BYD Sealion 5 review

Well, first thing to note is that the driver monitoring system is far better integrated here than it is in the Seal 6. Which is weird because they run the exact same system. Maybe the software prefers the higher driving position in this? Who knows, but we’re mightily relieved.

Otherwise, it’s… fine. As long as you keep your expectations low. The steering offers little feel but is accurate enough, while the ride is on the fidgety side but not enough to make it uncomfortable. We reckon the front seats could do with some more side bolster support though, as there’s a fair amount of body roll when cornering. But there’s nothing too offensive here.

Good news. What's the hybrid like?

Efficient. Let's recap: both versions get a 1.5-litre 4cyl engine paired to an electric motor for 209bhp, but the Comfort trim specs a 13kWh battery for up to 39 miles of e-range, and the Design model ups those to 18kWh and 53 miles. We’ve been testing the latter.

The electric motor outputs 194bhp, the engine just 95bhp, and it’s the e-motor that takes on most of the responsibility of driving the wheels. Indeed, the engine predominantly exists to ensure the battery never goes flat (we never saw it go below 20 per cent), though it can engage the wheels when required, for example at motorway speeds.

You'll be grateful for that though, as it's noisier than you might expect and we also noticed some vibration through the steering column and pedals.

Is it at all... fun?

Get your mind out of the gutter. Zero to 62mph takes 7.7 seconds in Comfort trim, 8.1 seconds in Design trim (it's 61kg heavier), on to a top speed of 106mph that you’ll never see. So no, as we mentioned above, efficiency is priority here.

And in that regard, it fares well. We averaged just over 60mpg in mixed driving without plugging in once, and never fully drained the battery over 150 miles. Plug this in on a home charger between journeys and you could do even better.