Twenty-inch alloy wheels are standard with the upmarket version gaining 21-inch alloys. There's also three-zone climate control, full connectivity, wireless phone charging and full LED lighting. a head-up display comes with the most expensive variant.

There's some high-tech chic on show here with angles and classy surfacing. A pair of info-screens dominate and the touch surfaces are all pretty plush. With the two rear rows folded, there's a huge amount of luggage space as the SUV body becomes a van.

A turbo-petrol engine measuring 1.5 litres acts mostly as the charging system for the car's EV battery-pack. The drive is then via an electric motor on the front axle in the FWD's case or a motor on each axle for the AWD variants.

The Sealion 8's seating is configured in the familiar two-three-two layout. Accessing the rearmost row requires folding the second row forward and climbing over the wheel arch. The seats are soft and comfortable and trimmed in synthetic leather. Upmarket models have a massage function.

BYD claims 8.3 seconds from rest to 100km/h for the FWD version. That feels about right and is entirely appropriate for this type of car. The AWD model, meanwhile, cuts that time to under five seconds but, in the process, answers the question family car buyers weren't asking.

BYD claims both versions of the Sealion 8 can comfortably cover more than 1000km between fill ups or charge ups. A 60-litre fuel tank is part of that, but so is a battery large enough for a 100km or a 152km EV-only range depending on what version you have. Charging from 30 to 80 per cent of battery capacity can be done in under 20 minutes.