable seats, center armrest, adjustable backrest, will put you to sleep in no time. Ask me how I know.
On the road, the passenger experience inside the Sealion 5 is almost sublime. The cabin is quiet, the rear air corresponds to the settings upfront so it also gets cooler and stronger, the seats are plush, and there’s just a lot of space for all the rooms—leg, hed, elbow, and foot. In fact, me and my fellow “wide body colleagues” found it comfortable even when we were sitting in tandem or side-by-side.
Compared to softly sprung BYD models, the Sealion 5 DM-i’s ride is firm; maybe a bit too firm this time around. Definitely, there are offerings which have better, cushier rides at this price point. On the upside, it did make the handling much more stable.
Once I got to the driver’s seat, I realized those misses weren’t such a big deal. I don’t adjust my seat every hour, I keep the sunroof almost always closed, and this sub-compact SUV isn’t so big that you’ll need a 360-degree camera for maneuvering anyhow.
The infotainment system issue is dependent on how much your car companions love to fiddle around. If they love to ticker around with the temperature, playlist, and what have you, it can be a problem. If they have a set-and-forget mindset, then that’s all fine.
The best part is that the Sealion 5 DM-i isn’t that far behind the SL6 in terms of power and capability. While they both have 197 horsepower, the SL6 makes just 25 Nm more torque (325 Nm versus 300 Nm). Subjectively, there’s no difference even when going up the steepest uphill road with three healthy dudes on board.
If you’re worried about range, the Sealion 5 DM-i can still easily go past 1,000 kilometers with a full charge and full tank of gas. Our car, despite having three big guys—like the weight of five regular people—still managed 20 km/L. The best performing car in the convoy eked out 21.2 km/L.
At the end of the day, it’s clear BYD had to cut back some creature comforts in order to make the price point of the Sealion 5. If you’re familiar with some of its segment rivals that I mentioned at the start, you’ll surely notice what this car lacks.
We can go back and forth all day with the features, but ultimately, the Sealion 5 DM-i wins you where it matters and that’s more money in the pocket. None of them can be as frugal as the Sealion 5. Objectively and personally, fuel efficiency matters a lot and the Sealion 5 DM-i aces that.
In coming up with the Sealion 5 DM-i, BYD seemed to play genie. It’s as if someone wished for the Sealion 6 DM-i’s size, tech, and power, but with a lower price tag. Sounds like a tall order, but it is a wish BYD granted. Sure, some features were lost in translation, but because it doesn’t sacrifice any of the power and efficiency, it could shape up to be an even bigger hit.
Changan NEVO Q05 SE miles better than SL5
ReplyDeleteKaya ba ng BYD Sealion 5 DM-i lumusob sa baha?
ReplyDeleteI've read an article last year saying that a Toyota Corolla Cross ICE model could easily pass thru heavy flood in metro Manila while a hybrid version can't.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in reading that article and seeing why that would be the case. Do you remember where you read it from?
DeleteStill have to find it. This is the best I read for now: https://www.reddit.com/r/Toyota/comments/1dg6t8d/2023_toyota_corolla_hybrid_flooded_looking_for/
DeleteThank you for the link! The OP in that thread says their car was just parked at their house and then there was flooding. It's surprising that insurance won't cover their damage (unless their chosen package was not comprehensive which would be a mistake imho).
DeleteAlso, I realized the post is on the main Toyota sub and not a PH specific subreddit, so who knows what kind of flooding they experienced since they didn't specify their location.
BYD Dolphin easily pass through a flooded street in Metro Manila just recently. See facebook for videos. In above knee deep street near BYD North Cebu(1 of the 4 branches in Cebu), Atto3s daringly cross the streets while other ICE SUV stayed on the sideline waiting for the water to subside.
ReplyDeleteLets say na nag cross or lumangoy dolphin and atto3 sa baha, then ang di natin alam ano na nangyari sa dolphin at atto3. Nasira na ba? Pumasok ba tubig sa battery? Nag short circuit na ba? EV battery nasa sahig napakababa, although sealed dirin natin masabi na di mapasukan tubig kasi natagtag na sa sige byahe
Deleteif alam mo na apat ang byd dealerships sa cebu then probably somehow your connected to byd. Am not saying na propaganda ang sinasabi mo about byd EV's easily crossing flooded streets of NCR and cebu, but...
DeleteLOL. Just being in the know is somehow equated to being an insider nowadays I guess. About BYDs crossing deep floods, there are tons of videos out there, local and foreign. It's up to you to believe whatever you want to believe though.
DeleteRated for IP67 ang batteries nila BYD. Unless na wash away talaga yung sasakyan sa baha at inabandon, ok lng yung limited exposure/driving through sa baha. If ever na pumasok yung tubig may automatic kill switch mga yan, same with all brands using battery tech.
DeleteNgayong bigla bumulaga baha kumusta kaya mga EV's, PHEV's, HEV's? Very interesting din ano reaksyon ng mga insurance company?
ReplyDeleteFor cars that still have an engine (like P/HEVs) they still run the same risk of flooding damage that normal ICE cars face. For EVs I think they would fare better if just moving through a flooded area. I think most EV's are rated at IP67 so as long as hindi inoras yung exposure sa flood they should be good parin.
DeleteThe SL 5 is just not worth the P1.2M as against the SL6's P1.548M. Why?
ReplyDelete- Smaller overall vehicle, especially the interior.
- No Power/Ventilated Front Seats.
-Much less ADAS Features on the SL5.
- No Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof.
- Only a 12.6 Kw battery vs. 18.3Kw on the SL6. Longer range on pure EV Mode. SL6 saves you more on long trips.
- No 360(or is it 540?) degree Camera. Very helpful feature.
- Accepts only 3.3Kw (theoretical) AC Charging vs. 6.1-6.3 (actual) Kw AC Charging. Takes 50% longer to charge SL5 up to 100% from 15%.
- No Ambient Lighting.
- Overall more upscale interior.
- SL6 has Curb Appeal.
- Can find more but it was academic a few points ago.
With all the negatives of the SL5 as against the SL6, the SL5 should be priced at P1.1M at most!
Better yet, if one has P350K more, the SL6 is way better overall value than the SL5.
Get the SL6 and you'll surely have much less "Buyer's Remorse" than the SL5. I can already imagine a few SL5 owners (especially those that had a bigger budget) already have the thought bubble that reads " I should have gotten the SL6".
SL5 buyers should just get the entry-level Nevo Q05. For SL5 money, you get an SL6-sized PHEV.
DeleteJust buy a Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid.
DeleteSorry, but I actually checked out the TOTL Nevo Q05 as against my SL6 and it is immediately noticeable that the Nevo Q05 is definitely smaller than the SL6 as soon as one enters the driver's side.
DeleteAs soon as I adjust the seat for my 5'8" height there isn't that much legroom for me behind the driver's seat, surely not as much as that in my SL6. The trunk space is also much smaller than the one in the SL6, around 25%-30% smaller.
My SL6 can comfortably accommodate 3 normal sized persons in the rear seat. The same cannot be said for the Nevo Q05.
I was looking for another vehicle that had a LiFePO4 battery & as much space as the SL6, but there seems to none at this time. Hopefully there will be others by yearend, otherwise I may be left with no choice but to get another SL6.
Yes, the SL6 is that good, especially for the money.
Top of the line changan nevo Q05 has better ride, features and tech than SL6. and much affordable too at 1.450M.
DeleteWhen the Nevo Q05 Test Drive Car was brought out to me the TMS indicated that all 4 tires were under inflated by at least 3 lbs.(this is often a trick dealers use to make their vehicles ride better, e.g. less bumpy, less jiggly, less floaty, etc.) so I asked them if they had a real tire gauge and an air compressor. The salesman said no on both since it was a Sunday, so I took my tire gauge with me and drove around then had the salesman drive while I sat in the back seat for about 2 kilometers. we then drove to a gas station and i adjusted the pressures to plus 3lbs. on the psi reading of all 4 tires since tires had already gained air pressure since they were already warmed up. After inflating the tires to the more correct manufacturers recommended psi, the ride noticeably deteriorated. But the SL6 still seemed to ride a bit floatier than the Q05, ant the Q05 really does have a few more features. However, the SL6's interior and trunk space is obviously bigger and that's a priority in my case.
DeleteAlso the dealer servicing network of BYD is extensive compared to that of Changan, and there is a shop in Banawe St. that already sells SL6 parts.
How do you know?
ReplyDeleteVincent, would you consider the ride at least “composed” unlike the SL6 which rides unacceptably floaty?
ReplyDeleteBetter to get the corolla cross G HEV at 1.3M net of discount. Toyota making HEV since 1998๐ช๐ช๐ช
ReplyDeleteBottom trim. Shorter, smaller, less powerful and still charging more than the SL5 even with the discount. Also, the cross G has no rear USB ports, like WTH Toyota?
DeleteCorolla cross G Miles better on quality and reliabilty than SL5. Corolla cross G guaranteed no stress and no headaches ownership, SL5 you will need a lot of paracetamol.
DeleteYour arguments are getting old if you're just going to end with the same old Toyota>all mindset (disregarding any other point of discussion). For all your blatant fanboying, maybe you should take a stresstab, sit in your cross G (if you even have one) and have all that Toyota quality rock you to sleep ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐️
DeleteYeah, in toyota you will always have good night sleep. SL5 you will have endless sleepless night, even nightmare๐คก๐คก๐คก
DeleteShh baby, you're having one of your bad little 'Toyota is being called imperfect' dreams again. Go back to sleep baby, nobody's gonna hurt you. Tomorrow we practice with your english again, okay? ๐๐ถ❤️
Delete