A Toyota RAV4 Hybrid beater? BYD Sealion 6 2024 review: Is this new PHEV the best family SUV?

[@carsguide]

Please note the cargo capacity mentioned at 5:26 is incorrect. It is actually 425L. Apologies!

[@Donster888]

should be given a rating of 7.8 mainly for features, internal battery size and the value proposition

[@Grudlin74]

I think Stephen you judge the Sealion a little harshly for not having a spare wheel. The Outlander Phev doesn't either.

[@OsmaroAcosta]

Doesn't make it excusable, space saver should be bare minimum, the fact they only add a repair kit is embarrassing for any brand.

[@avil8686]

BYD head designer is Wolfgang Egger former head designer for Alfa Romeo, Audi, please complain to him about the unoriginality 😅

[@hermesliteratus882]

The reviewer just has no idea what he's talking about anyways.

[@fatdoi003]

these reviewers still can't get out of their chinese peril mindset.... that anything from china must be a copy of others..

[@daweigo6851]

​@@fatdoi003yep, simply close minded I guess ....

[@joe23521]

It's definitely getting a bit old to call every Chinese car a copycat. Look, it's only 96% original - it's a copycat!

[@426dfv]

I had this car (basic model with FWD) for rental in China for 5 days, I must say it drives very well compared to the RAV4 which i happened to had for rental for my NZ trip. The car is quick when overtake. Body roll is minimal. Material quality is good. I use voice command to control most of the features but the buttons on the steering wheel can also do the job. I will prefer it to have a softer suspension but i'm not complaining too much about it. A slight rumbling noise gets into the cabin when it charges the battery (less than 20%) otherwise, it's been a very quiet ride throughout. Range is roughly 1000km but depending on the weather as it's scorching hot in China right now.

[@daweigo6851]

I was amazed how good voice command was, even understood multiple accents

[@Clim326]

Cancelled my Rav 4 XSE for the BYD SL6 AWD Premium, and verdict : No regrets whatsoever. Happy BYD 🛞

[@justifiedmasagony3635]

how is the reliability?

[@jazzamac3796]

BYD arent joking, they have every automaker shaking in there boots, only a generation away from really competing with the best out there. Seen one in Brisbane and was shocked how good the cabin quality was.

[@johnlambert1744]

We've had an Atto 3 for a year now and we love it! BYD are definitely going to be a strong competition to other EV manufacturers in Australia.

[@jeppo1185]

I have a spray painter friend who does touch-ups to new cars off the ships, before heading to dealers. He rates the fit and finish of the BYD vehicles (all models) very highly, and has had every brand of new car in his shop, to compare.

[@vilester]

BYD already beating competitors that is why they are so big already.

[@yslee1401]

You would need a few boxes of Kleenex and a defibrillator nearby when you sell the car

[@user-x9p]

We have one and it’s so worth it!

[@Truthstelling]

What is original anyway? If every car need to be 100% different, you will be having a car with a million wheels to be different. BTW, BYD main designer is European.

[@jeppo1185]

True! It's like listening to a new song...you know it's an amalgam of songs that have already been.

[@fatdoi003]

these reviewers still can't get out of their chinese peril mindset.... that anything from china must be a copy of others..

[@eddchan543]

He doesnt even know / check who disgned the BYD, Wolfgang Egger

[@fatdoi003]

@@eddchan543 they just don't care... if you listen to their words... other cars they'd say faux or vegan leather, for chinese cars it's fake leather.... instead of affordable they'd say cheap.... also every english speaking review around world on a BYD.. all of them say the 'party trick' rotating screen.... oh ffs

[@yslee1401]

No resale value

[@stevenvalle7319]

Some real world consumption numbers. Dynamic version, 1125 km, 3.8L/100 km, avg speed 46km/hr. Mon-fri short drives with daily charging. Weekends several medium length return trips with no charging at destination. Ballarat -geelong, Ballarat -dandenong, Ballarat -daylesford. Very quiet even when engine kicks in.

[@Friends4ever3373]

Thats not so great TBH, My Mitsu-Outlander PHEV did 16000Kms 2.3 L/100Km charging 5/7 days average over the last year and its a 7 seater exceed tourer

[@jackaus1742]

@@Friends4ever3373 I guess most of your PHEV killometers came from electricity. The current physics does not support mileage 2.3L/100 KM on petrol.

[@khashraf123]

Fact: Mitsu costs 20k more lol.

[@richardo2993]

If the author did his research he would know that BYD's head designer is German Wolfgang Egger (formerly Audi's head designer) - could that explain why the BYD has hints of German design language! Rather than jumping on the bandwagon and putting forward a broad based statement!

[@jamesz80]

Design not 100% original? That's pretty random

[@fatdoi003]

car reviewers still suffering yellow peril

[@simonpaine2347]

I find the screen rotation far from a gimmick. I always use when using navigation maps. It makes the visualisation so much more logical and clearer to see.

[@mh8922]

One of the worst review I have come across in a while. Size comparison with figures would have been nice. Also boot space compared to Rav4 etc.

[@metalmick99]

It was thin, and the test vehicle seemed to never exceed 40 kmph. I think using the contraction "y'know" 29 times in 14 minutes is an indicator that improvement is needed.

[@fatdoi003]

he doesn't want to upset other brands to blacklist the channel

[@passby8070]

Toyota is keeping them afloat, better not upset your biggest customer. I think this review is bias from the get go!

[@joe23521]

Didn't take long to realize there's not a ton of credibility in this review.

[@MrGanbat84]

It is very reliable car as a user for half year.

[@LeslieGreenwood-bu9tn]

BYD has one of the highest amount of customer complaints in China, Tesla second lowest.

[@hynoor7254]

@@LeslieGreenwood-bu9tn No surprise as they sold the most cars. the more you sold, the higher number of complaints you got.

[@LeslieGreenwood-bu9tn]

@@hynoor7254 No it was based on complaints per 10,000 vehicles.

[@ZhihengZheng]

​@@LeslieGreenwood-bu9tn Fun fact: most complaints are about the long waiting time to get the cars, because they are quite super popular in China.

[@LeslieGreenwood-bu9tn]

@@ZhihengZheng Hmmmm not to sure about that .

[@reddtseng9138]

He sound unwilling due to a lack of interest, conflicting priorities, or feeling overwhelmed. Maybe he's just not that into it. Or perhaps he's just having a bad day to do this.

[@jamesn-guyen8312]

Against the Sealion buying the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV makes zero sense.

[@fatdoi003]

only difference is 5 vs 7 seater...

[@yslee1401]

Not really-BYD has no resale value

[@Friends4ever3373]

@@fatdoi003 thats a biggggg difference for some

[@fatdoi003]

@@Friends4ever3373 of course but that's the only difference i can see....

[@markuc]

I have a very new "European" car and it doesn't come with spare wheel mate.

[@JamesBriggs-zz8my]

Portrait orientation gives you extra maps forward vision.

[@fatdoi003]

he can't accept other people's preference....

[@N1rOx]

yep, much better for maps. don't expect old mate to know that though. he, like this review, is out of touch.

[@gregb1599]

Until you try and use Android auto, unless they fixed that

[@fatdoi003]

m8 BYD designer is a German so the car looks european is bit dull

[@stevenvalle7319]

No issues cruising at speed limit, overtaking or going up steep hills. With fwd version . Light weight Atkinson engine kicks in to recharge battery when it gets to 30%(can be adjusted). Thus the electric motor is basically always driving the wheels . The Atkinson engine is not driving alternators, water pumps etc, it is a beltless design. There is no traditional gear box (AT or CVT) saving weight. Engine (thermal efficiency 42.5%) directly linked to an electric motor.. the petrol engine can engage to help drive the wheels, but only at higher speeds or more extreme acceleration if the electric motor is insufficient. It basically operates in a very narrow rpm range, think 5th gear

[@yslee1401]

They are using stolen technologies from Toyota

[@johnlambert1744]

For those who are considering this, wait for the Sealion 7 to come out next year which is a full EV (not a hybrid). This is also much better looking too!

[@fatdoi003]

that's a pure EV not a hybrid

[@johnlambert1744]

@@fatdoi003 Did you even read what I wrote?

[@kathyheyne6030]

@@johnlambert1744not everyone wants a full EV, John.

[@johnlambert1744]

@@kathyheyne6030 I know that, but a lot of people looking at moving into the EV space might be interested to know that the full EV version is coming out, might be worth waiting for over a hybrid.

[@daweigo6851]

Your missing the point, this is introduced for buyers who don't want or cant use a ev

[@azanahmed7338]

Very nice concept clearing review ❤

[@stephenwang8644]

pretty biased review. doesn't know what he is talking about. sounds like he copied the script from some other car reviewer and added a bit of his own taste to it. 😞😞

[@joe23521]

ChatGPT mostly likely. And then added a few biased cliches to make it his own.

[@Shawnstark1234]

I have both rv4 hybrid and sealion. Sealion was far better than rav4 in performance, comfort and fuel.efficiency. good value for money at its price

[@eddchan543]

Please google the name of designer of BYD🤔🤭

[@djizzah]

Why do you talk about a vehicle not available here, the rav 4? I challenge to buy a new one this week anywhere

[@kartdoe]

This dude drove the car and did not give us his real-world consumption figures. Such poor journalism. Literally spewed what BYD wrote about themselves. Wonder if they gave him the script for this review.

[@Tonystarkes888]

Type the car into KZbin search their are hundreds of reviews on this model btw he's not a journalist he's a KZbinr 😂😂😂 big difference

[@eaturbeef]

perhaps you should learn to search for other reviews. There are tonnes of them now.

[@joe23521]

Pretty sure BYD didn't write "our cars are copycats and we include party trick gimmicks and no spare tires." All of these were added by the author to show his bias.

[@ehoss5933]

Model Y is more like $60K after fees I think. I feel like this offering is compelling for anyone who's not ready to go full EV.

[@gregclark8700]

They lost me at “no spare”

[@Mububban23]

That's pretty much every hybrid and EV though isn't it? Probably less that have them, compared to most that don't?

[@gregclark8700]

@@Mububban23 2WD RAV4 hybrid and Corolla cross have spares. I regularly do long country drives. A spares not a option for me.

[@simonpaine2347]

​@@gregclark8700If you must have a spare, you could always just buy one.

[@gregclark8700]

@@simonpaine2347 agreed, my issue with this is safe and secure storage of the spare and jack. A spare bouncing around inside a car in the event of a accident wouldn’t be ideal. Due to the amount of county klm I travel to me a spare is important, I’m sure for many others it doesn’t matter.

[@simonpaine2347]

@@gregclark8700 My BYD actually came with a spare, but I've removed it. I've got a good repair kit and I only put the spare in on long journeys. I'm sure that there's somewhere safe and secure to store the necessary tools in the false space at the back. Unfortunately most BYD's don't come with a froot / frunk which would be a perfect place. I'm on the lookout for a box that can be adapted to fit in the space. Best of luck with your search!

[@angusnz7910]

It’s fine you’re not into performance, but overtaking and hill climbing ability ks important as an all round family vehicle. Can something along the line of open road work and a hill climb response be included in future tests. Not full on performance 0-100 testing (but cool if you do), but at least how well it carries a load then can manoeuvre on the open road

[@fatdoi003]

then spend $3k more get the 4WD turbo

[@metalmick99]

I'm astonished at how big it looks when you stand next to it - and I'm aware of your height. The critics of PHEVs have latched onto their derisive views, but they're discounting how much of a compromise many other vehicles are: for day-to-day use a BEV with 550km of range sees you lugging around more battery than you need; a lumbering 4WD ute is even more compromised for day-to-day duties, but they are often found in supermarket car parks and I see children dropped-off to school from them every day. The value of a PHEV is its versatility in that it will give you alternatives to keep mobile. As far as the SL6 goes, it can work on battery alone (like a BEV), or as a range-extended vehicle _a la_ RAV4 and other "conventional" hybrid vehicles.

[@fatdoi003]

i can see BYD Shark ute will sell really well here

[@jonas.bunawan]

so interested to buy this car, but it may be hard for me to keep it (plug-in) charged regularly as I live in a unit (apartment) that does not support the charging system. Do you reckon that it will be an issue in later days if I just rely on the regen brake system to get the battery charged and run the hybrid mode most of the time? Thanks

[@vilester]

which car has a spare wheels these days...

[@kathyheyne6030]

I thought the same thing! Repair kits are standard in this day and age. If you’re lucky, you’ll get one of those half sized toy spares.

[@LeslieGreenwood-bu9tn]

I'd be concerned about long term reliability & re sale.

[@amandast100]

Do you have to get it serviced at a BYD dealership? My closest is 65km away.

[@carsguide]

BYD has partnered with mycar service centres to make maintaining the Sealion 6 easier.

[@honestjohn6222]

Very Good review , keeping it simple and well explained, well Done

[@nev357]

The road noise inside the Rav4 is horrific. I had a RAV4 on order until I took one for a test drive. I cancelled my order on my return to dealership. Toyota might be reliable but have the worst cabin road noise of any car.

[@BluePandaa284]

Boot space is 425 lt not 574lt. When you look at that boot if you are not saying this cant be 574lt please dont do car review man.

[@SuperCashion]

Have a very close look at their warranty. 😏

[@yslee1401]

They don't honour their warranty-google BYD Canberra

[@SuperCashion]

@@yslee140160k kms warranty on the suspension indicates the quality of what you are getting

[@kathyheyne6030]

Why compare a PHEV to a Tesla?

[@DanubeRS]

Bring on the BEV version. Hopefully towards the end of the year.

[@danogamez5250]

Leased a rav 4 took one of theese byd for a drive but prefer the xtrail hybrid over both much smother and responsive

[@williewalford]

Have you actually checked if the 4wd works in slippery conditions . Eg wwt uphill grass / snow etc.

[@johnbgood3488]

ALL brand new cars SHOULD have a full size spare tyre.

[@jamesz80]

It looks great and even feels premium, but the suspension system is no good. Went for a test drive, very dizzying, BYD really need to solve this issue. I would have put my money down if it’s not for this one fundamental issue.

[@Clim326]

Have had this car for a month and I understand your comment. As we drove the car for a long weekend drive and noticed passengers in front and back seat experienced slight head aches after the long ride. Could this be due to the suspension? Or is it from the new car chemicals? Hoping this doesn't last. Btw no dizziness for local shorter trips. Will see how we go after a while . Thats the only con so far

[@fmfame]

Test drove today. it totally feels premium with everything and i am coming from mercedes C class.

[@amandast100]

Wonder if they will bring out a pure EV version?

[@sayamabusadatmd3203]

Derar car guide, you missed out to explain about the quality and reliability of this car. End of the this car is made in China which is the main concern.

[@Voigt465]

Crazy prices.

[@domlarry]

The next variant sealion coming 2025 worth the wait

[@Albion80s]

Can you explain why is "Sealion" more silly that "Rav"?

[@freetorobandloot]

As soon as he started his review he showed his bias.

[@Karl-Benny]

Actual Battery Range is Decent Not A Theory Data shows 90% of people don't drive further than 80 KM 805 off the time

[@Grudlin74]

Real world fuel economy would have been helpful

[@carsguide]

Unfortunately, we couldn't obtain an accurate real-world fuel consumption figure due to the short-term nature of our loan of the Sealion 6 this time around, but stayed tuned for future reviews.

[@damonsumner]

Why can't any car reviewer really mention the real reason that Toyota is king to most consumers its f@#*ing reliability! You cant go out and buy a brand new chinese brand and be basically guaranteed that it is going to go every time you turn the key like you can with Toyota. Stupid comparison.

[@freetorobandloot]

I guess time will tell.

[@buster_1972]

Can handle a space saver, but to have nothing, won't even look at it.

[@Karl-Benny]

All Tesla S are like That amazing how we forget

[@shahg25]

Where the heck are they gonna shove the battery if they include a spare wheel?

[@gregb1599]

Ask Hyundai with the latest compact 65kwh Kona EV!

[@shahg25]

@@gregb1599 yeah EV makes sense but a PHEV is different

[@gregb1599]

@shahg25 Why? The Konas battery is 3.6 times bigger than the BYD, yet it can fit a space saver tyre in the boot. The Kona is also a much smaller car. Your original comment is where they can shove the 18kwh battery if they include a spare wheel. Again, the Kona can as well as the new Omoda EV.

[@gregb1599]

@shahg25 Ford Escape PHEV has a spare wheel, Jeep Grand Cherokee PHEV has a spare wheel, and it's a full sized spare wheel. So your argument sort of falls apart when the 2 PHEV examples I just you have spares

[@shahg25]

@@gregb1599 its the battery size and technology that matters and drives the space for the spare wheel. Ford has a smaller battery and different technology vs BYD and Jeep isn’t the same size car as ford and byd. Kona isn’t a PHEV to begin with.

[@msmuffet_16]

Why can we not read comments, this edit seemed botched. 😢

[@basdfgwe]

"These are DEDC standards which are not the more real word like WLDC".... uhm ok, I'll take your word for it.

[@Camus886]

I'm lucky to live in Australia, it's not like the US government, where Americans need cars and they just put tariffs on ，Soon, American will be envious of Australian

[@yslee1401]

Australia will soon impose the same 100% anti-dumping duties in PRC junks

[@nev357]

The fuel range math doesn't add up. With a 60litre fuel tank using 1.4litre per 100km. Would give you a total range of 4289km not 1000km. 60lt÷1000km x 100km equals 6km per 100km.

[@passby8070]

Wow... 7.2 is absolutely atrocious! With the interior material of premium euro car and class leading tech and efficiency and the price of budget Japanese the review result does not make any sense! Bias much?

[@gregb1599]

It's funny his back looks like mine, as in long, I found the Atto 3 extremely uncomfortable because of the fixed headrest would dig into the top of my shoulders, then I tried the Dolphin and the headrest is for some odd reason slightly higher so no such problem but looking at him in this car looks very low headrest??

[@SalManila1]

1100km/60liters= 18.3kml

[@3drocket]

I like everything about this car except for the interior colour's. Brown and black together looks terrible and the red pin stripes makes it even worse.

[@wcrash9361]

Funny hearing him say it’s not original yet when has a Ford Mazda or Toyota been original lol . Also most hybrids and evs don’t have spare tyres in new cars

[@Bradthetruckie]

These journalist are stupid, 1000km range in hybrid mode, about 4500km range in petrol-electric mode 🙄

[@khashraf123]

This guy review reminds me of when air travel was rare, and travel commentators coming and telling the people and media that someone will be STUPID enough to use an aeroplane for travel or cargo. Unfair biases and narrow vision are due to lack of facts and self research leading to stupid commentary and mistrust.

[@saravanakarthik3043]

RAV4 beater ????? 🤣🤣🤣

[@shaneclk9854]

Byd shark is what has toyota ford and all teh rest shaking

[@AGW8443]

Airbus must be a copy cat of Boeing! (Or the other way around) 😂 The Chinese have to come with 5 wheels to be original I guess.

[@798Jinx]

There are stearing settings. You can choose a sportier drive, yet ive only seen one reviewer mention it

[@Karl-Benny]

EV` are no money saving on long trips

[@bernaridho]

Absent of space tire is disgusting

[@winsamyt1022]

Byd batteries always caught on fire.

[@yslee1401]

And it it fails, BYD does not provide warranty

[@freetorobandloot]

You must have confused byd with LG chem batteries. LG Chem singlehandedly caused the demise of the Chevy fire (oh, I meant bolt)😅

[@nhzcx123]

overpriced rav4 or this PHEV save on fuel and tax ?

[@yslee1401]

RAV has great resale value. BYD does not have any resale value

[@imtoxicking]

Porsche copy??????

[@trajcemitevski7087]

China men are not joking 😮😅😂🎉

[@Rally4Life1982]

BYD Blob Fish coming to a dealership near you....

[@sootoongkok]

Chinese cars emphasise on comfort as such their dynamic performance seems to be lacking compared with other legacy brands.

[@tonychan6814]

Either the real fuel consumption or vehicle reliability of the Brand. ANCAP was not tested. As mentioned this is a family vehicle and safety matters a lot for a family. On the net you can find reports that BYD cars air bag did not deploy in a real crash. As the cost of living heads north, a car durability is what most Australian wants to know.

[@shahg25]

No way tuscon and mazda give you the punch the byd will give you

[@HabitualFixation]

Can't put my finger on it but the design looks a bit 2010ish if you know what I mean

[@aljoubert8749]

@@HabitualFixation what?

[@HabitualFixation]

@@aljoubert8749 side profile I think, oh and maybe the rims. Looks are subjective though, I get that

[@TB-up4xi]

0:15 LOL the vast majority of all BYD's are hybrids & pterol and always have been, just not in Australia.

[@stevenvalle7319]

BYD has not sold solely ICE cars since 2022, and none in Australia. It does not sell hybrids. Only sells Phev 195K sold in June and BEV 145K sold in June.

[@TB-up4xi]

@@stevenvalle7319 I did say "just not in Australia" ,they have never sold anything but BEVs in Australia up until now but...In what universe are PHEV's not hybrids? P(lug-in) H(ybrid) E(lectric) V(ehciles). They have never sold more BEVs than hybrids and petrol in any year.

[@stevenvalle7319]

​@@TB-up4xi I do know what HEV stands for and you are incorrect, ByD have sold at times more BEV than PHEV. Check last quarter of 2023. In general most people would understand that "hybrid" is usually refers to Plugless type which BYD has not produced any since April 2022. Currently dMi-5 and the price war in China has improved phev sales relative to BEV. At the expense of ICE and legacy automakers in general

[@ozamosantuwe]

Its pronounced "silly on"

[@tonyrock5313]

1,

[@aljoubert8749]

Why not score is just 5 or 6. Really not good value. So many other cars that perform better and more equipment at the price point

[@stevenvalle7319]

Can you mention which PHEV cars are cheaper with same specs? Equivalent outlander is $25k more expensive. Mazda $27k more expensive.... MG HS +EV is the closest in price, still more expensive for a less capable car. Also for many PHEV if on novated lease you can get the FBT exemption. Saving approx $4.7K per year of the lease

[@aljoubert8749]

@@stevenvalle7319 I was being facetious. I think there is a clear bias in this review. At Aud52k there are nothing else in Australia at the same spec and price point.

[@ozbassman11]

Not sure why you are promoting vehicles from countries that are threatening peace in the pacific region with militaristic policies and false territorial claims. Why would any Australian help to fund those ambitions?

[@yslee1401]

Agreed

[@GEE819]

I wouldn’t purchase any Chinese cars at all no way !!

[@jamesn-guyen8312]

Don't. No one cares.

[@GEE819]

@@jamesn-guyen8312 Chinese cars are just rubbish 🤡

[@scottchin3582]

I believe your comment on the car exterior design is a bid crude. A nice design is everybody’s like. Can you say Mercedes copies BMW? Or Lamborghini copy Porsche? In recent years every car is similar design with some other cars. Because this kind of design has best sales! I believe you can do better!

[@GeoBerries]

beater? more of a terminator. Toyota and Honda's market share in china is dying due to the BYD's dominance and aggression.