2025 Jaecoo J7 SHS vs BYD Sealion 6 Essential comparison: Spec battle

A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) mid-size SUV is the best solution for Australian families on a one-car budget.

Until recently though, apart from the favored Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Haval H6 GT PHEV and MG H6 Plus EV, the fuel-saving powertrain technology has been largely out of reach for a lot of buyers and reserved mostly for big and expensive luxury SUVs.

But a bunch of Chinese newcomers, including Jaecoo and BYD, are making it more accessible with models like these, the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit and BYD Sealion 6 Essential.

Each are roughly the identical size, each cost lower than $50k, each are loaded with the newest safety equipment and digital technologies, and each feature a petrol-electric drivetrain with battery packs which can be sufficiently big to handle the typical each day commute without using a drop of unleaded.

So which one is best? Let’s discover…

Dive into an intensive side-by-side evaluation

Including price, detailed specifications and features

How much?

The BYD Sealion 6 range has been revised for 2025, with a renamed entry-level Essential variant (previously generally known as the Dynamic) that sets a brand new benchmark as probably the most reasonably priced plug-in mid-size SUV available in Australia, priced from $42,990 before on-road costs.

Buyers may decide to pay $10k more for the flagship BYD Sealion 6 Premium that features a further electric motor, giving it all-wheel drive, plus more standard equipment.

Jaecoo only offers a single variant of its recent J7 with a plug-in powertrain, the range-topping SHS Summit that costs $47,990 drive-away, which makes these two just about lineball on price once their in your driveway.

There are, nonetheless, three cheaper non-hybrid J7 variants that sit under the SHS Summit, including the entry-level Core 2WD that costs just $34,990 drive-away, the upper grade Track 2WD that costs $5k more, and the all-wheel drive Ridge with a $42,990 drive-away price tag.

When you’re interested in how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, try our comparison tool

What do you get?

Each the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit and BYD Sealion 6 include a generous level of normal equipment.

Common features to each vehicles include:

• Synthetic leather trim
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Keyless entry with push-button start
• Rear passenger air vents
• LED interior lighting
• Twin digital displays
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• Panoramic sunroof

The Jaecoo brings a couple of extras which can be missing from the BYD in Essential trim, equivalent to heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, wireless phone charger and embedded satellite navigation.

While the Sealion 6 has a bigger 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (in comparison with 10.25-inch within the J7), its central 12.8-inch touchscreen that could be rotated to either landscape or portrait configurations is smaller than the J7’s fixed 14.8-inch unit.

When you’re interested in how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, try our comparison tool

Are they secure?

Each the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit and BYD Sealion 6 have been given a maximum five-star ANCAP rating.

Standard safety kit for each models includes:

• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
• Forward Collision Warning
• Emergency Lane Keeping
• Lane Departure Warning
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Blind Spot Detection
• Traffic sign recognition
• Rear cross-traffic alert and braking
• Door opening warning
• Driver attention monitoring
• Rear parking sensors

The Jaecoo adds a couple of more features which can be missing from the entry-level Sealion 6, including front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, and the previously mentioned head-up display, plus it has eight airbags including a driver’s knee and centre airbag, while the BYD only has seven.

When you’re interested in how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, try our comparison tool

What are they like inside?

As you’d expect for a mid-size SUV, each the Jaecoo and BYD offer loads of space with seating for five and decent cargo carrying capability.

The BYD is fractionally larger in overall length and width, however the Jaecoo rides on a rather longer wheelbase which opens up the cabin a bit more, matching the Sealion 6 for rear seat room, but compromising boot space. With 340 litres of total volume behind the rear seats, the Jaecoo J7 is more on par with a small hatch, while the BYD boot is significantly larger and offers more depth.

As for what they give the impression of being like inside and the way they function, the Jaecoo J7 has a cultured yet much simpler aesthetic with a horizontal dashboard design that features floating digital screens and a dominant centre console running the length between the driving force and passenger seats.

It looks good and the standard of materials present well, with soft-touch faux leather and brushed aluminium highlights throughout. And it feels spacious and airy due to the panoramic glass roof and lighter-coloured roof liner.

The seats are comfortable and it’s nice to have each heated and cooled ventilation to combat our extreme climate, but they don’t have much lateral support.

The big tablet-style infotainment screen within the centre is vibrant and clear, with a logical menu structure to access the myriad of functions available. It might be nice to have a collection of physical controls for often-used elements equivalent to the audio volume and ventilation, however it becomes easier when you’re conversant in the shortcuts available.

There are some strange elements within the Jaecoo that take more time to get accustomed to, equivalent to the convex shape of the rear-view mirror, the upside-down controls for the ability windows, and the alarming noise of the door handles retracting into the body each time you set off.

The BYD Sealion 6’s cabin has more wow factor on face value thanks its contrasting brown-on-black color palette, sweeping dashboard layout, and its rotating touchscreen party trick.

But, although it too has a full-length glass roof, it feels a bit of more cosy than the Jaecoo with a darker headliner.

Otherwise, each have excellent headroom and lots of space across the back seats, plus rear vents, power outlets and cupholders within the centre armrest, in addition to many convenient options for small item storage.

The BYD’s greater boot space is more handy for larger families, however the seats don’t fold fully flat like they do within the Jaecoo, which allows loading of larger items.

When you’re interested in how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, try our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Philosophically, there’s not rather a lot that separates these two.

Each the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit and BYD Sealion 6 Essential pair a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a single electric motor that drives the front wheels and is powered by a comparatively large 18.3kWh battery.

Nonetheless, the Jaecoo’s internal combustion engine incorporates a turbocharger, whereas the BYD is of course aspirated, which helps the previous produce significantly higher outputs.

Within the Jaecoo, the petrol engine alone develops 105kW of power and 215Nm of torque, in comparison with just 72kW and 122Nm for the BYD. With the addition of an electrical motor for every vehicle, which produce almost an identical outputs (150kW/310Nm versus 145kW/300Nm), Jeacoo claims the J7 has a maximum combined power of 255kW and a V8-like 525Nm of torque, while the Sealion 6 produces significantly less at 160kW/300Nm.

Nonetheless, the web result’s that each SUVs could be used to cover the typical each day commute as an electric-only vehicle, with the power to cover around 90km of driving on battery power alone, and super-low combined fuel consumption figures of 1.0L/100km and 1.1L/100km respectively.

When you’re interested in how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, try our comparison tool

Cost of ownership

Each of those newcomer brands provide excellent long-term owner advantages, but Jaecoo comes out ahead with an extended eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty in comparison with the Sealion 6’s six-year/150,000km warranty.

They each include free roadside assistance for the primary yr, which is reactivated at some stage in the warranty period when scheduled servicing is accomplished inside their authorised dealer networks.

Each require servicing every 12 months, but BYD allows for greater annual mileage, and its capped price servicing scheme extends for greater than a decade.

When you’re interested in how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, try our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Pick

With each of those cars, you’ll be able to have you ever cake and eat it too.

Each of them provides all you wish – and more – from a mid-size family soft-roader, including loads of space, a protracted list of normal equipment, the newest in safety technology and conveniences, and efficient long-range driving capabilities.

The BYD’ Sealion 6’s list price (excluding statutory on-road costs) might look more attractive, and its larger boot could possibly be more convenient for larger families, however the Jaecoo J7 offers more kit, more power and is (ever so fractionally) cheaper to own.

Concerned with buying a BYD Sealion 7? Let CarExpert find you the perfect deal here

Concerned with buying a Jaecoo J7? Let CarExpert find you the perfect deal here

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