When BYD Cars Philippines launched the Sealion 5, it quickly became one of the most popular plug-in hybrid (PHEV) crossovers. While the Sealion 6 is still the best-seller from BYD, the Sealion 5 is not too far behind, thanks to its competitive price tag of PHP 1.248 million (cash discount is at PHP 1.198 million).

Over in the PRC, the Sealion 5 DM-i (also called the Song Pro DM-i) was recently updated and features a revised exterior that now resembles the Atto 3's looks. It now also comes with the “God's Eye” C advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Meanwhile, the powertrain still consists of a 1.5L naturally aspirated inline-four that's assisted by an electric motor that delivers 197 PS with 300 Nm of torque. In its home market, the updated Sealion 5 DM-i has an EV range of up to 133 km and a combined system range of 1,508 km, both based on the CLTC cycle.

In the Philippines, the current Sealion 5 DM-i has an electric range of up to 71 km based on the NEDC cycle and has a total system range of over 1,000 km. However, veteran racing drivers Georges & Louis Ramirez were able to take the Sealion 5 up to 1,409 km in one tank and on a single charge.

All well and good, but some are let down that its EV range is only good up to 71 km. On the other hand, the updated Sealion 5 in China can already do over 130 km on pure electric power, based on the CLTC cycle. But BYD plans to change that based on a new report by CarNewsChina.

Later this week, BYD will reportedly launch the long-range version of the Sealion 5 DM-i. It will reportedly get a larger battery pack to give it a better electric range of up to 200 km, based on the CLTC cycle. BYD has yet to reveal any kind of specifics, but if the Sealion 5 DM-i does get the bigger battery pack, it could become even more popular with buyers.

With the Sealion 5 proving its popularity both in the PRC and the Philippines, giving it a bigger battery pack could further increase its value-for-money proposition. The only questions now are, can we expect the refreshed Sealion 5 to make its way here, and could it be offered with the bigger battery pack to give it up to 200 km of EV range?

Source: Autohome via CarNewsChina