After introducing a slew of electric vehicles in ASEAN, BYD is releasing its first plug-in hybrid in the region. The Sealion 6 DM-i has been launched in Thailand, debuting the company’s Super Dual Mode (DM) series of petrol-electric powertrains.
If this car looks familiar to you, that’s because the Sealion 6 is a rebadged Seal U (known in China as the Song Plus); the moniker first made its debut in Australia in May. The car is not related to the Sea Lion 07, which is a pure electric rival to the Tesla Model Y.
Just one variant is available in the Land of Smiles, the Dynamic, priced at 939,900 baht (RM119,300). For that, you get a single electric motor at the front that produces 197 PS (145 kW) and 300 Nm of torque – not far off what the Atto 3 and Dolphin Premium Extended Range make.
This is paired with a 1.5 litre Xiaoyun naturally-aspirated, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, churning out 98 PS (72 kW) and 122 Nm and resulting in a total system output of 218 PS and 300 Nm. So equipped, the Sealion 6 accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds.
More impressive is the electric-only range – thanks to an 18.3 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, the Sealion 6 can travel up to 92 km on a single charge, contributing to a combined petrol-electric range of 1,092 km. It also supports DC fast charging, albeit only up to 18 kW, taking 35 minutes to top up the battery from 30 to 80%. Also accepted is AC charging up to 6.6 kW.
The Sealion 6 is quite a bit larger than your usual C-segment SUV. Measuring 4,775 mm long, 1,890 mm wide and 1,670 mm tall, it’s 84 mm longer, 24 mm wider and 11 mm lower than even the class-leading Honda CR-V, while its 2,765 mm wheelbase is 64 mm longer. In fact, it’s more closely sized to the Kia Sorento (4,810 mm long), even though it only has five seats to the Korean car’s seven.
Standard kit in Thailand includes LED head- and taillights, 19-inch two-tone alloy wheels, keyless entry, push-button start, double-glazed front windows, a panoramic glass sunroof, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable seats, faux leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 12.8-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual Qi wireless chargers, nine speakers, a 360-degree camera system and a powered tailgate.
As for safety, the Sealion 6 comes with six airbags, stability control, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, rear collision warning, traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert with auto brake, a door opening warning and automatic high beam.
While the Seal U is also offered as a full EV, the Sealion 6 will only be available as a plug-in hybrid, at least in right-hand-drive markets – the electric version is left-hand drive only.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Come here with this price and watch me and my money part ways.
This front design is a copy of porsche cayenne
will be overpirce if enter Malaysia market
Sime Darby won’t bringing in this suv seal DMi model too bad.,I dunno what Sime Darby think?!
Ya the stupid taxes
Actually PHEV enjoy the same tax exemption as BEV in Malaysia, look it up and you see is true. And yes this BYD Sealion 06 DM – i is coming to Malaysia.
BYD need to fired whoever named their car model
Any problems? Any car companies can give model name they like.
Who actually thinks marine animals make a good name?
All animal lovers will love the name. You must be an animal abuser. That is why animal names makes you angry.
He forgot he took his driving lessons in a kancil
So, you want to live in a Dystopian world where numbers are the only way a car can/should be labelled? Let me see what boring and uninteresting car names I can think of off hand.
X50, X70, X90, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, i3 i5 i7 i9 (eh wait this one Intel or BMW’s Sedan), S70 (Proton), S7 / A7 (Audi), S90 (Volvo or Proton’s mystery D-segment Sedan).
At least BYD puts effort to make their lineups sound environmentally friendly or in ways to help us remind of creatures of the earth that are coexisting with us, as a reminder not to burn petrol unnecessarily to reduce carbon emissions and global warming.
Kancil, Russ sounds good?
Wouldn’t this cannibalize the Atto 3’s sales? ? In fact, why would you choose the Atto 3 over this car?
Even in Philippines, they priced this car really aggressively as well. If BYD launches this for a similar RM100-120K price point in Malaysia, it is going to disrupt the SUV market.
A simple answer –
Tldr ; one is hybrid with 1000km, slow and steady, the other is EV with 500km, fast & powerful but range anxiety.
Sealion is a hybrid ; it gives you the option to drive on battery-only or petrol-only, thus reducing range anxiety like going back to kampong and stuck in traffic, this also opens more options to us on what energy to consume, maybe I want to start my car but exhaust is facing my open front door, so I just select electric only to reduce/prevent exhaust gasses into the house.
Atto3 is a fully EV vehicle ; it gives you only roughly 400km-500km range, half of Sealion’s claimed distance, a big selling point already in itself. Yes you’re getting all the torque directly from 1 or 2 motors, unless you’re daily traveling up Genting, otherwise the extra oomph is just for fun overtaking, then you’d slow down after that to preserve the range. Charging points aren’t as aplenty as petrol stations, charging speeds are different & have to wait, charging methodoly/pricing also different at various vendors, heck even the charging port can be different head.
I couldn’t bring myself to buy the Atto3 because the center console is hitting my knee while at rest position and I’m only willing to pay Rm90k for the Standard Range and Rm100k for the Extended Range variant (I kedekut, what to do ), while the Dolphin is abit low in ground clearance for what I’m looking for. To make matters worse, MG has a similar center console design with protruding corners. And GWM Tank 300 (petrol) is Rm250k.
Conclusion, I’m eagerly waiting for the Sealion.
No it wouldn’t, this isn’t full EV anyway, this is for those that complain about EV with various reason.
This is not the new one with the DM-i 5.0 right?
Nice
front – cayenne
back – macan + city rear light
side – x70
Same design same low quality and no resales value. Why dont buy more premium japanese?
More premium japanese? Material feel knowing that it is not premium but fake premium. Even japanese car also caught by cheating scandals
JAPANESE IS PREMIUM?? Hahahahhahahahahahahah
Same bullshit la, you think Japanese cars 100% fault free meh? Already got scandal in Toyota for safety test, Daihatsu also one geng since 2014 cars, Honda now all claiming new steering rack. People still buy because Malaysians got superiority complex, always sucking up to the West (colonizers) and Japan (invaders). Now new Toyota and Honda owners suffering from poor build quality and have to send back to claim warranty on things that shouldn’t have issues in the first place.
Unless you Singaporean la, pay for 1 car like paying for 1 average Joe’s life savings, confirm Jipun car manufacture give good quality one.
Why being stupid paying more for less value for money Japanese car?
All those cina car hardcore fans and sales men will also say why buy German. Cina car is no1. Junk is ok. As long as cheap la. Faham bang.
Lol.. Japanese plastic premium..wakaja
Should bring this car to malaysia. This car looks nicer. Gonna trade my current car soon
Proton emas or this
Please get this to malaysian market. Demand will be skyrocket after madani take out the fuel subsidy entirely.
Without EV tax exemption, this PHEV may easily cost 200k here?
Why being stupid paying more for less value for money Japanese car?
Welp! They really did do a Sealion that I asked for. Now waiting for BYD Killer Whale. You all heard it from me here 1st!
Kenapa semua kereta kat Thailand lagi murah dan tak ada roadtax mahal mahal cam kita?
Kena bela ramai baruah. Gaji menteri & timbalan menteri mahal. Bulan 12 kena naik gaji pekerja gomen. Aku je tak ambik gaji huhuhu
Practical car for current EV infra in Malaysia but the price will be expensive as hybrid is not tax free in Malaysia. Unless a new ruling to include hybrid is made.
I hope sime darby would reconsider to bring in this seal u DMi 06 PHEV model I love this model a lots and I wondering how soon the byd would launch this model?