Speaker A
BYD really does have a winner with the Sealion 6. It broke a lot of barriers when they launched it last year.
Head-to-head comparison of the 2025 Jaecoo J7 SHS and BYD Sealion 6 DM-i electrified crossovers, highlighting design, features, and performance.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- BYD Sealion 6 excels in size, cargo capacity, and a feature-rich interior with a large rotating display.
- Jaecoo J7 SHS offers a distinctive boxy design, slightly higher ground clearance, and more ADAS features.
- Both vehicles cater to the compact electrified crossover segment with strong hybrid powertrains and tech.
- Choice depends on preference for aerodynamic vs. boxy styling and interior design complexity.
- Both models provide versatile family-friendly SUVs with modern infotainment and safety technologies.
What the video covers
- The BYD Sealion 6 set new standards in the Philippine market with its aerodynamic design and advanced features.
- Jaecoo J7 SHS offers a boxier, more rugged design with slightly higher ground clearance and flush door handles.
- Sealion 6 is larger overall, providing more cargo space and a longer wheelbase compared to the J7.
- Both vehicles are 5-seater crossover SUVs with similar wheel sizes and functional roof rails.
- The Sealion 6 interior is busy with detailed trim, a large rotating touchscreen, and Infinity audio speakers.
- J7 features flush door handles, a simpler interior, and more advanced ADAS features than the Sealion 6.
- BYD’s infotainment system includes a large portrait screen that rotates but can block some driver view.
- Both vehicles support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though BYD’s system has limitations in wireless mode.
- The Sealion 6 offers a smooth, softer suspension suited for comfort, while the J7 provides a different driving feel.
- Both crossovers have the same battery size (18.3 kWh) but differ in hybrid system tuning and driving dynamics.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Overview of BYD Sealion 6
- 01:09Comparison Setup and Conditions
- 02:04Exterior Features and Ground Clearance
- 03:03Size and Design Differences
- 04:53Cargo Space Comparison
- 05:40Sealion 6 Interior Features
- 06:27Infotainment and Controls
- 08:10ADAS and Safety Features
- 09:23Driving Experience and Performance
- 12:13Summary and Family Use Versatility
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
So much so that a lot of new rivals want to challenge this. One such rival is this.
Speaker A
This is the J7 SHS from Jaecoo. And they want to challenge the Sealion 6.
Speaker A
Can it succeed? Well, let's find out. And we have a feeling there are going to be quite a few surprises.
Speaker A
Hey, everybody! Vince here from AutoIndustriya.com. And yes, we are doing a comparison between the Jaecoo J7 and the BYD Sealion 6.
Speaker A
A matchup that is definitely going to be interesting. Now, full disclosure, this comparo was requested by Omoda and Jaecoo.
Speaker A
But I did give them some conditions. They can't change my opinion. And, well, they provide both cars for us to really test and find out.
Speaker A
So I'm going to give you the lowdown on what you can expect if you choose either the J7 or the BYD Sealion 6.
Speaker A
And it seems the rain is not helping us out today. It really took the Sealion 6 to establish BYD as a credible player in the Philippine market.
Speaker A
And what's not to like? The styling: very aerodynamic. This is an update of an already existing platform, an already existing model for BYD called the Song Plus.
Speaker A
But they changed it to the Sealion 6 when they came with the update. So the front, it has a very aerodynamic look.
Speaker A
The wheels, these are 19s. It's actually nice and big. It does have the fender flares there to kind of protect the paint.
Speaker A
And then we look over the side. This is clearly a larger vehicle compared to the J7.
Speaker A
You can see also up top the panoramic glass roof with the roof rails over here.
Speaker A
These seem very sturdy. Can definitely mount stuff. The ground clearance, I think it's like 173 millimeters, which is actually quite good.
Speaker A
But when we look over here in the back, this is something that's actually quite interesting because the way they do the full width LED looks very neat.
Speaker A
The BYD logo there. And really quite nice overall. But when we come back here in front, we can show you the difference with the J7.
Speaker A
So instead of going for something more aerodynamic looking, they're going for a more boxy appeal.
Speaker A
Because the way they do the front grille, it's very vertical with Jaecoo prominently spelled out there.
Speaker A
The LED lights here and the LED headlights down there all very neat to look at, especially at night.
Speaker A
And even the color that they chose is actually quite good. Now, when we look at the size of the vehicles, clearly the BYD has an advantage in terms of length and in terms of width—more or less the same.
Speaker A
But in the wheelbase, this one is a shorter wheelbase compared to the Sealion 6.
Speaker A
So that makes a difference in terms of the space inside. But when it comes to the impression the vehicle gives, certainly better.
Speaker A
Now the wheels, these are also 19s and they're very aerodynamic in the look. Also has the fender, the black fenders over there to help protect the paint.
Speaker A
You got the silver and black side mirrors, black roof rails also very much functional and the sunroof up there—very, very neat.
Speaker A
And then when we look at the ground clearance it's actually quite a little bit more than the Sealion 6.
Speaker A
I think it's like 175 or 174 mm overall in terms of ground clearance. What we do like are the door handles.
Speaker A
The door handles are nice and flush. When we unlock the vehicle, those door handles pop out.
Speaker A
You have charging doors and the fuel door, but the back also very neat. It reminds me of a very popular European SUV, which they are partners with over in China, but a very clean design with a black spoiler.
Speaker A
Now, let's go back up front and we'll show you that these two are very different expressions of a compact crossover SUV.
Speaker A
And it really depends on you, which one you prefer. Boxy or something like this, very aerodynamic looking.
Speaker A
Both the J7 and the Sealion 6 are 5-seater crossover SUVs, so they're equal in that respect.
Speaker A
Now when it comes to cargo space, that's where it gets interesting because the Sealion 6 being a larger vehicle does have a slight advantage.
Speaker A
So the Sealion 6 has 35 inches by 38 inches in terms of the nominal cargo length and width, with the height of around 29.
Speaker A
So you can already visualize what kind of stuff you can get into the back of the Sealion 6.
Speaker A
The J7 is a little bit smaller. So the length, 33 inches, the width equal at 38.
Speaker A
But the height is a little bit less at 27 inches. When you fold down the rear seats, you get the maximum length.
Speaker A
In the J7, it's 57. In the Sealion 6, it's 62. So there is an advantage with the Sealion 6 but can the J7 make up for it with the interior?
Speaker A
Let's find out. So it's good to be back inside one of our favorite vehicles from last year.
Speaker A
Because the Sealion 6, the interior, the way they did it, is certainly very busy.
Speaker A
And they were very liberal with a lot of the details. You can see it with the dashboard.
Speaker A
Definitely the selection of trim. The contrast stitching there. The details, like the silver, the satin silver trim here.
Speaker A
The silver here, or the gray. The control for your transmission or for your drive is right here.
Speaker A
It's got this jewel thing going on. R-N-D and then Park is over here. Quick access buttons here.
Speaker A
And then the steering wheel, which has a BYD horn button. By the way, a lot of things we find about these cars, they tend to have a delayed horn.
Speaker A
So we press it now. [honk] See, it takes a little while. And also, it's a bit long.
Speaker A
That's something we noticed with a lot of the BYD vehicles. It's a very minor thing.
Speaker A
It's up to you whether you prefer it or not. The screen in front of the driver is very nice.
Speaker A
It's very clear. And it has all the displays that I would want in a drive, so you got your power meter, speed, your radio (if you're using a radio), your total range and all that.
Speaker A
I mean, right now the range is reading just over 1,000 kilometers on a nearly full tank, which is what you normally expect out of these vehicles.
Speaker A
There's no heads-up display that I can see up there. What I do notice that it does have Infinity audio speakers, which is good.
Speaker A
And then the coup de grâce of every BYD unit is this screen. It's quite huge.
Speaker A
And given that it's BYD, it rotates when you press right there. When you press right there, it rotates.
Speaker A
The only problem, even though it is a nice feature, it gives you a big portrait screen, like a huge tablet right here in the middle.
Speaker A
It does block a little bit of my view, but not a big deal. Normally, I wouldn't drive it like this anyway, because you can't use your Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
Speaker A
Yes, it does come in both (wireless). You can't use it in that mode. It'll switch to the landscape mode anyway.
Speaker A
So, you know, kind of like "Why bother?" Anyways, going around the features here. Typical of BYD, if you do the three-finger touch, you'll adjust the fan speed or the temperature.
Speaker A
This is the fan speed right here. And then temperature up down like that makes it very easy.
Speaker A
Even though there are no quick access buttons here, you can go through the modes here.
Speaker A
But still, very easy to use a three-finger mode. And then we go around, let's see, where's the settings.
Speaker A
So here, we can go through a lot of the features of the vehicle already.
Speaker A
I mean, this one does have the voice command for the panoramic sunroof, but I'm not going to use that now—it's raining.
Speaker A
The ADAS here is what's interesting, because you have here your intelligent cruise control, all your other assist functions here.
Speaker A
Even though it does have quite a few, and they all do really work. I think that J7 does have a bit more, but other than that, not really a big deal there, personally.
Speaker A
Whether I use the ADAS, not so much. I tend to turn a lot of these features off.
Speaker A
The AC vents, I like that it's up here, I mean down here, very easy.
Speaker A
You have two wireless chargers, so one on the left, one on the right. No matter which one, you put it there, right now, my phone is 100%.
Speaker A
Don't really need that. Auto-brake hold, two cup holders. Center armrest here, very spacious. Compartment over there.
Speaker A
And the seats also, also very nice. I mean, both the J7 and the Sealion
Speaker A
It just depends on what your preference is. This one looks a bit more sporty in terms of design.
Speaker A
But one clear aspect where this has an advantage is when it comes to the rear space.
Speaker A
Because remember, bigger vehicle overall. So the space in the back seat, wider and we have a bit more kneeroom.
Speaker A
But still, it really depends on your preference, whether you prefer it the smaller vehicle or this wider vehicle.
Speaker A
Because when it comes to parking, you do have to be a bit more selective in this one compared to something like the J7.
Speaker A
Anyways, enough of that, let's go take it out and see how this feels on the road.
Speaker A
It's good to be back behind the wheel of the Sealion 6. I mean, this is our top pick from last year.
Speaker A
So it's kind of interesting to see how it compares against newer competition. And mind you, there are going to be a lot of new competitors in this category because it's where everybody wants to really succeed.
Speaker A
It's a major segment in our market now. In terms of the power, we have 217 PS combined.
Speaker A
So that's both motor and the naturally aspirated 1.5-liter gasoline engine. And in terms of response, let me put it into Sport mode now.
Speaker A
I mean, floor it. It does have thrust. Like a quick chirp of the wheels, and then you're off to the races.
Speaker A
And that's the fun thing about these hybrids. It makes it so responsive, so fun.
Speaker A
We'll see later how the Jaecoo J7 compares. And in terms of range, just over 100 kilometers on pure electric range.
Speaker A
Meaning 100% battery charge with the 18.3 kilowatt lithium iron phosphate battery underneath the vehicle.
Speaker A
So decent range. It's also got well over 1000 kilometers in overall range. Meaning we're talking about both gasoline: fully fueled and fully charged.
Speaker A
It'll give you all that range that you can just play with depending on how you drive.
Speaker A
Because they have to measure these using very strict guidelines and a driving cycle to give us a more, I guess, comparable or uniform unit of measure, I guess.
Speaker A
More or less for the range of this. But really, it's about the experience. Like what the BYD Sealion 6 offers is a comfortable cruising experience.
Speaker A
So right now, let me put it into Eco mode. Actually, let's put it to Normal mode.
Speaker A
So in Normal mode, just gives you a nice balance of all. The response from the throttle is a bit on the slow side, but that's to be expected again.
Speaker A
We're biased towards comfort. And when we're going around, let's say this roundabout, we'll try to add a little bit of speed without disturbing anybody.
Speaker A
But going around here, even at the speed, you can feel that it's leaning a bit, just rolling a bit.
Speaker A
Because the suspension of this, I mean, you can feel it on this cobblestone-style street, is that it's more on the softer side.
Speaker A
So it is going to have a little bit of lean. And the fact that it's a bigger, larger vehicle, you're going to feel a little bit more of that.
Speaker A
So it's not really meant for super sporty driving, you can. You can go fast at this and have some fun.
Speaker A
But really, the priority here is comfort and quietness over the fun part, over the fun aspect of driving.
Speaker A
So now, let's jump into the J7 and see how that compares. So it's only been a few weeks since we were last inside the J7, and it's every bit as impressive and nice as before.
Speaker A
Because the dashboard is aesthetic, even though it does have texturing details here, same here, soft touch material there.
Speaker A
But when you look at it, it's actually quite minimalist. It's very simple. And I prefer it that way.
Speaker A
You know, rather than having all these colors and lines, this is nice and simple and straightforward.
Speaker A
But you guys, let me know in the comments below which interior you prefer: Sealion 6 or the minimalist interior of the J7?
Speaker A
Now, looking around, what do we see? I mean, we know the AC vents are on the sides, you also have vents over here.
Speaker A
Up top the dashboard, you've got a speaker up here, and it's got a nice grille detail there.
Speaker A
Very geometric, looks pretty neat. Up here, this is not a tray. This is actually your heads-up display.
Speaker A
So as I'm looking out now, I mean, through here, it shows that I'm doing zero kilometers per hour.
Speaker A
It's projecting it onto the windshield, which is kind of neat. Here in front of me, I do have the driver display.
Speaker A
It's a nice wide-screen display with my power meter, speedometer, all the other information I may need.
Speaker A
I mean, this will show me the warnings when it comes to proximity, all that stuff.
Speaker A
All these things have HEV, all that is shown right here. A flat-bottom steering wheel, 3-ish spokes.
Speaker A
It's almost a four, but it's a very nice steering wheel with flush buttons, which has these ribs here so you can feel your way around, even while you're driving.
Speaker A
And by the way, this is fairly intuitive, even though it looks very, very neat.
Speaker A
You have your transmission control or drive control over here, P-R-N-D, and the P as you press this, pull down for drive and push up for reverse.
Speaker A
Your wiper and your light controls are on this stalks here, nice and integrated together, and it does feel quite well-built.
Speaker A
Here in the middle, you have this massive screen. Now, the BYD, I think, has an advantage in terms of the overall size, but this one, I like the fact that it no longer doesn't rotate like the other one, because that's
Speaker A
one less thing to worry about when it comes to wear and tear. And besides, this one works just fine.
Speaker A
So we have here navigation, DVR. So this is the digital video recorder. You will need to put an SD card, or I think a USB into this to record, but you can see there the DVR, which is the camera up here.
Speaker A
So it's basically your dash cam built right in. No need to worry about anything else.
Speaker A
Your AVM, your 360 camera is right here. And you can have all kinds of views that you want from the back, on the side.
Speaker A
Well, it's, you know, kind of open right now. And yeah, you can see that I have my car and my awning over there.
Speaker A
[laughs] But what's great is that you have the top down view. So if you try to get into a parking spot, you can place your car very precisely.
Speaker A
These features are pretty good on this vehicle, makes it very easy. But this one also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto already built in.
Speaker A
Right now we have Apple CarPlay hooked up. So I'll press Barney's phone. You can see it right there.
Speaker A
All the stuff you want to mess around with. You want to install more apps.
Speaker A
You can definitely do so right here. I mean, I'm not going to take a Zoom call while I'm driving, but still it's over there.
Speaker A
Now, back to the main screen. You can also control a lot of the vehicle functions here.
Speaker A
So for example, you have the quick controls here. You can adjust certain things. So like the rear door opening, child window lock, sunroof.
Speaker A
I'm not going to open the panoramic sunroof on this one because, you know, it's raining pretty hard right now.
Speaker A
Or at least it was a while ago, later probably some more. Then you have the Power modes, you can select it over here.
Speaker A
Drive modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport. Adjust your smart key, all that stuff. You've got your range display, and all that.
Speaker A
So right now, I have 16 kilometers of pure EV range. It goes up to well over 100 km.
Speaker A
Actually, this vehicle has an advantage in range over the Sealion 6, ever so slightly.
Speaker A
You have different modes for the Power Saving. Energy recovery, meaning when you lift off, it recovers some more energy.
Speaker A
All that stuff, you'll find there. And then the most interesting one is right here.
Speaker A
So the Jaecoo J7 has a lot. And I mean a lot of advanced driver assistance system.
Speaker A
So if you want to activate all of them and maximize the safety of the vehicle, which by the way, it does have the maximum rating when it comes to Euro NCAP and ANCAP with the five stars.
Speaker A
And then, but here, you can adjust all of it to your liking. So you don't want to use the intelligent cruise control exit warning?
Speaker A
You can. The vehicle departure warning, over speed warning. I mean, if you want to go really fast, I wouldn't recommend that.
Speaker A
But you can turn that off if you so wish. The intelligence avoidance assist, that is actually a very neat little feature.
Speaker A
We've tried it from many different brands already, as well as the one from Omoda and Jaecoo.
Speaker A
The forward collision warning. And then also the auto emergency braking. All these features are going to be useful.
Speaker A
And the clear advantage over the Sealion 6. Atmosphere light, all that stuff. It's all really here.
Speaker A
And what we did find is that connecting to the Android Auto of this, certainly very easy.
Speaker A
Now, what else do we spot? The window control buttons are very minimalist. And they have it on a different way compared to some of the other brands we've seen.
Speaker A
We like this tray here. Because you've got this tray here. I mean, I could put my wallet there or the key for the vehicle, like right here, if I want.
Speaker A
But I'd rather not. I could put my wallet there or another phone. And then my phone right here on the wireless charging pad, which is rather neat.
Speaker A
I mean, I prefer having it here makes it very easy and accessible. There's storage underneath for a small bag.
Speaker A
And you also got the USB ports there. Makes it very convenient. Two cup holders.
Speaker A
Buttons over here for the auto, the mode, the lock/unlock, the hazard button and the EV/HEV mode.
Speaker A
Basically the quick access buttons that you need are right here. Press this and this compartment opens.
Speaker A
And it's not just a center armrest. This also has a cooler function. So for a long drive, even if you put like a room temperature drink in there, it's going to cool down for a long drive, which is nice and convenient.
Speaker A
And the seat, by the way, for a long drive, this is going to be fantastic.
Speaker A
The cushioning is great. The headrest is actually great. It even has these little bolsters on the side.
Speaker A
It's quite plush. So once you sit here, you can just chill out. Even if you're seated in the back, you got charge points, you have your own AC.
Speaker A
And you have the view from the sky above if it wasn't raining so hard.
Speaker A
I mean, if we open it now, you can see that, hey, nice sky over there.
Speaker A
Yeah, too bad it's raining. We'd rather stay dry compared to getting wet from all the rain.
Speaker A
Anyways, enough of that. Let's take it out and have a little bit of fun with the J7.
Speaker A
So we've shown you the difference between the Sealion 6 and the Jaecoo J7. In terms of size, interior, the design, all those things.
Speaker A
But where they really differ is, for one, the feel. Like the feel of this vehicle when I'm driving it out now, is that it feels more taut.
Speaker A
Like it feels more, it feels more sporty in terms of the suspension and all that.
Speaker A
So for example, if I go around the same roundabout, when I go around it, it feels more connected.
Speaker A
Like just going around this on the left turn, continuous left turn. There's less lean.
Speaker A
It feels like it wants to go faster. And I wish I was on a mountain road somewhere where I can put the power of this to the test.
Speaker A
And it really does have power. So for now, when I look around, I'm not disturbing any golfers.
Speaker A
You know, we're on a golf course. So if I floor it... Whoa! [laughs] The technology has already advanced.
Speaker A
They've upgraded the motor. And the engine is a turbo gasoline engine. It does run on the Miller cycle, which is the turbocharged version of the Atkinson cycle.
Speaker A
So you floor it. It responds quickly. And by the way, I'm not even in Sport mode yet.
Speaker A
I don't think I need to. It's got plenty of power already on tap. And the response is really quick.
Speaker A
So let's go around this bend. Power out again. It just... it surges. It surges power.
Speaker A
You don't have to add so much throttle pressure on it. And the braking here.
Speaker A
Coming to a break for this hump. I mean, drops down speed very, very easily.
Speaker A
And just rides over it very smoothly. It is sportier. It is a bit firmer on the suspension compared to the Sealion 6.
Speaker A
But once you have people in here, it's going to change. And once you go around the bends, you're really going to enjoy this car.
Speaker A
So now we come to the range. Now, there is a version of the Sealion 6 the range claim, which was done by professional drivers here in the Philippines, which is actually quite high.
Speaker A
And unless we have those same guys drive it, we can't really compare. So the only comparison we can go on is the NEDC.
Speaker A
So in the NEDC, the Sea Lion 6 is claimed to be 1100 km. This one is at 1200 km based on the same cycle.
Speaker A
So there is the difference, which is unusual because both of these vehicles, they have the same battery size at 18.3 kilowatt hours.
Speaker A
So very equal battery, but the technology has gone so that this one does have a bit more range overall.
Speaker A
Another interesting fact is when it comes to charging. The Sealion 6 has a regular charging, which is perfectly fine if you're at home because the battery is only 18.3 kilowatts.
Speaker A
But this one has fast charging. So if you have access to a fast charger at a dealership or at the mall, I mean some of the malls now have faster chargers, you can easily charge up this J7 and enjoy a bit more of the pure EV range.
Speaker A
Which is going to be great if you're just cruising around town or like right now at a golf course.
Speaker A
Let me do a three-point turn now. This camera system makes it really, really easy.
Speaker A
And it's not so intrusive when it comes to the proximity warnings. That's something that I really like.
Speaker A
This one is just easy to drive. But right now we're in Hybrid mode so it does have the engine running to charge everything up.
Speaker A
Another thing I also noticed, and it's very subjective, is that there's a bit more noise from the Sealion 6 engine when you're charging at idle or at least when the engine is running at idle compared to this one.
Speaker A
And that was something that I found unusual. Even though I would have expected that a turbo engine would have been noisier but, no, the Sealion 6 does have a bit more noise when it's sitting there while we were doing our shoot.
Speaker A
But when it comes to EV mode they're all going to be equal which is going to be great because once I put it into EV mode and then I have the engine cut out and then I'm going through this
Speaker A
golf course, I'm not going to disturb anyone. I mean as we all know, golfers, they're not very fond of noise and this one produces as little of it as possible when you're cruising around just like a golf cart in electric mode.
Speaker A
It really is great that there are so many more choices coming up now if you're looking for a crossover with plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology because it gives you the best of all worlds.
Speaker A
You want to enjoy EV driving—you can. You want to gas up—you can. You want to drive it like any other hybrid without worrying about charging at all.
Speaker A
You definitely can and you can load the whole family in there. No problem. That's the great thing about this body style because it's so versatile for the whole family, for your friends, and so much more.
Speaker A
Now we come to the advantages. Well, the Sealion 6 is a more aerodynamic style from an established manufacturer with a great warranty: 6 years and 8 years for the bumper-to-bumper and for the battery, respectively.
Speaker A
But this one, it stretches it out a little bit more. The bumper-to-bumper warranty is 7 years, and same with the battery which is 8 years.
Speaker A
Which one would you pick? Well, it's really up to you. There are distinct advantages to both.
Speaker A
It's just a matter of test driving one to find out which one is a good fit for you.
Speaker A
This is Vince of AutoIndustriya. Thank you for watching! And let's do some more driving because they have some great roads here in Batangas.
Speaker A
And really good lomi too.
Topics:BYD Sealion 6Jaecoo J7 SHShybrid crossoverelectrified SUV2025 crossover comparisonPhilippine marketADAS featuresinfotainment systembattery sizecompact SUV
