BYD Seal 6 vs GWM Haval Jolion

What's the difference?

The 2026 BYD Seal 6 proves a compelling offering at a time when cost and efficiency should be nearer the top of your new car consideration list. Not just for its long range, but its clever use of electrons and fuel to keep costs down even after the initial humble outlay.

It helps that the Touring Premium remains sub-$40,000, before on-roads, and offers plenty of features, a spacious interior and the right kind of drivetrain for everyday use in Australia.

While rivals like the Toyota Camry or Skoda Octavia are more polished and can almost compete on price, the BYD’s features and efficient PHEV powertrain will outweigh the brand names and more refined on-road behaviour of established rivals for, we would guess, a significant number of buyers.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The GWM Haval Jolion Lux offers affordability in a modern, attractive package. However, the execution of some of its features isn’t always convincing. So yes, it’s sharply priced but it also feels underdone in some respects which doesn’t necessarily equate to value. But if affordability is at the top of your priority list and one or two shortcomings doesn't mean the end of the world, this could be the urban SUV you're looking for.

The Seal 6 Touring might be BYD’s best-looking car. It boasts a handsome wagon shape and its features don’t overdo the brand’s aquatic design language.

It’s not fussy with too many elements, but it’s not anonymous like some designs from China can seem on Australian roads. It’s definitely a BYD, but it’s not shouty about it. This means it should, visually at least, appeal to buyers who just want a sensible-looking sedan or wagon. Watch out again, Toyota.

The tail-lights and lower trim at the rear don’t leave too much blank space and the whole shape of the rear is sleek enough without cutting too far into the boot space.

Inside, the Seal 6 looks ‘classic BYD’, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not enormously interesting. It’s got enough points of difference from the layout Tesla has popularised and many Chinese brands now default to, but some daring style elements wouldn’t go astray.

The Jolion is now longer and wider than it's rivals at 4472mm long, and 1874mm wide. The next largest 'small' SUV is the Kia Seltos at 4385mm long and 1800mm wide which does the Jolion a whole lot of favours for internal passenger space and kerb-side appeal.

The Jolion looks substantial and well-shaped, with enough bells and whistles in the design to keep it fresh; like the swoopy LED DRLs at the front and a curvy behind that’s accentuated by a black spoiler.

The interior has interesting features, like the rotary-dial gear selector, push-button starter and minimalist button panel that sits below the large technology screen.

The dashboard juts out into the cabin and the low-key design is too pared back for my taste. But the cabin looks nice and new with lots of tactile accent panels and shiny screens.

There is still too much plasticky-looking styling to elevate it properly, but for its grade level this is almost luxurious.

When it comes to practicality, a long trip will reveal plenty of things you might not notice day-to-day. Things like whether the seats really are comfortable, or how useful the cupholders are for different vessels.

Fortunately, the BYD Seal 6 holds up rather well in a few key areas.

Its seating adjustability and the seat itself are comfortable and easy to find the right driving position for an average-heighted man (me), though the bolstering on the seat won’t hold you in place tightly during spirited cornering.

The wheel is nice to hold and it’s easy to feel your changing position while steering, and the controls on it are clear, though more physical controls in the rest of the cabin would be an improvement.

The Seal 6 suffers from a reliance on the touchscreen that a number of car brands’ head designers and engineers are moving away from. The software’s menu system is not quite up to the task of being the only point of contact for functionality, as it requires scrolling through and can be distracting on the road. That will set off the driver monitoring, by the way.

Wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and a wireless phone charger (which is out of the way) provide a good workaround and ensure your phone doesn’t die on a long journey.

There’s storage under the centre console where the cupholders are, a nice spot to keep things out of the way, plus there are USB-A and USB-C ports down there.

Behind the front seats, the second row isn’t lavishly spacious but allows a 178cm adult to sit behind their own seating position with kneeroom, headroom and shoulder room to spare. The sunroof makes it quite nice and light back there, too.

The second row seats fold down 60/40 to turn what was a 670-litre boot into a 1535L boot, though that seems to be measured to the roof rather than the tops of the seat-backs.

There is, disappointingly, no spare tyre under the boot floor, just a repair kit. I’d want a space-saver at least if I was travelling interstate (without a launch event support car).

It's a running theme but the practicality of the Jolion doesn't always land. However, what it does well, it does very well.

Take the access and space for passengers. Both rows offer class-leading head- and legroom for its occupants, even middle seaters should be happy considering the transmission tunnel isn't tall.

Despite the manual passenger seat being set too high and both seats lacking lumbar support, front seaters still enjoy the most comfort. The heated front seats are also a pleasant surprise for the grade level, although their function is buried deep within the multimedia system and I mostly forgot about them.

The rear seat is fairly hard and doesn't offer much side bolstering, although the middle armrest helps to secure outer passengers in corners.

Storage is solid throughout the cabin with a reasonably sized glove box that can hold a thick manual, middle console and dedicated phone shelf, as well as a second phone 'slot'.

There is a sunglasses holder (sunnies rattle when stored, though) and a cubby underneath the centre console that can hold a small handbag but anything stored might interfere with the USB ports housed there.

There are two cupholders up front but you can't fit two cups side by side. Two cupholders, a couple of map pockets and storage bins finish up the storage in the back seat.

The boot capacity sits at 337 litres and while large enough for a good grocery haul it falls on the lower end for the class. By comparison, the Kia Seltos offers 433L.

Now, on to what the Jolion doesn't do all that well. It's new 10.25-inch multimedia screen and 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster look the part - all shiny and new-looking - but their usability falls somewhat short.

The media touchscreen is responsive but a punish to use on the go as most functions, including climate control, are accessed via the screen. A few dedicated buttons would be welcome, so changing bits on the road doesn't leave you flustered.

The digital instrument cluster isn't customisable and is set to a dark display screen with a typeface that looks blurry on some key displays, especially the speedometer.

There is a rather large and in-your-face driver monitoring camera installed on the A-pillar which feels too much like you're under surveillance while driving (not a fan, clearly).

Charging options include four USB-A ports and a 12-volt socket but that's it and it would be good to see a newer, faster USB-C port somewhere in the car.

A feature the Jolion does get right is the wired Apple CarPlay as it maintains a steady connection and is very quick to set up. The Lux also has wired Android Auto.

You don't get a powered tailgate and you might miss it as the boot lid is fairly heavy.

The Jolion line-up consists of six variants and the model on test here is the Lux, which sits second-from-the-bottom.

Its $29,990, drive-away, price tag positions it as one of the more expensive options compared to its nearest rivals with the MG ZS Excite the most affordable at $25,083, drive-away and the Mitsubishi ASX ES next at $27,990, drive-away.

Despite a similar specification, the Kia Seltos Sport+ FWD is hamstrung on price as it sits a way up the price ladder at $38,890, drive-away, but comes with the longest servicing schedule.

Premium equipment for the Lux includes synthetic leather upholstery, an electric driver's seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, a 360-degree view camera system and rear parking sensors.

Other standard features include a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, four USB-A ports, a 12-volt socket, a 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system and (wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

A fixed cargo cover and temporary spare tyre round out its features list. Not bad at all considering it's almost a base model but the usability of those features can be hit or miss.

The BYD Seal 6 has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that helps a front-mounted electric motor drive those two wheels.

While the engine’s outputs are 70kW and 120Nm, the electric motor does the bulk of the work, with its 160kW and 260Nm outputs.

As such, the Touring we’re driving on this trip has total outputs of 163kW and 260Nm, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.1 seconds feeling about right despite a peppy enough take-off from standstill.

The Seal 6 Sedan by comparison has the same engine but a less powerful electric motor, resulting in total outputs of 130kW and 210Nm.

The Jolion Lux has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that produces 105kW of power and 210Nm of torque.

The Lux is a 2WD and has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which isn’t always smooth with its gear changing but power is sufficient if you don't expect it to be zippy.

While the efficiency of a new car is sometimes difficult to test on a launch driving program due to car-swapping and unusual driving conditions like filming or dynamic testing, the car we drove for the full two-days was the same one, and only used for the journey.

That means its full trip of 996.3km (frustratingly not officially the 1000km promised) is a faithful example of what an interstate trip might mean for one or a couple of travellers.

Officially BYD claims a 0.8L/100km figure under NEDC testing for the Touring, but tests like those are misleading for plug-in hybrids as the battery does a lot of lifting.

So BYD tested before this event the claim it could drive a Seal 6 from Sydney to Melbourne, then double-checked it.

But Sydney to Melbourne on a single tank and a single charge turned out to be accurate, even after running down a significant chunk of the Touring’s claimed 100km of electric range as tested under WLTP conditions.

Unfortunately we couldn’t verify the total fuel used over the 996.3km traveled in car number four without first checking the tank was properly full and then refilling it again at the end.

Given the car estimated 68km left in the tank at the end of the trip, you could assume a fuel consumption reasonably below 6.5L/100km given the 65-litre tank still had some juice after near-1000km.

The trip computer’s claim of 4.5L/100km as an apparent cumulative total (including the several hundred kilometres of running-in before the launch) seems fair with a few extra battery charges under its belt prior to the drive.

Charging maxes out at 27kW on DC, or 6.6kW on AC by the way. DC charging should take less than an hour for the Touring’s 19kWh battery.

The Haval Jolion Lux has an official combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle figure of 8.1L/100km and based on its 55L fuel tank, theoretical driving range is around 680km, which is respectable for a little SUV.

My real-world usage came in at 7.8L/100km after mostly open-road driving, with a smattering of urban stuff. Overall, it's a solid result.

If I had to buy a BYD today, the Seal 6 Touring makes a very strong case for itself in many ways. But unlike some of its stablemates, the way it drives is one of those ways.

The first day (of two) on the local launch saw a drive from Sydney to Albury on the Hume Highway, not known for being particularly dynamic. But the Seal 6’s relatively compliant suspension and lack of roaring road noise was welcome, at least for sections you couldn’t otherwise blame on the road’s surface.

The second day through some of Victoria’s high country and past Lake Eildon allowed the Seal 6 to prove it’s not a slouch, though calling it a sports car would be a stretch. Instead, the Touring's powertrain tune and apparently well-adjusted suspension and chassis meant spirited driving around twisting mountain roads and through winding backroads was easy, if not always exciting.

Big bumps would sometimes unsettle the Seal 6, but its predictability in most cases makes it feel safe and planted. The steering feel isn’t sportscar-like, but doesn’t leave you guessing and the same goes for pedal inputs.

I do wish the Seal 6 was a little more eager, but it’s not disappointing off the line and certainly has enough pep for daily duties.

There are drive modes, Eco, Normal and Sport plus a Snow mode, though the difference between the three doesn’t seem to be enormous. Eco definitely does what it says on the tin, though. The two regenerative braking levels also don’t seem to be incredibly different.

Also a let-down is the eagerness of the driver monitoring to direct your attention back to the road. When the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) settings were all active I started to tune the monitoring chime out because it would sound with every look at the multimedia screen.

The Jolion's on-road experience is underwhelming and unsophisticated most of the time. It's strictly an A to B style car, which will work well for some people.

The power and its delivery are okay but this car doesn't get close to zippy and its well of performance feels decidedly shallow on the open road.

The engine whines loudly when trying to get up to speed and its gear changes can come a tad too swiftly, especially between first and third.

The accelerator and brakes are touchy, and until you get used to them the Jolion can feel a little jerky in the city. But the steering is on the right side of firm and that at least feels direct and responsive. 

Suspension is hard and you get all the bumps which also translates into a loud cabin. Your senses take a battering on a longer trip and kids in the back will ask you to repeat yourself.

The Jolion is redeemed somewhat by an excellent 360-degree view camera system but you miss out on front-parking sensors.

It’s small enough that it’s not hard to park and for an urban dweller that is a big plus as it's quite suitable for a dash to a busy shopping centre car park. 

The Jolion has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from testing done in 2022 and has seven-airbags, including a front-centre bag. 

Standard safety equipment is good for the grade level and includes blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, tyre-pressure monitoring, forward collision warning, LED DRLs, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, an intelligent seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control, a USB outlet near the interior mirror for a dashcam, a 360-degree camera view system and rear-parking sensors.

Despite featuring a robust safety list a running theme has emerged this week. Everything sounds good on paper but the execution is another matter.

Its not enough to just have all of these safety systems in place, they also have to work well for everyday driving. And some of the systems are annoying and intrusive.

There are lots of bings, bongs and chime alerts from the driver monitoring system, traffic sign recognition tech and lane keeping aids.

You also get nonsensical text boxes displayed on the multimedia screen asking non-binary (open) questions requiring a yes or no response.

For families, you get two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tethers across the back seat but two seats will fit best.

The Jolion has AEB (operational from 1.0 to 85km/h) including pedestrian, cyclist and back-over detection. It's usual to see this type of system operating from 4.0km/h, so that's excellent.

BYD’s six-year/150,000km warranty is probably more than you’d need in terms of distance but is behind competitors who offer seven or eight years with unlimited kilometres, even 10 years conditional. An eight-year/160,000km warranty covers the battery, which is about par.

Finally, BYD has set servicing for every 20,000km or 12 months, with  the first five services totalling $2775, an average of $555 a visit. The fourth service is a hefty $1225, for reference.

BYD has more than 100 dealerships in Australia, with the brand still growing quickly.

The Jolion is offered with an excellent seven-year/unlimited km warranty.

There is a five-year capped priced servicing program and services average $310 which is mid-range for the class.

The first service is before 10,000km but thereafter, servicing intervals are at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.