Entry-level car models are the most important offerings of any mass-market brand; these are destined to carry the sales volume. BYD’s success in the Philippines is often underscored by the more expensive Sealion models (5 and 6) as well as the Atto and Seagull EVs, but there is a silent killer among them, the true sales king for BYD with an increasing presence on our roads.
The BYD Seal 5 DM-i is the brand’s most affordable DM-i (Plug-in Hybrid) model, but don’t let that deter you; being a BYD, it punches much higher than its weight class, and that’s more evident with the base model Dynamic (read our review of the top-of-the-line Seal 5 DM-i Premium), which I just spent a week with.
I’ve already driven the Seal 5 before, during a media drive to Bataan last year when the car was actually launched; even then, I was already impressed. Having sampled it on a long journey, I wanted to find out how good it is at being a city car, which is how most people will use it anyway.
Starting with the looks, the Seal 5’s design doesn’t take much inspiration from its taller crossover siblings; instead, it portrays a mix of sharper edges with sculpted lines. It doesn’t look particularly striking, but it isn’t bad-looking either. My only issue with it is the rims; the base Dynamic’s are 16 inches. Given the size and the bulk of this sedan, it looks too small. Apart from the rims, though, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the base Dynamic and the top-end Premium, which for me is a plus; BYD did a good job to make sure the overall look isn’t cheap.
The same can be said for the interior as well; there’s nothing base model about it. It still has the rotating BYD infotainment screen that has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; the seats and steering wheel are upholstered in soft, supple leather. The other interior panels are soft to the touch and built really well. I would say the only thing it lacks in terms of features is a wireless charging pad, maybe a sunroof, and the lack of a full ADAS system (it still has standard cruise control), but in all honesty, you don’t miss any of those things.
I have one big issue with the Seal 5 DM-i, and that’s the trunk space. The car is sized bigger than the sub-compact segment it competes against, but the trunk space is compromised by a bump that runs along the side; it eats a huge amount of the cargo capacity, leading it to be much narrower than you’d expect.
Powering the Seal 5 DM-i is a 1.5-liter gasoline engine paired with the PHEV system to make a combined output of 177 horsepower and 316 Nm of torque. Here is a key difference between the Dynamic and Premium: the base model makes do with only 50 kilometers of full EV range. But a full tank of gas, coupled with the PHEV, gives over 1,100 kilometers of range. I know it sounds unbelievable, but having tested it thoroughly, the range computer isn’t lying; the car sips energy both EV and gasoline. Over the course of one week, having driven over 300 kilometers with two back-and-forth highway trips, I averaged 25 km/L in mixed conditions. On the highway, it would ever so slightly creep up to 28 km/L. On one notable drive, I drove 27 kilometers, and the car said that I only consumed 0.4 liters.
Since this is supposed to be a more mass-market offering, the Seal 5 needs to be approachable and easy to understand. Thankfully, it is; there isn’t much of a learning curve when it comes to driving; everything about it is normal. The steering is light, and the ride is decent; I would say the only difference is getting to know the DM-i. Switching between pure EV and HEV mode is seamless, just a press of the button, allowing the driver to get the most savings as possible while driving. My technique was that in very heavy traffic I would leave it in EV mode, then turn it back to HEV mode at higher speeds to allow the battery to recharge a little bit. It was very effective for me, but I’m sure other people have their own tactics; it will of course help more if you can charge the car more often.
Not it’s time to talk about the biggest insight this lend out gave me, which is BYD’s build quality and reliability. Test units are the epitome of workhorses; these cars are used for different things by both the brand and the media, and while we are respectful of the car, we are also very thorough with our testing. The car I was lent already had 24,000 km on the odometer, which is a new record for me as the highest mileage test unit I’ve ever driven.
We are normally criticized as not being able to give the full low-down on maintenance and reliability; in most cases that’s true, one-week lend outs don’t allow us to report on those things. However, in this case I can safely say that the Seal 5 is built well; the car still felt good to drive, with no unwanted noises from the under chassis, and the engine and EV battery were still quiet (albeit a little more vibration can be felt). I’m not going to say it felt brand new, but the truth is it still felt new and not abused despite the mileage saying so.
Taking the fight to the Toyota Vios is tough; that is the true people’s car of the Philippines, but at just P 958,000, it’s impossible to ignore the value the Seal 5 DM-i brings compared to the competition. It has more space, feels more premium (dare I say it’s built better also), has better performance, and has the flexibility of a plug-in hybrid. At that price point, it’s too good to ignore, and the market is responding.
Words and Photos by Pablo Salapantan
it’s already obsolete the latest seal 5 just arrived here. China car brands fast and furious in introducing new models, you buy today in 2 years your car is already obsolete. i wonder if they would care making spare parts to those old models
ReplyDeleteWhat tech in this model is made obsolete by the latest model? They just rolled out an update over the air last month. No going to the casa. What parts in this are different? Obsolete means there's no reason for this to exist, but what you get right now is still better than a lot of the current market. It's a car, and looking at a car like it's a gaming pc where there's going to be better hardware every year or two is not a good idea. Even with that analogy, people can still stretch the usefulness of a car/pc far past its prime. Food for thought.
DeleteHeadlights, taillights, windshields, bumpers maybe some internal parts etc etc just look at the latest model it’s a totally different animal at least physically. And current models depreciate substantially closer to junk value if the latest model will be priced below it. Imagine you have just bought it last year and then narito na latest model with totally new good looks inside out. Obsolete na and depreciated substantially na yong binili mo last year😌
DeleteTypical changes that come with a facelift/refresh. It's not unique to Chinese cars. 2022 pa kasi yung model na to so the years from start to refresh is not really fast and furious. The latest model seems like a downgrade or a sidegrade honestly. Some people might like the new exterior look more but a lot of people seem to not like the new interior. No news on whether the older model will be discontinued and as much as people love to talk depreciation on these cars, I've yet to see them hit the secondhand market at 'substantially' lower prices. Obsolete seems like the wrong word to use here.
DeleteTest drove the Seal before buying a vehicle earlier this year and the interior and tech was awesome for a P1M vehicle. However, ride was so bad and unsettled my 15 year old subcompact was much better. Ride is wallowy and doesn't inspire much confidence to be driven fast.
ReplyDeleteYes, the suspension is soft because it's meant more for the city. The car will even rock a little if a very heavy vehicle passes you too quickly and too closely if you're at a standstill. Sometimes I just sit in the car at home to de-stress and the dogs moving under the car can be felt with a little rocking, lol.
DeleteBut, I will say that I've driven it on a circumferential highway that has bad sections particularly at the connections of bridges and I'll say that it handles those bad spots better at higher speeds than a lot of SUVs/vans with stiffer suspensions.