Mitsubishi Express vs BYD Sealion 8

What's the difference?

The Mitsubishi Express is an impressive return to the market for the brand, albeit one that won’t suit every buyer’s needs or wants. If you need to personalise your van, or if you value the safety technology offered by rivals like the HiAce, then you may need to shop elsewhere.

But if you do choose the Express, you will be getting a value-packed and very comfortable van that is backed by a broad dealer network and decent ownership prospects.

There’s no denying the value the BYD Sealion 8 Premium offers as it packs a lot in for the price. Its efficiency and inoffensive looks add up to a good package and reflect what it does well. That said, the underwhelming driving experience and clunky media system are noticeable. Whether they're deal breakers is up to you.

The badges are different, and so is the front bumper and bonnet. But you might otherwise struggle to tell what’s changed between a Trafic and the Express.

One thing Mitsubishi is offering, though, is a standard three-seat cabin on all models, plus dual side sliding doors and rear barn doors across every variant in the line-up. That’s a win for hard workers.

Here’s a table of dimensions to help you size up which might be best for you:

As you can see, the extra size on offer in the LWB model is strictly nose to tail, with no other compromises to consider apart from, understandably, the larger turning circle. But Mitsubishi claims even the smaller version can cope with two pallets in the back.

As for cargo zone dimensions, here’s how the two body styles compare:

It’s worth noting that there is no high-roof option available, where you can get a taller body in most competitor vans. 

And while it is a bonus that there are barn doors (still not available on the HiAce), you can’t option a liftback tailgate. Plus, while the dual side sliding doors is an advantage as many OEMs charge extra for a driver’s side slider, you can’t option glazing for the rear door from Mitsubishi.

The company says that it is simply offering what it can get as part of the Alliance with Renault, but if you need to tailor a van to suit your specific needs, you might end up going with the French van (or the VW Transporter, which is the most configurable on the market). 

Check the engine specs section below for more specs on weights and capacities. Next, let’s take a look at the cabin, starting with some interior images.

The Sealion 8 is a big unit, and its design leans more towards soft and rounded than sharp. There’s a sense of restraint with its pillowy panels, smooth curves and flush door handles all contributing to a clean, almost clinical look.

The 21-inch wheels add a bit of presence, as does the full-width LED light bar with its braided design. But overall, it doesn’t try too hard to stand out. It’s inoffensive - clean and easy on the eye, but it stops short of having any sense of identity.

Inside, the cabin carries that same restrained approach. There’s black leather upholstery, some interesting geometric detailing through the panels and speaker grilles and a generous use of soft-touch materials throughout.

The large displays and panoramic sunroof help lift the space, giving it a premium feel, but more importantly, it’s just a comfortable, easy place to spend time. Which, for a family SUV, arguably matters more than anything else.

With a three-seater cabin as standard, the Express is already at an advantage over a HiAce. You can’t get a three-seat HiAce, and if you’ve got apprentices or workmates that always need a lift - but you don’t want the space sacrifice that comes with a crew van - it could be a crucial decision-maker for you.

And there are decent amenities for the occupants, too, with three cup holders and ample storage options across the dashboard, as well as large bottle holders in the doors. In fact, all told, Mitsubishi claims there is 43 litres of loose item storage in the cabin.

The driver’s seat gets manual height adjustment, lumbar adjustment and an armrest, as well as steering wheel rake and reach adjustment, so getting a comfortable driving position should be a cinch. Unlike the Trafic, there’s no driver’s seat heating option, but the clever “Load Through” cavity - for loading items up to 4.14m long - under the passenger seat is fitted on all models (but unlike the Trafic, which has a bulkhead, there’s no porthole, and the vehicles we tested with cargo cages didn’t have an opening to make the best use of this).

It’s set up for hard work, with rubber floor mats and a “hard wearing” poly trim on the steering wheel, though that finish is a bit coarse, and not as pleasant to hold as a leather wheel. The seat trim is fabric, and feels to be made of a durable material.

Ergonomically, it is no different to a Renault Trafic. Most important controls fall easily to hand, though people unfamiliar with Renault switchgear may need to pay attention at the dealership when the positioning of the cruise control and speed limiter buttons are explained. The buttons are between the dashboard and steering wheel.

And if you’re looking for the volume button, it’s on the weird little stalk behind the wheel itself. That has tuning and phone controls too, and it takes some getting used to. Further, if you’re used to the blinkers being on the “right” side of the steering wheel in Japanese cars, the Express is the exception. 

When it comes to media and infotainment, there’s a lot left to be desired. There is no touch screen at all, and you can’t option one, either. Some drivers will appreciate that, but others will lament the lack of smartphone mirroring tech (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), and likewise there is no sat nav available, either. There’s not even a CD player, but as standard the Express gets a smartphone holster with USB port on top of the dash, so there are two USB ports to keep things charged, plus a 12-volt below if you need it.

But the simple media system does offer a USB port to connect your phone or MP3 player, and Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, as well as DAB digital and AM/FM radio. The sound system has just two speakers, but it’s okay.

The cargo zone is, as you’d expect, a big, largely empty space. There’s no steel bulkhead option to separate the two zones, which could be frustrating for some customers - though if you can deal with the noise reverberation but just want to make sure things don’t fly from front to rear, there is a mesh cargo barrier available.

There are 14 tie-down points in the SWB (eight floor mount, six wall mount) and 16 tie eyelets in the LWB (10 floor, six wall). Plus there’s a rear-mount 12-volt outlet near the back doors to keep things charged.

Up front, storage and general usability are well thought out. There’s a handy shelf tucked underneath the centre console with two USB-C ports, while a tray above houses the fast wireless charging pad. You also get a sunglasses holder, two cupholders and decent-sized bottle holders in the doors, so it’s easy to keep things organised.

Seat comfort is a highlight, and the overall layout is clean and easy to live with, but the same can’t be said for the multimedia system. While the graphics are sharp and the touchscreen is responsive, functionality isn’t always its strong suit. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, but CarPlay required reconnecting on every drive during testing and the digital radio and phone calls experienced noticeable signal dropouts. It’s the kind of friction that chips away at the day-to-day experience and starts to feel out of step with how polished the rest of the cabin is.

There’s also a heavy reliance on the screen for core functions. Climate control is integrated, which is fairly standard, but so too are things like headlight controls. It might suit those who are used to navigating everything through a screen, but needing to dig through menus to adjust something like auto high beam on the move feels like a step too far. Bring back buttons.

The second row is where the Sealion 8 really leans into its family-friendly brief. Space is generous, with enough width to comfortably accommodate three adults and the flat floor helps here too. There are three top tether points and two ISOFIX mounts, while charging is covered by a USB-A and USB-C port.

Amenities are a standout. The outboard seats mirror the front with heating, ventilation and massage functions, which quickly become a favourite, alongside dedicated climate controls, roof-mounted air vents and multiple cupholders. A set of sunshades would round things out nicely, but it’s otherwise a very accommodating space.

Access to the third row is less impressive. The manual slide and tilt mechanism feels a little heavy and fiddly to operate and the space itself is best reserved for kids. In practice, that means younger passengers will likely take the path of least resistance, as mine did and simply climb over the second row instead.

Amenities are fairly basic, with directional air vents and cupholders, but there’s no charging provision back there. You do, however, get two top tether points and ISOFIX mounts, which will be a plus for larger families.

Around the back, the boot is a practical, usable space with a wide opening and flat loading floor. With all three rows in place, there’s 270L on offer, which is enough for a few school bags or a grocery run, expanding to 960L with the third row folded. There’s no spare tyre, just a repair kit, which may be a consideration for regional drivers. A 12-volt socket and powered tailgate round things out in this grade.

The BYD Sealion 8 range is relatively straightforward, with two grades on offer and the base variant available with a choice of two drivetrains. For this review, we’re in the flagship Premium AWD, which is priced from $70,990 before on-road costs.

It lines up against the Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid at $65,430 driveaway, the Kia Sorento GT-Line PHEV from $71,130 before on-roads, and the Mazda CX-80 P50e Azami, which stretches up to $87,950 before on-road costs.

On paper, the Sealion 8 Premium doesn’t quite undercut the Chery on price or match its claimed 170km (NEDC) electric-only range, but it’s not far off, with a still-impressive 152km (NEDC). And when you look at the broader package, it starts to make a fairly strong value argument, particularly against its other key rivals.

The 'Premium' badge isn’t just for show, either. Equipment is generous, with highlights including a fixed panoramic sunroof with an electric sunshade, leather-appointed upholstery, a heated steering wheel, and heated, ventilated and massaging seats not just in the front, but for the outboard seats in the second row as well - a feature that hasn’t gone unnoticed by my nine-year old.

Technology is a clear focus. There’s a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a large 15.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a 26-inch augmented reality head-up display, alongside wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 50W wireless charging pad and a 21-speaker DiSound audio system. BYD also includes 2GB of data per month for the first two years to support its 4G connectivity and over-the-air updates.

Practical touches round things out, with keyless entry and start, NFC card access and a digital key via the BYD app, a powered tailgate, vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, rain-sensing wipers, sound insulation for the front doors and windscreen and three-zone climate control.

There are a couple of options available in the Express range.

Elect for a six-speed manual transmission and you get a 1.6-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine producing 103kW of power (at 3500rpm) and 340Nm of torque (at 1500rpm). 

Choose the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and the engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder single-turbo diesel motor, with 125kW of power (at 3500rpm) and 380Nm of torque (at 1500rpm). This engine meets a stricter emissions requirement than the other (Euro 6 vs Euro 5) because it has a 25-litre AdBlue urea treatment tank, though both have a diesel particulate filter (DPF), too. Depending on what side of the fence you sit, that’s either an advantage or an added cost and burden.

The Express is only available in front-wheel drive (FWD/2WD), so there’s no rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD/FWD) options available. 

Of course, you’ll need to consider weight if you’re buying a van like this. And it comes down to more than just engine specs - you need to consider payload, towing specifications, gross vehicle mass (GVM) and gross combination mass (GCM).

Here’s a table with the figures you need to know:

Wanting a petrol, hybrid, electric, plug-in hybrid or gas version of the Express? No can do… well, not in Australia, and not yet.

You will have to stay tuned for our full-scale Tradie Review on the Mitsubishi Express, where we will load it up to its GVM limit. But for day-to-day driving impressions, see the driving section below.

The BYD Sealion 8 Premium is all-wheel drive and pairs a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors, one on each axle. Combined outputs sit at a hefty 359kW and 675Nm, which comfortably out-muscles its key rivals.

Those figures do drop back to a more modest 110kW and 220Nm when running on the petrol engine alone.

Performance is strong for a large family SUV, with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds. You can toggle between pure EV and hybrid modes depending on the drive, which adds a layer of flexibility that suits short daily trips and longer highway runs.

Fuel consumption for the Mitsubishi Express depends on the engine/transmission combination you choose. 

The 1.6-litre twin-turbo manual version is the more frugal according to official combined cycle consumption figures, at 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres. Opt for the 2.0-litre single-turbo auto and the fuel consumption is claimed at 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres. 

Those figures are based on a driving loop that doesn’t incorporate loaded testing, so you can expect your real world consumption to be higher - but even so, the claims are lower than the likes of the HiAce (7.5L diesel manual, 8.2L diesel auto).

On test, for instance, I saw a return of 7.9L/100km in the SWB auto, which experienced a few traffic snarls in Sydney. The LWB auto with 200kg of ballast over the rear axle - in which I did 100km of mixed urban, interurban and freeway driving with free flowing traffic for the most part - had a displayed return of 7.8L100km. 

The fuel tank capacity is large, at 80 litres. That means theoretically excellent range on a single tank - up to 1290km if you can manage the claimed consumption in the manual model.

Charging is handled via a Type 2 CCS port, with support for up to 11kW on AC and up to 74kW on a DC fast charger. BYD claims a 30 to 80 per cent recharge can be done in as little as 20 minutes under ideal conditions.

The 35.6kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery is a standout, delivering a claimed electric-only driving range of 152km on the NEDC cycle. That figure is on the optimistic side compared to WLTP testing, but even with that in mind, it remains an impressive number for a plug-in hybrid of this size.

With a full battery, the combined fuel consumption is rated at just 1.0L/100km, translating to a theoretical driving range of over 1000km. Real-world results will vary depending on how often you’re able to charge and the type of driving you’re doing, but after a week that included a fair stretch of highway driving, my trip computer was showing 6.3L/100km. Overall, it’s a solid result, particularly for something with this level of performance.

If you’ve never driven a modern-day mid-size (2.5-3.5 tonne) van, you will be amazed at their road manners. There’s not a bad one in the class, in round terms, and the Express builds upon the Renault Trafic’s reputation as being among the best in the class for comfort and drivability.

It really is a pretty sweet appliance, with a ride quality that is mostly excellent whether you’re in the SWB or LWB model. It offers decent comfort and control at low speeds and high speeds, and is really only upset when the potholes are deep or have sharp edges. 

The SWB model has a slightly more pitchy ride when unladen, but we didn’t get a chance to put any weight in it just yet. The LWB model had 200kg of ballast over the rear axle, and that weight - combined with the extra 400mm of wheelbase - made for a very comfortable drive. Not too mushy or slushy, but actually nicely cushy. 

Aside from the low-speed electric whirring sound from the power steering, the steering is terrific - it is nicely weighted and pivots well, even the LWB model. Sure, it definitely feels its size, but it’s easily manageable and surprisingly agile for such a big rig, and easy enough to park as well, thanks to the split side mirrors and reversing camera (which pops up in the rear-view mirror and is quite small, but there are rear parking sensors to help out, too).

Because I sampled both automatic models, that meant I only had the chance to sample the 2.0-litre four-cylinder single-turbo diesel engine - and it’s a very strong performer.  

I never once felt like I needed any more pulling power with this - admittedly small - amount of weight on board. 

And the dual-clutch transmission is decent as well. You get away from a standing start pretty well, with just a little bit of turbo and transmission lag to contend with. It’s never annoying, even in traffic jam drudgery - unless the engine start stop system activates, and then it can be a little bit sluggish to get moving again.

However, as is the case with plenty of dual-clutch transmissions in commercial vehicles, it’s not quite as measured or linear in its progress when there’s no load on-board, tending to lurch away a little more when unladen.

And while we were hardly pushing the GVM limits with only 200kg in the back, the brake pedal of the LWB did feel at times like the push was a little longer than it should have been. 

It is a decently refined van, especially considering there’s no steel bulkhead to shield you from the noise intrusion at the rear. One thing, though - our test vans both had optional rubber mats fitted, and they were quite odorous. 

As mentioned the visibility is pretty decent, but I couldn’t help but feel jealous of a HiAce I overtook that had its blind-spot monitoring system flicker on the mirror. It would just add a little bit of extra piece of mind, as there’s no vision over your shoulder, and if you do have a load in the back it’s hard to see in the rearview mirror. And unlike other vans in the market, you can’t option rear windows, either. 

On-road performance is where things become a bit of a mixed bag. There’s no denying the Sealion 8 Premium is quick and it leans more heavily into its EV character than many large plug-in hybrids. It’s quiet in hybrid mode and responsive off the mark, which makes it easy to keep pace in traffic and overtake when needed. For something of its size, it also does a good job of masking its weight on the move.

Regenerative braking is offered in two levels, but even the stronger setting feels fairly mild. The upside is smoother low-speed driving, with none of the abruptness you sometimes get in hybrids, and it does still recover a decent amount of energy, particularly on longer descents.

Where it falls short is in its overall dynamics. The steering and suspension are tuned for comfort, which results in a soft, slightly floaty feel on the road. It’s not unpleasant and around town it actually suits the car’s brief, but there’s a noticeable lack of feedback and control if you’re expecting something more composed.

Visibility and driver positioning also take some getting used to. The forward view is decent, but the pillars are quite thick and it can be difficult to find a driving position that doesn’t feel a little enclosed.

Judging the edges of the car isn’t always intuitive, and while the 360-degree camera is clear, its perspective can feel slightly off. Objects tend to appear much farther away than they are, which isn’t the most reassuring combination when you’re trying to manoeuvre in tighter spaces.

The BYD Sealion 8 is yet to be tested by ANCAP and therefore remains unrated at this stage. That said, it comes equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, along with nine airbags including side chest airbags for the front and second rows.

Standard equipment includes seatbelt reminders for all seating positions, front and rear parking sensors, driver attention monitoring and alert, tyre pressure monitoring, traffic sign recognition and autonomous emergency braking. It also features front and rear collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear and front cross-traffic alert and side exit assist.

On the road, however, some of the active safety systems are less polished in execution. The adaptive cruise control can feel abrupt when slowing down and slow to regain speed, while the steering assist can be overly reactive through corners. Lane keeping also lacks consistency, with the system not always engaging as expected.

For families, child seat provision is strong, with four ISOFIX anchor points and five top tether mounts across the cabin, along with child presence detection.

Mitsubishi is constantly dabbling in the long warranty promotional deals, but the standard warranty on offer for the Express is five years/100,000km.

The brand also has a capped price servicing plan for the first three years/45,000km of ownership. With intervals set at 12 months/15,000km, the costs are low, at $250 per visit.

And if you service your van with Mitsubishi’s dealer network, you will also get roadside assistance for up to four years.

If you’re wondering how that compares with the Renault plan? It’s a three-year/unlimited km warranty (but promotional five year/200,000km warranty plans are available until 31 August 2020). The Trafic has capped price servicing every 12 months or 30,000km intervals, or as determined by the oil sensor, at $599 per visit - but as of July 1 2020, it spans five years/150,000km, and is available with up to five years’ roadside assistance when maintained in-network. 

You might be curious about Mitsubishi Express problems - but it could be worth taking a look at the Renault Trafic problems page to find out if there have been issues around reliability, engine or transmission problems, recalls and common complaints.

BYD offers the Sealion 8 with a six-year/150,000km warranty and an eight-year or up to 160,000km battery warranty. Both terms are competitive for its class.

Service is recommended every 12 months/20,000km with each workshop visit averaging a solid $596 for the first five years (year four is $1360). Accessing a BYD service centre is fairly easy as there are around 70 centres nationwide now.

BYD recommends premium unleaded petrol (95RON) to be used for the Sealion 8.