BYD Sealion 5 review

It feels fit for purpose, which is probably the biggest compliment we can give it. It gets vegan leather upholstery and the big screen that sits in the centre of the dashboard lends it a touch of glamour, but it’s let down by some unlovable materials and hard plastics. The Seal 6 gives off far more premium vibes.

Still, at least there’s a few proper physical buttons, including on the steering wheel and down on the centre console, where the stubby gear selector sits (interestingly the Seal 6 gets a stalk behind the wheel). It also gets some brightly coloured stitching, but it’s otherwise quite dull.

What's the tech like?

All versions get an identical 8.8in digital driver display and 12.8in touchscreen. The former leaves a lot to be desired with its messy layout and small fonts. Half the time you don’t know what the beeping and bonging actually means, and though you can cycle through trip info it’s otherwise limited in customisability.

The central display is fixed in place, unlike BYDs of the past which offered a gimmicky but fun rotating touchscreen – something to do with customer feedback. What do they know, eh? Though even we have to admit you’d use it once and then never again.

Particularly because the screen seemingly prioritises aesthetics over ease of use. Having a big glossy background image is great, but not when it means all the icons are shoved to the bottom third of the screen. All too often you accidently press the wrong one, and navigating through the menus is a bit of a minefield.  

The physical switchgear extends to the drive modes, volume adjustment and aircon. But turning on the heated seats, adjusting the regen, and switching off the unwanted driver assist systems require the touchscreen.

Is it comfortable?

Fairly. The steering wheel is limited in its adjustment, so no light relief from the unsupportive seats there. If you’re going to be the primary driver we’d recommend a long test drive to make sure you can get on with it.

In fact, it’s probably better for passengers – there’s plenty of head and legroom in the rear, and even if those up front have their seats in the lowest position, backseat passengers can still get their feet underneath.

Bootspace measures 463 litres whatever version you go for, or 1,410 litres with all the seats folded down. It doesn’t actually feel that big mind, with the floor parallel with the boot lip, and no cubby to store any charging cables.