The BYD Sealion 6 is a very good car in any respect. The best car of any kind launched this year, in fact; click here if you have any doubt about that.
But what makes it the best Hybrid/EV of the year? It’s no secret that hybrids have been the bright spark in a troubled new-vehicle market this year, and BYD has taken the technology forward in a way that brings real benefit to real-world motorists.
Its dual motor-intelligent (DM-i) “super hybrid” system pairs an efficient petrol engine with a very large (for a hybrid) plug-in battery, meaning you can have 90km-plus EV driving between charges. BYD also allows you to charge the Sealion 6 using either AC power (like a wallbox at home) or faster DC (from a public high-speed station), so you can make the most of that zero-emissions running.
And yet, there’s no range anxiety and you still have genuine long-distance touring ability thanks to the hybrid powertrain. Even when the petrol engine is doing its thing, the Sealion 6 retains a smooth EV-like character because the Sealion 6 has electric drive most of the time; the petrol engine is simply helping by generating electricity. Indeed, using the engine to “fuel” the electric motor is very much part of the package.
The introduction of road user charges (RUC) for plug-in vehicles is a tiny spoke in the works for the Sealion 6. But only tiny. The versatility of the plug-in hybrid powertrain means you can get the most out of the technology in terms of range and/or running cost depending on the driving situation. BYD’s hybrid technology can adapt to you, rather than the other way around, which is what makes it such a worthy winner.
Runners up: Toyota bZ4X, Volvo EX30.
AA DRIVEN CAR OF THE YEAR CLASS WINNERS FOR 2024
City SUV
Family SUV
Large SUV
Passenger
Luxury
Sports/Performance
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People's Choice
And the overall winner is...!