The BYD Seal 05 DM-i could be arriving in the Philippines very soon
Earlier this year, we caught news that BYD Cars Philippines would be launching a four-model salvo that involves a BEV Crossover, a BEV SUV, a DM-i SUV, and a DM-i Sedan. While we’ve seen the Sealion 7 take the spot of the BEV crossover, with the Atto 2 potentially taking both the BEV and DM-i SUV spots, the fourth model is still relatively unknown.
READ: MIAS 2026 | BYD Atto 2 and Sealion 7 previewed in PH, both launching this year
However, thanks to publicly available information published recently, we have an inkling that this fourth model may indeed be the Seal 05 DM-i, which is the successor to the popular Seal 5 DM-i sedan, sporting a refreshed design inside and out along with improvements to the DM-i powertrain.
According to homologation documents, it’s available in two variants: the Dynamic and Essential, which looks to buck the trend of BYD Cars Philippines’ variant hierarchy and implies a lower starting price tag. In fact, a graphic at the end of one of the documents indicates a Seal 5 badge, meaning the Seal 05 will be renamed for the Philippine market for model continuity.
The Seal 05 DM-i measures 4,780mm long, 1,837mm wide, and 1,515mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,718mm. The DM-i hybrid system here utilizes a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that produces 100 horsepower and 126Nm of torque alone, while the electric motor produces 163 horsepower and 210Nm of torque.
Thanks to a 7.42kWh LFP blade battery, it can drive up to 55km on pure electric range (NEDC), and it should be able to do more than 1,000km combined. However, charging is still limited to AC at 3.3kW.
The Seal 05 DM-i is well equipped, coming with automatic LED headlights and LED taillights, four parking sensors, a rear-view camera, 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.1-inch non-rotating infotainment that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four speakers, and the absence of an advanced driver assistance system suite, only with standard cruise control among other necessary safety systems.
The Essential will come with 16-inch steel wheels, manual-folding side mirrors, a driver’s side-only auto window, the omission of the NFC keycard, a urethane steering wheel, and manually adjustable fabric seats.
Stepping up to the Dynamic grants additional airbags and a force-limiting front seatbelt, 16-inch alloy wheels, electric-folding side mirrors, automatic windows on all, and synthetic leather upholstery on the steering wheel and the manually adjustable seats, alongside additional lighting elements within the cabin.
It appears that, based on these specifications, BYD Cars Philippines is looking to position the upcoming Seal 5 DM-i update at a lower price point, to possibly better target fleet-favorite models such as the Toyota Vios and the Mitsubishi Mirage. Are you excited for what could potentially be one of BYD Cars Philippines’ most affordable plug-in hybrid offerings yet?
Photos from BYD
