Emerging Chinese brands are giving legacy carmakers sleepless nights and consumers a reason to reconsider their allegiances.
While the three best-selling manufacturers in the country remain Toyota, Suzuki and Volkswagen, respectively, automakers from China such as Great Wall Motors (GWM) and Chery are gaining place in the top 10.
Then there are alternatives like Build Your Dreams (BYD), which is seeking to attack in the affordable electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) markets – areas where the legacy firms seem less interested.
Earlier this year BYD launched the Dolphin Surf, which is the country’s least expensive all-electric model, coming in at R339,900. It has its shortcomings – namely lethargic acceleration – but for the price, the compact Chinese is a commendable effort.
Last week BYD repeated a similar angle of entry with what is the most affordable PHEV in Mzansi.
R499,900 gets you into the standard version, and the Dynamic is R569,900. The warranty is of a five-year/100,000km duration, with a separate eight-year/150,000km battery warranty.
The Sealion 5 is similar to a Toyota Corolla Cross in dimensions. But it is less easy on the eye than its Japanese peer when viewed face-on.
Spacious interior with sizable screens and plush seats. (Supplied)
The front end is aggressive, like a deep-sea creature, but the rear and side are more palatable, with generic cues that might have you confusing it with other Chinese options of the same ilk.
Sliding behind the wheel, the Sealion 5 has a noteworthy pair of front seats: one-piece backrests and a cosseting base that cushions with the plumpness of a more luxurious car.
That perception of luxury is strong, considering the price, with rich surface materials on the door panels and dashboard. But the switchgear looks a tad low-rent by contrast.
As you would expect from any contemporary Chinese offering, the Sealion 5 ticks the digitisation boxes, with a crisp 12.8-inch central infotainment system and 8.8-inch instrument cluster.
Luggage capacity is a reasonable 463l, but just like the Dolphin Surf, there is no spare wheel supplied. The brand is adamant that its roadside assistance partners are up to the task of helping customers in the unfortunate event of a mishap. Living in SA, with our varied road conditions, that is not an unlikely possibility.
This was the second BYD launch we were invited to attend, and it does seem that the brand favours extremely short driving experiences. We hope to give the vehicle a proper going-over in time, following the limited 10km stint at the launch.
Exiting the gravel road at the venue, the cabin insulation and suspension damping seemed above average. The overall quietness of the vehicle at cruising speed left a positive impression.
That sense of peace is interrupted only when you floor the accelerator pedal, prompting the continuously variable transmission (CVT) into action, with a characteristic engine drone as the tachometer swings up.
The 72kW 1.5l four-cylinder petrol is a bit of a screamer. It is aided along by a 145kW electric motor, while the combined torque output is 300Nm.
Its claimed sprint time of 8.3 seconds feels suitably brisk in the real world. But of more interest is the vehicle’s economy, quoted to be as low as 1.4l/100km when reliant on the hybrid system, or 5.2l/100km when the engine is handling more of the load.
Impressively, the brand purports a range of just over 1,000km. It can travel on electric power alone for as much as 52km. The Sealion’s battery capacity is 13kWh and its fuel tank is 52l.
Boot space over 400l, but no spare wheel. (Supplied)
Rarely are there criticisms when it comes to the level of standard features in Chinese vehicles. And the latest BYD is no different. Even the base Comfort model gets leatherette seats, a reverse camera, six airbags, and LED headlights, as well as functions such as lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control – quite spectacular given the category and cost.
The Sealion 5’s rivalry set is made up of Chinese players entirely. There are no legacy brands with PHEV models priced in this arena. That is quite an interesting point to consider – very clearly, these newcomers plan to expand electrification beyond a niche.
And with such aggressive pricing and a product that has no glaring issues, it seems likely that many local consumers will feel compelled to have a look at the latest BYD.
