In 2023, in a review of the Atto 3, I suggested that BYD's chief designer, Wolfgang Egger, formerly of Audi, should look at the non-adjustable integrated head restraint in the car, particularly how it pressed against a vertebra at the top of my spine, writes Brian Byrne. He obviously didn't get the message. The Sealion 5 Super Hybrid has the same feature, with the same problem for someone with my skeletal anatomy. An extended several days driving the car to and around West Cork had me feeling very uncomfortable, trying all the time to keep myself away from contact with the offending part of the seat.
It’s the small things that get you. And the small things can have the biggest effect when it comes to something as important as a driver's seat. I should say that my passenger, who is shorter than I am, found her seat very comfortable.
The Sealion 5 Super Hybrid is BYD covering its bets in the electrification stakes. A family crossover for the buyer not yet fully comfortable with the idea of going full EV. Perhaps concerned about the availability of adequate charging on a long summer run with a full consignment of teenagers on board.
Said teenagers certainly should be impressed with the car in most aspects. It's big in looks, with sufficient exterior detailing to have it stand out amongst the sameness of so many SUV types. I certainly found it easy to spot in a couple of crowded car parks.
The interior is well-appointed. Good finishes, quality materials. My review car had subdued but coherent colour treatments … nice, as sometimes you can get a more brash style from Chinese brands. The trim feel had a good mix of premium and the toughness required to stay looking well over the years. I was happy too to see real controls for setting the external mirrors, none of that needing to talk to the car to get to the right place on the screens.
Unfortunately, that plus didn't extend to management of the climate system, which required three to six stabs at the screen to make basic changes. Also, the virtual button graphics and the descriptive fonts on the screen are too small, another area where European carmakers are superior to their Chinese counterparts. I know, I harp on … and will continue to do so until sanity is restored in these matters. And while I'm on the grumpy road, I couldn't find a setting that gave me a fuel consumption reading in L/100km, only km/L or both imperial and American mpg.
The powertrain is based on a 1.5-litre inline four petrol engine and a plug-in battery that has a claimed 85km range in pure EV and a total of more than 1,000 km full tank and battery range. What the company calls its dual mode system has the electric motor driving the wheels, the petrol engine acting most of the time as a generator, or working in tandem with the electric motor when under strong acceleration. It's a smooth operation, offering an 8.5-second 100km/h sprint, relatively peppy for the size of the car. Not so smooth is the highway cruising driver assist system, very fidgety, so I tried it and then dispensed with it.
BYD is on a roll here, currently in 12th place in Ireland by brand sales. The Chinese company is planning to make cars in Europe to build on its growth across this region. At this stage, like several carmakers from that part of the world, it doesn't have to prove that it can build high-quality vehicles.
But it does need to rethink its design of integrated head restraints. I'm tall, but I'm not unique. Three years on from my first attempt, I hope Wolfgang Egger is given the message this time.
PRICE: From €36,990. WHAT I LIKED: Most of it, except the seat.
