BYD Seal 6 Touring PHEV Melbourne - Price, Range & Real-World Review
Review by Road Trip Reviews for Booran Motor Group
Written by Daniel Romero
I rolled into the underground carpark at Novotel Melbourne Airport with 8km of range left after driving the BYD Seal 6 Touring more than 1,000km from Sydney, through Albury and down through the alpine back roads in the wet. Seven other cars in our convoy still had over 300km left in theirs. That gap says more about how I drove the car on day one than it does about the car itself, and it's the first thing worth understanding if you're weighing up a Seal 6 Touring here in Melbourne.
This wasn't a quiet suburban school run. It was a proper road trip, part of an eight-car group of media, covering over 700km of highway plus a stretch of wet, winding alpine road that will expose any weakness in a car's suspension or powertrain. The Seal 6 Touring didn't have many. Below is my account of how it drove, what it costs to run, and what buyers in Melbourne need to know before booking a test drive.
How much does the BYD Seal 6 Touring cost in Melbourne?
The Seal 6 Touring Premium starts at $39,990 plus on-road costs, making it the cheapest new wagon on sale in Australia, plug-in hybrid or otherwise.
For that money you get a 19kWh battery, 125km of electric-only range, and BYD's DM-i Super Hybrid system producing a combined 163kW and 260Nm. Local drive-away pricing and current offers are available through Booran's BYD dealerships in Ballarat and South Morang.
How much fuel does the BYD Seal 6 Touring PHEV use?
Around town on a full charge, I recorded 0.8L/100km, matching BYD's own official combined figure exactly. Once the battery dropped below 50 percent charge for the highway run into Melbourne, consumption settled between 4.7 and 5.2L/100km across more than 700km of mostly 100-110km/h driving with a modest load of luggage and snacks aboard.
| Driving condition | Fuel consumption |
|---|---|
| Combined city, fully charged | 0.8L/100km |
| Highway, battery depleted to 20% | 4.7–5.2L/100km |
| BYD's official NEDC combined figure | 0.8L/100km |
How far will a BYD Seal 6 Touring go on a full tank and charge?
BYD claims over 1,000km combined, and our convoy comfortably proved it, with seven of the eight cars still showing more than 300km of range after the full 1,000km drive. My own car finished with just 8km left, because I'd failed to notice it was previously set to hold the battery at 50 percent State of Charge, so, on day one instead of leaving the car on BYD's recommended Smart Auto setting, we used a less ideal setting. Smart Auto manages the handoff between electric and petrol power for you, and its genuinely better left alone. If you're used to manually managing battery levels in other PHEVs, don't apply that habit here.
How does the BYD Seal 6 Touring handle Melbourne's roads and beyond?
Well. On the wet, winding alpine roads on the approach into Victoria, the Seal 6 Touring held its line with a confidence that makes its price seem even more unbelievable. The suspension tuning is a genuine highlight, staying settled and composed over undulations and rougher surfaces rather than crashing through them. It's not a sports wagon, and BYD never claims it is, but for a $39,990 family wagon the damping is some of the best currently offered by the brand in Australia, and arguably among the best of any Chinese-brand model on sale here.
Steering weight is another pleasant surprise. Where many Chinese-market cars go too light for driver comfort rather than confidence, the Seal 6 Touring's tune is on the heavier side, giving you a clear sense the car will follow your input when it counts, which mattered plenty on the wet alpine descent. The 18-inch Continental tyres round out the package nicely too, a proper brand rather than a budget no-name, which means straightforward, affordable replacements down the track.
What is DM-i, and does it suit buyers without home charging?
BYD's DM-i system runs electric-first rather than petrol-first. That means even if you never plug the car in, you still get an EV-like driving experience for most of your driving, with instant response, a quiet cabin, and fuel economy that regularly beats conventional hybrids. For Melbourne buyers in apartments or units without off-street charging, this means the Seal 6 Touring is still worth a serious look. You're not being penalised for skipping the plug. The system is built to use the engine only when it's genuinely the more efficient choice.
If you want to feel this for yourself rather than take my word for it, Booran's BYD dealerships across Ballarat and South Morang have Seal 6 Touring demonstrators available. A test drive around Melbourne's mix of stop-start traffic and freeway running will show you the DM-i handoff in action far better than any spec sheet can.
BYD Seal 6 Touring Premium specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | $39,990 plus on-road costs |
| Powertrain | BYD DM-i Super Hybrid, 1.5L petrol engine plus electric motor |
| Combined output | 163kW / 260Nm |
| 0-100km/h | 8.1 seconds |
| Drivetrain | Front-wheel drive, e-CVT |
| Battery | 19kWh Blade LFP |
| Electric-only range | 125km (NEDC) |
| Combined fuel consumption | 0.8L/100km (NEDC, sufficient SoC) |
| Total claimed range | Over 1,000km |
| Boot space | 670L seats up, 1,535L seats folded |
| Wheels | 18-inch alloy, 225/50 R18, Continental tyres |
| Kerb weight | 1,800kg |
What warranty comes with a BYD Seal 6 Touring bought from Booran?
Every BYD Seal 6 Touring sold through Booran's dealerships is covered by BYD Australia's 6 year or 150,000km whole-vehicle warranty. The Blade Battery pack and drive unit, covering the drive motor and motor controller, carry a longer 8 year or 160,000km warranty, with at least 70 percent battery capacity retention guaranteed over that period. The 12V starter battery is covered separately for 12 months or 20,000km, which is standard across the industry. Booran's service teams across its Melbourne locations are equipped to handle scheduled servicing and warranty work on the Seal 6 range.