Zhang Zhuo, GM of the sales department of BYD’s Ocean Network, posted a teaser video on social media on September 4 of the forthcoming Sealion 05 DM-i model with the caption “Hold your breath and be ready to go.” The Sealion 05 DM-i is the sister car to the Song Pro DM-i, and both will likely be launched simultaneously at an event later this month, but as yet, there is no official date.
Quite who BYD is trying to fool with the teaser images is unclear, as the car has already been fully exposed in a Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) listing dating back to July. This was the same month that MIIT also released the listing information for the new Song Pro DM-i equipped with the DM 5.0 powertrain. From the two listings, we can see that the main differences between the two models externally lie in the front and rear, with the sides being largely the same.
Visually, the Sealion 05 DM-i appears to have a more enclosed front end, although this is intersected by 5 chrome strips. Overall, the front of the Sealion 05 DM-i appears to stand out more than that of the Song Pro DM-i.
From the rear, the two cars look nearly identical from the through light bar upwards. Where the two models differ more significantly is with the location of the license plate, which on the Sealion 05 DM-i is on the tailgate, whereas on the Song Pro DM-i is below the tailgate. The rear fender designs also differ.
Thanks to MIIT we know that the dimensions are 4710, 1880, and 1720 mm (l/w/h) while the wheelbase is 2712 mm. Buyers have a choice of 17, 18 or 19-inch wheels. The model has two listings, one weighing 1635 kg and the other 1765 kg. The difference in weight is likely to be accounted for by two different capacity battery packs. However, as yet there is no definite information about these other than that we know that they will use BYD’s lithium iron phosphate blade battery.
BYD’s Sealion 05 DM-i will be equipped with the company’s DM 5.0 PHEV technology, renowned for its long range and good fuel economy. The Sealion 05 DM-i, like the Song Pro DM-i, uses the naturally aspirated BYD472QC 1.5 liter engine. Currently, the listings seem only to show versions of the Sealion 05 DM-i equipped with a 120 kW electric motor. This seems on the small side and there may well later be a more powerful motor equipped version. All electric ranges are believed to be in the region of 70 and 125 km, depending on battery pack size, while the comprehensive range should be in the region of 2000 km.
Little is known about the interior of the Sealion 05 DM-i, but it will almost certainly have a centrally mounted infotainment screen along with an LCD instrument cluster. This should broadly match the interior that has recently been spied on the Song Pro DM-i undergoing testing.
Update: An earlier version of this article referred to the car as the Sea Lion 05 DM-i, which is in line with its Chinese name. After checking with BYD, we have discovered that in English, the car is known as the Sealion.
Sources: MIIT, Autohome, Fast Technology
