Articles by David Morley

Why this big commercial brand has electric vehicles, but won't need them any time soon in Australia.

The two-variant Sealion 5 range is topped by the Premium version which costs $37,990 plus on-road costs. For that, you get the basic Sealion 5's plug-in hybrid driveline, a mid-sized SUV layout, seats for five and some extra gear such as a panoramic sunroof, improved stereo, powered front seats and a powered tailgate.You also get a larger EV battery which takes the potential EV range to a claimed 100km and can be charged on a household socket in less than six hours.The rest of the driveline is the same as the Essential model, including the single electric motor driving the front wheels through a one-speed transmission and a 1.5-litre petrol engine whose main job is the charge the battery-pack. Power is a handy 165kW and torque is 300Nm.Safety gear runs to seven airbags including a front-centre airbag, and the full range of driver aids including autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, rear-cross traffic alert and active cruise-control. There's also an on-board tyre pressure monitoring system. The Sealion 5 has not yet been crash tested by ANCAP.The Sealion 5 carries BYD's six-year/150,000km warranty with an eight-year/160,000km on the EV battery.

At $34,990 plus on-road costs, the Essential trim level is the first step in the BYD Sealion 5 range. The vehicle is a mid-sized SUV with seating for five and features a plug-in hybrid driveline.Powering the vehicle is a 1.5-litre non-turbocharged engine which basically keeps the 12.9 kWh battery charged, although the petrol engine can also drive the wheel if maximum performance is required. A single-speed transmission is fitted and the Sealion 5 is front-wheel-drive. Peak power is 165kW and torque is 300Nm.The Sealion 5 can be charged on a household socket in under four hours, but there's no provision for using a commercial fast-charger.Standard equipment includes a central info-screen and separate driver-display unit, full wireless connectivity, digital radio, alloy wheels and dual-zone climate-control. The front seats are cushy and comfy, although the rear cushion feels a bit flat. There is, however, plenty of room in the rear seat, even for adults.Safety gear runs to seven airbags including a front-centre airbag, and the full range of driver aids including autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, rear-cross traffic alert and active cruise-control. There's also an on-board tyre pressure monitoring system. The Sealion 5 has not yet been crash tested by ANCAP.The Sealion 5 carries BYD's six-year/150,000km warranty with an eight-year/160,000km on the EV battery.

The Sealion 8 Premium is the flagship variant in BYD's seven-seat plug-in-hybrid SUV line-up.

BYD's Sealion 8 is a full-sized family SUV with seating for seven and a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Could the Shark 6 be about to take a bigger chunk out of the dual-cab market?The brand has come as close as it ever has to admitting there’s a driveline upgrade in the works for the Shark 6 dual-cab that would make the vehicle a more serious off-road contender.That would make it more attractive to recreational four-wheel-drive users as well as open up new fleet possibilities.BYD Australia’s Chief Operation Office Stephen Collins told Carsguide that "some improvements" to the Shark 6 were in the works.“I can’t tell you the specifics,” he said, but confirmed the changes would probably come sometime “…later in the year”.Mr Collins called the changes an "upgrade" leading to speculation the Shark 6 might grow front and rear differential locks and a two-speed transfer-case, which would vastly improve its off-road performance, the factor that is seen as the Shark 6’s weakest link right now.Chief Product Officer for BYD Australia Sajid Hasan backed up that theory, explaining that the Shark 6’s existing architecture had already been engineered for greater off-road ability.“It’s a possibility, because it’s (the Shark 6) based on a platform that already uses low-range (in the transfer-case (which the current Shark 6 sold here does not) and diff locks. So it’s mechanically possible,” he told Carsguide.The Shark 6 has been a runaway success for BYD, selling 1108 units in January this year, and helping BYD in the chase for its long-term goal of being a top-five brand in Australia.“At the end of 20204, we were 16th, and at the end of 2025, we were eighth. We just want to keep improving,” Mr Collin said. “The next phase is to get into the top five and that’s a priority.”Part of that process will be a push into the fleet market which BYD had, until now, not fully exploited, Mr Collins said.“One of the key opportunities (for BYD) is fleets,” he said. “It’s a stable market and customers want fit for purpose vehicles, and are interested in the whole of life cost.”“For us, so far, this has only been 10 per cent of our volume, but we see this as a really important part of our business going forward.”“We’re not in the top 20 fleet brands (in Australia) yet. But we’re working hard to improve that performance.”

BYD has held nothing back in extending its Sealion line-up. Not only do the new Sealion 8 variants adopt a plug-in hybrid powertrain, they're also the first to offer a seven-seat solution. There's plenty of choice in trim levels and even a pair of drivelines to choose from; one pretty mild, one very wild. But can the BYD redefine the three-row SUV concept in any meaningful way?

The push towards plug-in hybrids has taken another step with BYD adding just such a powertrain with its Sealion 5 line-up. As well as the EV-only range and equipment levels a lot of families are searching for, the BYD also arrives at a super-sharp price-point. But will that be enough to make it stand out in what is becoming a sea of mid-sized plug-in SUVs?

The Ford Transit Custom Trail is priced at $61,990, putting it below the electrified Transit Customs but above most of the diesel-powered range. In target-market terms it’s also somewhere between the two camps, and broadens the Transit Custom’s appeal by offering a blank canvas for a camper or mobile-home conversion.To achieve that, it uses the long-wheelbase Transit Custom platform and teams that with the conventional turbo-diesel, front-wheel-drive layout. The major difference is that the Trail rides about 30mm higher on revised springs and All-Terrain tyres, features underbody protection and, crucially, offers all-wheel drive for more go-anywhere ability.The cabin reverts to a two-seat layout (rather than the optional three-position bench) and the vehicle’s delivery van’s roots mean it’s practical and logical with lots of storage areas, charge points and easy access.The rear section is the real opportunity for personalisation, and its pretty easy to see how the large, long space could be turned into rolling accommodation. The only real limits are the owner’s imagination and the sub-2.1 metre overall height that keeps the Transit Custom underground car-park-friendly.Six airbags including front, side and side curtain are standard and the Transit Custom Trail also boasts the latest driver aids including auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, a 180-degree rear camera system and on-board tyre pressure monitoring.Servicing is every 12 months or 30,000km and the Transit Custom is covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty as well as eight years/150,000 on the PHEV battery. Capped-price servicing is also offered.

The starting point in the electrified Ford Transit Custom range, the Trend PHEV (plug-in hybrid) costs $67,590 and is available only in long-wheelbase form with a three-seater layout. Standard on the Trend is full wireless connectivity including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded sat-nav, twin info screens and wireless phone charging. Steel 16-inch wheels are fitted.The PHEV driveline consists of a 2.5-litre petrol engine teamed with an electric motor and an 11.8kW battery that gives up to 54km of EV-only running. Selectable modes allow the driver to generate or save battery power, but the EV range is poor compared with the competition. Power is 171kW and torque is 400Nm, but the PHEV Transit can’t use commercial fast-chargers. The PHEV Transit Custom is front-wheel-drive.The pure EV version of the Trend costs $77,590 and includes the same equipment and dimensions, and uses a rear-drive layout with a single electric motor and a 64kW battery pack under the floor. Power is 160kW and torque is 415Nm and Ford claims a range of 301km. Charging should take the vehicle from 15 per cent to 80 per cent charged on a DC fast-charger at 125kW in 32 minutes, but the vehicle can also be charged at home from fully discharged to fully charged in 10.1 hours on a household socket.The cabin of the electrified Transit Custom is well thought out and designed as a workspace as well as a cockpit. It features five USB-C charge ports, plenty of bottle and phone cubbies and even space under the passengers seat for bulky items.The cargo area in both PHEV and EV forms is accessed by a single sliding door (with the option of double doors) and barn doors at the rear which open wide enough for fork-lift loading. The cargo bay walls are lined and a tough plastic mat covers the floor. There are tie-down points, LED lighting and an illuminated step and there’s also a space-save spare tyre.Six airbags including front, side and side curtain are standard and the Transit Custom PHEV also boasts the latest driver aids including auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, a 180-degree rear camera system and on-board tyre pressure monitoring.Servicing is every 12 months or 30,000km and the Transit Custom is covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty as well as eight years/150,000 on the PHEV battery. Capped-price servicing is also offered.