BYD Seal 06 DM-i 2027: Range, Battery Specs and China Prices

© A. Krivonosov

BYD has pushed the range of a plug-in hybrid to a figure normally associated with several days of driving: the updated Seal 06 DM-i claims up to 2,370 km on a full tank and a fully charged battery. But the number shouldn’t be read as a guaranteed real-world range — it comes from China’s CLTC cycle, which differs from the European WLTP standard.

The biggest change is the batteries. The DM-i comes with two pack options, 25.287 kWh and 34.275 kWh, good for up to 230 km and 320 km of CLTC electric range respectively. The larger pack is already approaching the capacity of some city electric cars. The fuel tank holds 65 litres.

The powertrain pairs a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engine rated at 101 hp with a front-mounted electric motor. Depending on the trim, that motor produces 120 kW or 175 kW — roughly 163 hp and 238 hp. The longest-range version is rated at 2.59 L/100 km once the battery is depleted. The price is just as notable.

The hybrid Seal 06 starts at 99,900 yuan and tops out at 141,900 yuan in China, or roughly $14,700 to $20,800. The same updated lineup includes fully electric versions with 530 km or 630 km of CLTC range. European buyers, though, shouldn’t expect 320 km of electric-only driving anytime soon. The current Italian-market Seal 6 DM-i starts at €38,200 and officially offers up to 1,505 km of combined range.

BYD hasn’t confirmed whether the Chinese 25.3 kWh and 34.3 kWh batteries — or any of the 2027 model’s specs — will carry over to the European lineup. That’s really where the intrigue lies, not in the 2,370 km figure itself. If the European Seal 6 does end up with a battery capable of covering most daily driving without touching the fuel tank, the line between a conventional PHEV and an EV gets blurrier still.