The Toyota Rav4 is currently the world's best-selling SUV, bar none, and it's popular because of its excellent hybrid engine, but recently BYD dealers in the Australian market have slammed the Rav4, stating that it's an “old car” with 10-15 year old technology that's only been refreshed in the It's just a new exterior design.
Luke Todd, founder and executive chairman of EVDirect, said in an interview with CarExpert: “The thing is it's a fantastic car. I'm happy to go on record: it's a far better car than a Toyota RAV4.”
“The RAV4 is a regurgitation of 15-, 10-year-old technology, just with a new wrapper. BYD Sealion 6 technology is advanced technology, now. We're very happy to be compared. What I encourage people that are looking to buy, looking at a Toyota RAV4, [is to] go and test drive the Sealion 6, test drive the RAV4, and make your own decision.”
The Sealion 6 Essential, priced locally in Australia at $42,990, is powered by a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder plug-in hybrid engine with a maximum output of 160 kW (about 218 Hp) and peak torque of 300 Nm. According to official figures, it has an all-electric range of up to 92 kilometers under NEDC conditions, with a combined fuel consumption of just 1.1 liters/100 km.
In comparison, the Toyota RAV4 entry-level GX Hybrid is priced at $42,260, excluding on-road costs, and is priced similarly to the Sealion 6 Essential.The RAV4 GX Hybrid is equipped with a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder hybrid engine, which has the same maximum output of 160 kW (approx. 218 Hp), but has a combined fuel consumption is 4.7 liters/100 km.
Luke Todd said BYD is very open to consumers comparing the Sealion 6 with the RAV4. He believes that consumers will naturally find the Sealion 6 to be technically superior after a test drive. It is worth mentioning that the Sealion 6 was complained by consumers in the Australian market about the soft suspension and lack of handling, so for the 2025 model year the original manufacturer announced that it would retune the suspension settings. I wonder what everyone here thinks about this statement?
Soure：CarExpert
Senior Writer The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable ones, have been explored including video games, television, magazines, or even internet forums. Still stuck in that rabbit hole.
