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

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

Until recently though, with the exception of the popular Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Haval H6 GT PHEV and MG H6 Plus EV, the fuel-saving powertrain technology has been largely out of reach for many buyers and reserved mostly for large 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.

Both are roughly the same size, both cost less than $50k, both are loaded with the latest safety equipment and digital technologies, and both feature a petrol-electric drivetrain with battery packs that are big enough to handle the average daily commute without using a drop of unleaded.

So which one is best? Let’s find out…

How much?

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

Buyers can also choose to pay $10k more for the flagship BYD Sealion 6 Premium that features an additional electric motor, giving it all-wheel drive, plus more standard equipment.

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

There are, however, 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 higher grade Track 2WD that costs $5k more, and the all-wheel drive Ridge with a $42,990 drive-away price tag.

If you’re curious about how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Both the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit and BYD Sealion 6 come with a generous level of standard equipment.

Common features to both 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 few extras that are missing from the BYD in Essential trim, such as heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, wireless phone charger and embedded satellite navigation.

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

If you’re curious about how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, check out our comparison tool

Are they safe?

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

Standard safety kit for both 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 few more features that are 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.

If you’re curious about how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, check out our comparison tool

What are they like inside?

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

The BYD is fractionally larger in overall length and width, but the Jaecoo rides on a slightly 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 look like inside and how they function, the Jaecoo J7 has a classy yet much simpler aesthetic with a horizontal dashboard design that features floating digital screens and a dominant centre console running the length between the driver and passenger seats.

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

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

The large tablet-style infotainment screen in the centre is bright and clear, with a logical menu structure to access the myriad of functions available. It would be nice to have a selection of physical controls for often-used elements such as the audio volume and ventilation, but it becomes easier once you’re familiar with the shortcuts available.

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

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

But, even though it too has a full-length glass roof, it feels a little more cosy than the Jaecoo with a darker headliner.

Otherwise, both have excellent headroom and plenty of space across the back seats, plus rear vents, power outlets and cupholders in the centre armrest, as well as many convenient options for small item storage.

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

If you’re curious about how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

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

Both 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 relatively large 18.3kWh battery.

However, the Jaecoo’s internal combustion engine incorporates a turbocharger, whereas the BYD is naturally aspirated, which helps the former produce significantly higher outputs.

In the Jaecoo, the petrol engine alone develops 105kW of power and 215Nm of torque, compared to just 72kW and 122Nm for the BYD. With the addition of an electric motor for each vehicle, which produce almost 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.

However, the net result is that both SUVs can be used to cover the average daily commute as an electric-only vehicle, with the ability 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.

If you’re curious about how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, check out our comparison tool

Cost of ownership

Both of these newcomer brands provide excellent long-term owner benefits, but Jaecoo comes out ahead with a longer eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty compared to the Sealion 6’s six-year/150,000km warranty.

They each come with free roadside assistance for the first year, which is reactivated for the duration of the warranty period when scheduled servicing is completed within their authorised dealer networks.

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

If you’re curious about how the Jaecoo J7 compares to its rivals, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Pick

With both of these cars, you can have you cake and eat it too.

Each of them provides all you need – and more – from a mid-size family soft-roader, including plenty of space, a long list of standard equipment, the latest 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 be more convenient for larger families, but the Jaecoo J7 offers more kit, more power and is (ever so fractionally) more affordable to own.

Interested in buying a BYD Sealion 7? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

Interested in buying a Jaecoo J7? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

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