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The BYD Sealion 5 arrives early next year as Australia's cheapest PHEV, offering a larger body than a Toyota RAV4 priced below a top-spec Yaris.
The 2026 BYD Sealion 5 has been locked in as Australia's cheapest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – and the most affordable hybrid family SUV – ahead of customer deliveries early next year.
Priced from $33,990 before on-road costs, the Sealion 5 undercuts Australia's cheapest plug-in hybrids, the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid ($39,990 drive-away) and Geely Starray EM-i (around $41,000 drive-away).
It is also the most affordable hybrid family SUV, with or without plug-in electric capability, below the Toyota Corolla Cross (from $37,440 plus on-roads), GWM Haval H6 (from $40,990 drive-away), MG HS (from $40,990 plus on-roads) and Hyundai Tucson (from $42,850 plus on-roads).
The top-of-the-range Toyota Yaris ZR ($34,590 plus on-roads) and mid-spec Corolla SX ($35,260) hybrid hatchbacks are also dearer than the plug-in hybrid Sealion 5 Essential, and the $37,990 Premium costs less than a Corolla ZR ($39,100).
The Sealion 5 will be offered in two grades, Essential and Premium, both featuring a 76kW/122Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 145kW/300Nm electric motor for a combined system output of 156kW.
Battery capacities differ between the Essential and Premium, at 12.9kWh and 18.3kWh, respectively, for an NEDC-rated electric-only driving range of between 71 and 100 kilometres.
Combined fuel consumption, with a battery state of charge of 100 to 25 per cent, is rated at 1.2 litres per 100 kilometres for the Essential and 1.3L/100km for the Premium, rising to 4.5L/100km and 4.6L/100km, respectively, when the battery falls below 25 per cent.
Standard features in the Sealion 5 Essential include 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, six speakers, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, and satellite navigation.
It also includes vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, rear parking sensors, full LED lighting, dual-zone air conditioning, keyless entry and start, and digital key support to lock, unlock and drive using a smartphone.
The Premium adds a larger 12.8-inch touchscreen, nine speakers, a wireless smartphone charger, heated and ventilated front seats, a powered driver's seat, a surround-view monitor, and front parking sensors.
It also gains power-adjustable exterior mirrors – the Essential has manual exterior mirror adjustment – an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a panoramic sunroof, and an electric tailgate.
Measuring 4738mm long, 1860mm wide and 1710mm tall, with a 2712mm wheelbase, the Sealion 5 is 143mm longer, 6mm wider and 8mm taller than the new-generation 2026 Toyota RAV4, with a 22mm-longer wheelbase.
Both grades offer a 463-litre boot capacity with the second-row in place, and a 750-kilogram braked towing capacity.
The BYD Sealion 5 will arrive in Australian showrooms early next year.
2026 BYD Sealion 5 price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2026 BYD Sealion 5 Essential DM-i standard features:
2026 BYD Sealion 5 Premium DM-i adds (over Essential DM-i):
Available colours include:
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
