MPG 45
0-62 MPH 22g/km
0-62 MPH 7.7s
P11D £29,825
Per Month £233
MPG 45
0-62 MPH 14g/km
0-62 MPH 8.1s
P11D £32,825
Per Month £256

Sealion 5 or Sealion 7? Different Powertrains

The numbers suggest these are simply a smaller and a larger version of the same car. They are not, and the difference matters more than the size.

The Sealion 5, this page, is a plug-in hybrid. It has a 1.5 litre petrol engine alongside its electric motor and battery, and you can drive it without ever plugging in, though you should not.

The Sealion 7 is fully electric, with no engine at all. If your reason for looking at BYD is to go electric, the 7 is the car. If you want the flexibility of a petrol engine for long trips, the 5 is the one.

Why Lease the BYD Sealion 5?

The BYD Sealion 5 is the most accessible plug-in hybrid SUV BYD offers, and it exists for people who want most of the benefit of electric driving without giving up a petrol engine entirely.

It is also quick for the type, reaching 62mph in 7.7 seconds, which is quicker than the larger Seal U. Plug-in hybrids carry an electric motor that delivers torque instantly, and in a car this size that translates into genuinely easy overtaking.

Official CO2 of 22g/km is the figure that matters most for company car drivers, because benefit in kind is calculated from CO2 and electric range. A number that low puts it in a far cheaper band than any petrol SUV of comparable size.

BYD Sealion 5 Batteries and Electric Range

Two battery sizes are offered across the range, and which one you get is the single most important choice on this car.

The smaller 12.9kWh pack gives a claimed electric range of around 38 miles. The larger 18.3kWh pack lifts that to around 53 miles.

Thirty eight miles covers a lot of commutes; fifty three covers considerably more, and gives you margin in winter when electric range falls. Check which battery the specific derivative on the grid carries before you commit, because the difference determines how often the petrol engine actually runs.

BYD Sealion 5 Trim Levels

Comfort

BYD equips its cars well as standard, so Comfort covers the equipment most drivers use daily, including the rotating central touchscreen that runs through the range.

Design

The higher grade, adding further equipment and exterior detailing over Comfort.

Our recommendation

Choose by battery before you choose by trim. The larger 18.3kWh pack and its extra 15 miles of electric range will affect your running costs every week for the length of the agreement, whereas the equipment difference between grades will not. Confirm which battery a given derivative has and work outwards from there.

Leasing the BYD Sealion 5

A plug-in hybrid is often a transitional car, chosen because going fully electric is not yet practical. Leasing fits that thinking, because a fixed term agreement ends at a defined point rather than committing you to a powertrain that may not suit you in four years.

The honest drawback is that a plug-in hybrid only pays off if you plug it in. Unplugged, the Sealion 5 is a petrol SUV carrying the extra weight of a battery it never uses, and the fuel economy reflects that. If you cannot charge at home or at work, a full hybrid will serve you better and cost less to run.

For company car drivers 22g/km is the headline. It puts the Sealion 5 far below any petrol equivalent for benefit in kind, though still above a fully electric car such as the Sealion 7. Company car tax rates are set each tax year and do change, so have your accountant confirm the current bands before ordering on business contract hire.

Why Lease a BYD Sealion 5 with LetsLease?

Compare the latest BYD Sealion 5 leasing offers with fixed monthly payments and flexible contract options.

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BYD Sealion 5 Leasing FAQs

It is a plug-in hybrid. The Sealion 5 uses BYD's DM-i system, pairing a 1.5 litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery, so it can run on electricity for daily journeys and on petrol for longer ones. The fully electric SUV in the range is the Sealion 7. Despite sharing the Sealion name they are fundamentally different cars, so it is worth checking which one a listing refers to.

Powertrain first, size second. The Sealion 5 is a plug-in hybrid with a petrol engine on board. The Sealion 7 is fully electric with no engine at all, offering up to 312 miles of range. If your aim is to go fully electric, the 7 is the car. If you want electric running most of the time but a petrol engine available for long journeys, the 5 is the one to look at.

Around 38 miles on the smaller 12.9kWh battery and around 53 miles on the larger 18.3kWh pack. Both are official claimed figures, so expect less in cold weather. Which battery a given derivative carries is worth confirming on the listing before you order, because that choice affects your running costs every week rather than being a one off specification decision.

Generally no. A plug-in hybrid delivers its advantages only when it is regularly charged. Without that you are running a petrol SUV that carries the additional weight of a battery it never uses, and fuel economy suffers as a result. If home or workplace charging is not available, a full hybrid, which charges itself as you drive, is the more sensible and cheaper option.

Strong for a plug-in hybrid. Company car tax is calculated from CO2 emissions and electric range, and at 22g/km with a useful electric range the Sealion 5 sits far below any petrol SUV of similar size. A fully electric car would sit lower still, so if benefit in kind is your main concern compare it against the Sealion 7. Rates are set each tax year and do change, so confirm the current bands with your accountant.

Yes, for a family SUV. It reaches 62mph in 7.7 seconds, which makes it quicker than the larger Seal U plug-in hybrid. The reason is the electric motor, which delivers its torque immediately rather than building it with revs, so the car feels responsive in ordinary driving and overtaking is easy. It is not a performance SUV, but it never feels short of pace.

LetsLease is a broker rather than the lender. The agreement sits with one of the major UK leasing funders, including Lex Autolease, Novuna, Ayvens and Santander, and that funder owns the vehicle and holds the credit agreement. We find the right deal across the market and manage the order through to delivery, with the same consultant handling it throughout. Because funders price the same car differently, access to several is what lets a broker beat going direct to one lender.