BYD Sealion 5 vs Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

What's the difference?

VS
BYD Sealion 5
BYD Sealion 5

$33,990 - $37,990

2026 price

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso
Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

2018 price

Summary

2026 BYD Sealion 5
2018 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Inline 4, 1.5L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
4.5L/100km (combined)

4.5L/100km (combined)
Energy consumption
12.9 kWh/100km

Electric range
71 km

Battery capacity
12.90 kWh

Seating
5

7
Dislikes
  • Engine noisy under load
  • Driving position not quite right
  • Sometimes feels unsettled at high speed

  • Not as roomy inside as some competitors
  • No AEB: that's only for the diesel
  • Curtain airbags don't stretch to third row
2026 BYD Sealion 5 Summary

This is the most affordable plug-in hybrid available in Australia – as this review is published – but it’s got a lot more going for it than just that.

The 2026 BYD Sealion 5 is a mid-size SUV wearing a BYD badge that has been thrust into the public’s awareness by the popular BYD Shark 6 – as well as by widespread criticism of brand's less popular aftersales shortcomings through much of 2025.

It’s also a plug-in hybrid that is showing up as the nation faces a fuel crisis, despite many remaining sceptical of going ‘full EV’.

The Sealion 5 has a long list of features, of course, plus a claimed four-figure driving range. Is this BYD too good to be true?

We grabbed the entry-level Essential to find out.

@carsguide.com.au Don’t want an EV yet? The 2026 BYD Sealion 5 might be the answer to rising fuel prices. #BYD #Sealion5 #ev #cartok #fyp ♬ original sound - CarsGuide.com.au
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2018 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Summary

You know Picasso? He died a long time ago. And now the Picasso badge - which has adorned Citroen’s people-mover models internationally since way back in 1999 - is set to die, too. 

As a result, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is set to be relabelled the Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer, following a new van naming convention set in Europe. It’s a shame, because Picasso is undoubtedly one of the better known nameplates that Citroen has… and let’s be honest, Citroen needs all the help it can get in Australia. 

But before we see the name change, the company has made an addition to the current Grand C4 Picasso range: a new price-leader, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso petrol, is now on sale - and it cuts the price of the seven-seat people mover by a huge $6000 compared to the diesel.

That amount of money will buy you a heck of a lot of petrol, so does the new base model version in the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 2018 range make more sense than its expensive diesel sibling?

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Deep dive comparison

2026 BYD Sealion 5 2018 Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

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