The all-new Seal 5 DM-i just might be BYD’s next big thing

BYD Cars Philippines has been making a lot of noise ever since ACMobility—then AC Motors—took over distributorship in the market. Some might even say the brand is making too much noise.

But they didn’t start banging the doldrums for nothing. We’ve since seen the arrival of impressive new electrified models such as the Atto 3, the Sealion 6 DM-i, the Seagull, and the Seal. None of these were launched here for the sake of it—all of them have a place in our market, especially the Sealion 6, which is already making its case as one of the strongest contenders across the industry at the moment.

Well, BYD is now back with another new model, and I believe it might just be the Chinese carmaker’s most important model to date: the Seal 5 DM-i.

Unlike the fully electric Seal, this isn’t a luxurious high-performance sedan. On the contrary, it’s a budget-friendly car using the same range-extended powertrain as the Sealion 6. As indicated by its name, it utilizes the Chinese carmaker’s Super DM-i technology, combining an electric motor with a gasoline-powered range extender.

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Two variants are available, with the base Dynamic trim’s motor producing 177hp and 316Nm of torque and promising a maximum electric range of 50km and an extended range of 1,175km. Opt for the Premium variant and power goes up to 195hp and 325Nm, electric range to 115km, and extended range to 1,240km. You have the option of just refueling as needed or plugging it in to use solely electric power. And if you opt for the higher variant, you get vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities as well.

All that efficiency is matched with decent performance, as the Dynamic does 0-100kph in 7.9sec, and the Premium cuts it down by another 0.6sec. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, but it’s something entirely new for the subcompact-sedan segment. And in more ways than just the powertrain.

Now, you might be thinking: “Subcompact sedan? Something’s not adding up.” Yes, this is basically as big as the Seal, but BYD Cars Philippines is positioning it as a subcompact sedan. Compact size, subcompact pricing.

A bit unorthodox, we know. The Seal 5 DM-i measures 4,780mm long, 1,837mm wide, and 1,495mm tall with a 2,718mm wheelbase. That makes it bigger than even a Toyota Corolla Altis, yet it’s being pitted against the likes of the Vios and the Honda City. And that’s all because of the price.

The base Seal 5 DM-i stickers for a mere P948,000, while the top-of-the-line variant goes for P1,198,000. A bit more expensive than the cars it goes up against, but it undoubtedly offers so much more.

With the bigger body, it boasts more room inside the cabin than its rivals. The City and the Vios are no slouch when it comes to space, but the Seal 5 DM-i simply has more. And BYD didn’t scrimp on interior materials, either. There are still plenty of plastics, but it has more soft-touch trim, more color accents, and more oomph overall.

The design is a bit loud—a stark contrast to the rather clean exterior—but in my opinion, it’s just right. Not as absurd as, say, the Atto 3’s quirky cabin. It has just enough style, and it’s a good bonus that the leather seats are comfy, too. The bolsters are adequate, although I’d argue that the white finish might be painful to keep clean.

There’s also plenty of tech to play with. In true BYD fashion, there’s a large 12.3-inch rotating screen up front and center. This comes with Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, and is paired with a decent eight-speaker sound system (the Dynamic gets six speakers). I admit it’s not as impressive as the Sealion 6’s Infinity setup, but worlds better than what competitors in its segment have. Automatic climate control also comes as standard.

The top-spec Seal 5 DM-i likewise comes with a 360-degree-view camera—a feature I’m sure buyers in this segment will appreciate. Granted, it doesn’t come with highly advanced safety systems like adaptive cruise control or blind-spot monitoring and the like, but it still checks the boxes for the basics that its potential buyers look for and actually use.

Our initial test drive was only around a small area, so we weren’t exactly able to tell how well this car would hold up on the highway. That said, we were mostly on non-asphalt roads, yet it felt quiet and comfortable inside the Seal 5.

We were able to hoon it around a bit, and all I can say is if you want to play around with this one, you’ll need better tires. The Seal 5 DM-i, especially the Premium variant, just has too much power for the tires. Floor the pedal from a standstill and you’ll lose grip and spin the front wheel almost instantaneously. That’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in a subcompact car before.

That’s all good since you won’t be driving like an animal on a daily basis, anyway. But it’s still something to keep in mind because even though the car feels planted through corners, there’s still a chance you’ll lose traction when you take a tight turn too quickly.

At the end of the day, that’s still not a huge point of concern. The target market for this car isn’t the hardcore car enthusiast who’ll bring this car to the track on weekends. This is for the yuppies looking for their first big purchase, or the families looking for affordable and fuel-efficient daily drivers.

It’s a market that BYD has already tapped into with the Sealion 6, but the subcompact-sedan segment could just be the next big thing for the brand. We all know people have been “crossover this” and “crossover that” over the past few years, but subcompact cars are still strong sales drivers for the brands that have already established themselves in this segment. It doesn’t matter if they’ll end up being TNVS or fleet vehicles—the point is, there’s still a market for these small cars, and BYD Cars Philippines wants a piece of what’s left of that pie. Frankly, with an offering like the Seal 5 DM-i, it just might be able to take a good bite. A nice, big bite.

This car is now the most affordable hybrid in BYD’s local lineup. And if the cars we see on the road are any indication, it’s clear the market isn’t all-in on electric vehicles just yet, even if they’re highly affordable like the Seagull. What they want is the more straightforward hybrid—one that won’t change how they live life, so to speak, by sticking with the simple principle of ‘gas up and go.’ That’s what the Sealion 6 DM-i is about, and that’s the same thing the Seal 5 DM-i has to offer. Only it’s in a much more enticing package.

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