Subaru Leone was the best-selling car in Israel for 15 years. Mazda 3 held that title for more than a decade. But in the electric era, things happen faster.
The BYD Atto 3 was the best-selling electric car in the country for two years, the first Chinese electric car to hold the title. But this year, it and the rest of the market were surpassed by the JAC 7, reflecting the rise of plug-in vehicles.
We saw plug-in hybrid cars in Israel over a decade ago, but the 7 arrived with a package of design, features, and price that gave it the lead, as part of a new wave of Chinese plug-ins at competitive prices, including other Chinese manufacturers such as Chery, MG, and Lifan, and soon also Maxus.
Only BYD is not giving up, and in the coming weeks, the first shipment of the Sealion 5 DMI will arrive in the country. Priced from NIS 167,000, it will be the cheapest plug-in in Israel, NIS 13,000 less than the base JAC 7 and NIS 3,000 less than the comparable Chery Tiggo 7. The Sealion 5 is also a crossover, offered in two price levels and with two battery sizes to choose from. Just before its arrival in Israel in November, we met it in China.
Design: It is not hard to recognize the family of this “sea lion.” From the first moment, it looks like the older sibling of the Atto 3, almost identical in profile, differing mainly in the non-sealed front due to the need to channel air to the internal combustion engine. Both were designed by German Wolfgang Egger, formerly at Audi, Lamborghini, and Alfa Romeo, who manages to give the Sealion 5 slightly European lines, different from other Chinese models, without copying anyone.
With a length of 4.74 meters, width of 1.86 meters, height of 1.71 meters, and wheelbase of 2.71 meters, it is not only 18 cm longer and 10 cm taller, but also larger than American models of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, as well as the seven-seat Chery Tiggo 8.
Interior: The driver’s environment is also familiar from other BYD models, with one change: The multimedia screen and controls no longer rotate on their axis, ending the gimmick that characterized all the manufacturer’s models in Israel.
There is a smaller screen as an instrument cluster, a large screen for operation and multimedia, now with additional control buttons on the console between the driver and passenger, including climate control, in addition to a touch button strip at the bottom of the main screen.
The material quality is relatively high for the price, with many soft plastics and good build quality. The seating is noticeably high, as people buy crossovers for this reason, and visibility is good. The driver and passenger seats are built like a sports car, in a single unit connecting the headrest and the rest of the seat, but without the support of a proper sport seat, mainly at the lower part.
The space is excellent, especially in the back. There is ample room for head and legs, including a flat floor and enough width for three toddlers in child seats. There is also an air conditioning outlet and USB sockets. What is missing is a sunroof or panoramic roof, even in the high-end model, which has become almost standard in Chinese models.
Trunk: With a volume of 463 liters, it is relatively large for Chinese cars and in general. There are hanging hooks and LED lighting, but no spare wheel, although it seems there could have been a place for one. An electric tailgate is offered only in the high-end version.
Equipment: The base Comfort model (NIS 167,000) comes with 18-inch wheels, faux leather seats, an 8.8-inch digital instrument panel, and a 13-inch multimedia screen, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. It also has rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, and DVR recording.
The high-end Design model (NIS 172,000) adds an electric tailgate, heated front seats, wireless phone charging, and a 360-degree camera.
Safety: The model has not yet been tested in the European crash test. It features autonomous emergency braking for forward and backward driving, adaptive cruise control, lane departure correction, automatic high beams, and more.
Engine and Performance: As usual in Chinese plug-in hybrids, there is a 1,500 cc gasoline engine producing 100 hp. The electric motor produces 163 hp, and the combined output is 213 hp.
Our drive in humid and hot Shenzhen was very short, but we could notice good performance, as the gasoline engine, usually only charging the battery when needed, also joins during strong acceleration, delivering power to the front wheels. The model with the larger battery is slightly slower due to added weight (1,880 kg versus 1,800 kg).
Electric: The Comfort has a 12.8 kWh battery, the Design 18.6 kWh. Neither offers fast charging, only slow charging at 3.3 kW.
Fuel Consumption: With the smaller battery, the Sealion 5 achieves, according to the manufacturer, an electric range of 62 km, a hybrid mode fuel consumption of 37 km per liter with a charged battery and 18.2 km per liter when not charged. With the larger battery, the official numbers are 48 km and 86 km, with the same general consumption figure. In the short test, we could not verify the data.
Comfort and Handling: In the short drive, we noticed above-average comfort for a Chinese car, good control of body movements, and a solid feel, without being too stiff. The ride is usually quiet, less so when the internal combustion engine joins to assist, or when charging speed increases.
Bottom Line: Outputs of over 200 hp in an affordable car, an electric range of tens of kilometers, and this is even before the huge safety improvement. Next to the new generation of Chinese crossovers, local legends like the Subaru Leone and the first-generation Mazda 3 look like a Ford T.
The Sealion 5 continues the revolution by making it accessible to more drivers, with the option to choose a base model with a smaller battery and lower price. A model tailored for the typical plug-in customer who rarely charges it from the grid but benefits from tax perks for such a company-leased car.
It slightly upgrades space and quality over the Atto 3, is less flashy, and frees the buyer from range anxiety. The battle for the best-selling car in the country is reopened.
BYD Sealion 5: Facts
Engines: 1.5-liter gasoline with 100 hp, electric with 163 hp, combined output 213 hp.
Transmission: Direct transmission, front-wheel drive.
Electric: 13 kWh battery in Comfort, 18.6 kWh in Design. Slow charging 3.3 kW.
Performance (manufacturer): Comfort: 0–100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, top speed 170 km/h, fuel consumption 37–18.2 km/L. Design: 8.1 seconds, 170 km/h, 48–18.2 km/L.
Warranty: 6 years or 150,000 km for the battery, 6 years or 200,000 km for the vehicle.
+ Price, space, quality, and usability
– Performance, consumption, and handling to be tested in Israel
The author was a guest of BYD in China.