So far, BYD’s local lineup mainly consists of pure electric vehicles. There’s the Seal sedan, Han crossover, Atto 3 compact crossover, and the Dolphin subcompact hatchback.
But now, there’s a new model on the way, and it comes with an engine. Well, sort of. Making its local debut is the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i, and there are some bold claims to go along with it.
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The BYD Sealion 6 DM-i is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or PHEV. But instead of mainly relying on the engine as its main propulsion, it’s the electric motor that does all the heavy lifting. Because of that, BYD doesn’t even call the Sealion 6’s engine, well, an engine. Instead, they call it a range extender.
That range extender is a 1.5-liter engine that makes 105 hp and 135Nm of torque. Powering its front wheels is an electric motor that makes 194hp and 325Nm of torque. Then engine keeps the battery topped up as often as possible, but as it’s a plug-in hybrid, those batteries can also be charged at home or at a charging station.
Speaking of charging, each purchase of this car comes with a 7kW home charging system. In case you’re asking about the plug, it uses a type 2 connector, making it compatible in most stations. As for bold claims, BYD says the Sealion 6 can travel on battery power alone for up to 100 kilometers. The even bolder claim is that it can get over 1,000 kilometers of total range.
Inside, it has a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and 15.6-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen. Leather and soft touch materials are abound, and a large panoramic sunroof lets more sunshine in.
In terms of tech inside, there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual wireless chargers, voice assistant, over-the-air updates, BYD Cloud Service for storage, and even 4G connectivity. Also standard is an Infinity 10-speaker sound system.
For safety, this crossover is equipped with DiPilot, BYD’s advanced driver assist system. It includes a 360-degree view camera with See-Through Mode, a radar system with six sensors, and full-speed adaptive cruise control with stop and go capabilities.
But that’s not all. Also included in DiPilot is lane keeping assist, land departure assistance, automatic emergency braking, front collision warning, traffic congestion assistance, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed limit information, and intelligent speed limit control.
For variants, there’s only one to choose from and it retails for P1,548,000.
More photos of the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i 2024:
