2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vs BYD Sealion 6: Spec battle

18/06/2024

The Toyota RAV4 is the gold standard for affordable mid-sized SUVs, and has been for a while.

But the automotive world rarely stands still, and more than 20 manufacturers are now vying for supremacy in one of the most competitive segments going around.

One of those carmakers is BYD. It’s a Chinese challenger that first dipped its toe into the medium SUV battleground with the electric Atto 3, a model that topped 10,000 sales in 2023.

Keen to have a second bite of the cherry, BYD is now sending the bigger plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Sealion 6 Down Under to take up the fight against Toyota.

BYD Sealion 6

In top Premium specification, the Sealion 6 is aimed squarely at higher-end RAV4 variants. Let’s see how it matches up against the similarly priced Cruiser Hybrid.

Pricing

The range-topping BYD Sealion 6 Premium works out to be nearly $1500 cheaper than the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid AWD, which also sits near the top of the RAV4 tree.

BYD Sealion 6

Only the RAV4 Edge Hybrid comes out more expensive, at $58,360 before on-road costs.

Drivetrains and efficiency

Both cars send power to all four wheels and feature four-cylinder petrol engines, but that’s where the similarities end.

The Sealion 6 Premium is powered by the combination of a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and dual electric motors (front and rear), which differs from the RAV4 in a few ways.

Firstly, the BYD engine features forced induction in the form of a turbocharger.

The Sealion is also a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), meaning it has a much larger battery allowing the car to drive solely on electric power for 81km.

Toyota RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid

Conversely, the RAV4 is a conventional hybrid designed to switch between power sources without covering extended distances in EV mode.

Given the disparity in power source between the two models, it’s perhaps a surprise both feature CVT transmissions.

The option of EV driving gives BYD the advantage from a fuel economy standpoint, although the drive battery has to be regularly charged for the owner to reap those benefits.

Dimensions

The BYD Sealion 6 has a slightly larger footprint on the road, being both longer and wider compared to the RAV4.

BYD Sealion 6

However, there is a big discrepancy between the cars when it comes to weight. A larger, heavier drive battery contributes to a kerb weight of 2100kg for the BYD – 345kg more than the Toyota.

Despite its more compact dimensions the RAV4 also boasts 155L more boot space with the rear seats in place, which expands to 250L of bonus room with them folded down.

Servicing and warranty

The Sealion 6 is backed by a six-year, 150,000 kilometre warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty.

Neither BYD nor local distributor EVDirect have detailed a maintenance schedule for the Sealion 6, though the brand’s electric products require scheduled servicing every 12 months or 20,000 kilometres – whichever comes first.

We’ll update this article when service pricing information becomes available.

The 2024 Toyota RAV4 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Toyota hybrid models also get up to 10 years of warranty coverage “as long as you undertake your annual inspection as part of routine maintenance according to the vehicle logbook”.

Toyota Australia offers up to five years or 75,000km of capped-price servicing, with intervals of 12 months or 15,000 kilometres for the RAV4.

All RAV4 engine variants cost $260 per service for the first five visits under the capped-price servicing program.

Safety

The Sealion 6 doesn’t arrive with an ANCAP safety rating, though BYD says a five-star result is “expected”.

The electric BYD Seal U – as the Sealion 6 is known elsewhere – achieved a five-star Euro NCAP result in 2023.

It earned a 90 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 83 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 77 per cent for safety assist.

Standard safety equipment on the BYD Sealion 6 includes:

7 airbags
- Dual front
- Dual side
- Dual curtain
- Front-centre
Adaptive cruise control
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
Blind-spot monitoring
Child Presence Detection
Door Open Warning
Front collision warning
Front cross-traffic assist
High beam assist
Intelligent speed limit information, control
Lane departure warning
Lane keep assist
Rear collision warning
Rear cross-traffic alert
Traffic sign recognition

The Toyota RAV4 wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on tests conducted by Euro NCAP in 2019.

It scored of 93 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 85 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 83 per cent for safety assist.

Standard safety equipment on the Toyota RAV4 includes:

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian/daytime cyclist detection
- Intersection Turn Assist
Adaptive cruise control
Blind-spot monitoring
Lane departure warning
Lane Tracing Assist
Rear cross-traffic alert
Reversing camera
Front and rear parking sensors
Traffic sign recognition
Trailer sway control
Emergency Steering Assist
Hill-start Assist Control
Seven airbags incl. front, front side, full length curtain and driver’s knee airbag.