[ĐÁNH GIÁ XE] "Escape" from Hanoi with BYD Sealion 6 PHEV: A pleasant and unexpected trip from technology

BYD Sealion 6 PHEV is one of the cars that gave me many surprises when I test drove it.

Not because it is too flashy or has performance numbers that make people overwhelmed, but because the way this car blends into the journey is very natural. A natural style that makes you almost forget you are having to “get used to” a completely new car model.

We started leaving Hanoi when it was not yet dawn. The city in the early morning is still crowded in a very unique way, the long lines of cars, the sound of horns, the familiar red lights and the early summer heat have begun to appear very early. And perhaps that’s why this trip to Moc Chau felt like a small break, to temporarily leave the stuffiness of the Capital.

The Sealion 6 rolls very gently through crowded streets. We spent most of the first mile in pure EV mode. That is a very pleasant feeling that those who are familiar with traditional gasoline cars will immediately recognize when switching to PHEV: quietness. The car moves smoothly, with almost no vibration or engine sound echoing into the cabin. In a city that is always noisy like Hanoi, that feeling sometimes becomes a luxury.

The journey to Moc Chau this time does not follow the familiar tourist routes. We passed through many small mountain passes, roads that few people knew about. There are sections where only one car can pass each other, one side is mountains, the other is a deep abyss covered with green trees and mist. And on such roads, Sealion 6 shows that it is a very easy car to control.

I have driven many different car models, some cars take time to get used to. Some cars have too sensitive brake pedals, some cars have steering wheels that are too light or have too much fake feel. But Sealion 6 gave me a very familiar feeling right from the first kilometers. It’s like I’ve been driving this car for a long time.

The steering wheel at low speeds is light enough to turn easily in the city or on small roads. But when going on the highway or running at high speed, it begins to tighten and become more compact. The car’s soundproofing ability is also something that surprised me. Even when going through many mountain passes, bad road surfaces or crushed rocks, the echo from the roar to the cabin is still handled quite well.

BYD Sealion 6 is equipped with a 1.5L gasoline engine combined with an electric motor in a Plug-in Hybrid configuration. The total system capacity reaches about 214 horsepower, large torque comes right from the low speed range thanks to the electric motor, so the acceleration feels quite gentle and smooth. The vehicle can operate flexibly between pure EV and mixed PHEV modes depending on usage conditions. During most of the journey climbing the pass to Moc Chau, the car prioritized electric power more than I thought.

According to an announcement from BYD, this model can reach a total operating distance of more than 1,200 km when combining both battery and fuel under optimal testing conditions. Of course, actual usage will vary depending on road conditions and driving style, but at least one thing is clear: the Sealion 6’s fuel economy is almost beyond doubt.

One of the most interesting experiences of the trip is not the driving, but how the Sealion 6 becomes a true “portable power source”.

We stopped at Rut Village – the setting of the movie “Tet in Hell Village”. Amidst the quiet mountains and forests, people sat drinking tea and making coffee with hot water boiled directly from the vehicle’s V2L device. Just plug in the power source from Sealion 6 and you can use it as a residential power source.

Then, the speakers that play music for cultural exchanges with local people also operate thanks to that power source. We use electricity from the car to plug in a photo printer and print photos directly for people on the spot. Everything creates a very strange feeling, the car is no longer simply a means of transportation anymore.

The ethnic people here welcomed our group extremely warmly. They sang, invited them to play shuttlecock throwing, bounced around, laughed and talked a lot. And perhaps it’s been a long time since I’ve had the feeling of a trip that wasn’t so rushed. We brought our cameras to take pictures for them, then sat down to watch the pictures that had just been printed right in the middle of the Moc Chau mountains and forests using the power source from the car parked next to us.

After that, the group continued to move up the tea hill. Small roads, high slopes, lots of slippery rocks and difficult road surfaces continue to be another test for Sealion 6. The car has many supporting driving modes such as Eco, Normal, Sport or slippery road mode to help operate much more confidently. What I like is how smoothly the hybrid system works together. All conversions between electric motors and gasoline engines almost happen silently, if you don’t pay close attention, it’s sometimes difficult to notice.

The Sealion 6’s cabin is where I think BYD did quite well. The space is spacious, the seats are soft and hug the body just enough to drive long distances without tiring. The 15.6-inch central screen that can rotate vertically or horizontally is still a very “BYD” detail.

360 cameras work effectively on small roads on passes. The Infinity sound system provides quite good and even sound quality in the cabin, enough to create a very chill roadtrip playlist in the mountains and forests of Moc Chau.

Air conditioning cools quickly and deeply, especially useful in hot early summer weather. However, the Apple CarPlay system sometimes still has a phenomenon where the connection is not really stable. There was a time when Google Maps could not be displayed on the home screen even though it had successfully connected. But to be honest, this is also an error that I have encountered on many other car models, not just Sealion 6.

I’ve also heard some opinions that the back seats of the car are a bit soft, easily causing a feeling of floating and motion sickness. But on this trip, the person sitting in the back of my car did not feel uncomfortable at all. Perhaps that also depends a lot on each person’s driving style and feelings.

After more than 200 km with all types of terrain from crowded streets, highways, mountain passes, slippery roads to small roads between tea hills, the thing that remains with me the most about BYD Sealion 6 is not the parameters. It’s a pleasant feeling.

A car that doesn’t make you nervous to control. Doesn’t make me more tired after a long day. And sometimes, with trips to “escape” Hanoi like this, perhaps that is the most important thing.

Content is produced with support from BYD Vietnam.

Reporter (Otoxemay)