Louth Motors: The BYD Sealion 5 Conundrum
Big on space, value and technology, but the driving experience leaves room for improvement
We have a myriad of options when it comes to investigating which new car to buy.
You can use AI, you can visit the manufacturers website, you can read reviews like mine but the ultimate decider for you usually boils down to what you currently drive (same dealer newer model), price and individual requirements.
No point buying a two-seater for a family of five now, is there?
After you have done your research and decided on the cars that suit you the next thing you simply have to do is drive the car.
It’s amazing what people tell me about a car that immediately turns them off.
I personally think that it’s just something different and after a week in any car I’ve driven I have gotten used to its quirks and very few things would have me saying nope, not for me.
But one absolute no no for me is how it drives. It has to be engaging and enjoyable or it has to be so anonymous that it does not register any dissatisfaction.
After all it’s the one thing that happens on every journey short or long, fast or slow.
How a car performs and rides is vital and is the reason why I would not consider going near a car that did not reward in this space.
The Sealion 5 is another car joining the BYD garage and it's safe to say that we have embraced the new Chinese manufacturer.
The Seal is one helluva car and still tempting buyers with its looks, performance, packaging and ability.
The ironic thing is that it has been surpassed in sales by the Seal-U which is a PHEV model from a brand that has the name of being an all-electric Tesla challenger.
Which is where the Sealion 5 comes in, as it is a hybrid too. Its competitors in terms of size are the Skoda Kodiaq and the Toyota RAV 4 but on price it’s aimed at the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and Ford Kuga buyer.
So you get a much bigger car for a lot less money than its main competitors and the car is fully laden with all the latest technology including BYD blade battery technology that allows them claim the car has a range of 1,016 km. Impressive stuff.
Its styling isn’t as brash as the Seal and very much designed not to offend.
It has a huge faux, grooved chrome feature on the C-pillar that frankly should be smaller and grates a bit but otherwise, if you squint, it looks like a Kuga.
Quality is excellent and BYD interior materials are very pleasing to touch and use on a daily basis.
They don’t give you many buttons or knobs centralizing all driving and entertainment functions into a 12.8inch central display which, as you all know by now, I am not a fan of.
I think having to take your eyes off the road to perform a function is a step too far and I remain amazed that our overly intrusive European watchdogs are, to use a motoring phrase, asleep at the wheel in this regard.
The boot for all its bulk is 463l that is regrettably behind the Sportage and the Tucson caused by the fitting of the battery but this is compensated by huge legroom in the back.
There are only two models available, the Comfort for €36,990 and the Design for €40,990.
For the extra you get a bigger battery 13.0kWh v 18.3kWh (4.5h/6h recharge time), a powered tailgate, 360 degree camera, front parking sensors, heated seats and wireless charging and rear USB ports.
BYD doesn’t have a large palette of colours to choose from with just four available Blue, White, Grey and Black and is an area they could widen.
As a package it is quite a compelling proposal that for me is let down badly by the drive and ride.
I noticed it the moment I took off.
The best word to describe the ride is uncertain.
It never really settles down allowing you to relax.
I felt the need to constantly adjust the steering by small amounts just to keep it going straight that in other cars is totally absent.
It really was quite annoying and any glance away to perform a function on the central screen was accompanied by the need to recentre the car on the road.
I found the whole experience tiring.
It also suffers from being too hard a ride for the sector and buyer they are trying to tempt.
Our roads are getting better all the time but they are not perfect or perfectly laid and any imperfection is fed right into the cabin in a jolting manner.
Noise levels are fair with motorway speed drives the tire noise makes its presence known.
The performance from the power unit is fine.
It was responsive but missing any sense of driver feel.
In the bends, because of its stiffer setup, the car was dependable but not rewarding.
I’d say it was functional but without heart.
And that overall driving experience would, for me, be a flaw too far.
If it had average or better driving manners the car would be in the acceptable category because of all the other finery in the car but the drive for me was damning. In town or urban settings this might not prove as unpalatable because you are always adjusting the steering but on our R or N roads it would prove frustrating.
If the Sealion 5 catches your eye and meets your needs then test drive it.
If you like it after that it is a strong contender for purchase in the sector delivering price, space and specification that undercuts all its rivals.