The BYD Sealion 5 has received a three-star ANCAP safety rating after recording weaker results in Safe Driving and Crash Avoidance assessments under the latest 2026–2028 criteria.
The plug-in hybrid medium SUV recorded an overall mixed safety performance, with stronger results in Crash Protection but shortcomings identified in several driver assistance and crash avoidance areas. The rating applies to all variants built from August 2025 onwards in Australia and New Zealand.
The Sealion 5 scored:
- Safe Driving: 48 per cent
- Crash Avoidance: 51 per cent
- Crash Protection: 79 per cent
- Post Crash: 74 per cent
- ANCAP said the vehicle provided respectable protection for adult and child occupants in physical crash testing, although newer virtual and sled assessments showed reduced protection for larger occupants and at higher crash severity.
The vehicle’s Crash Avoidance and Safe Driving performance were the main factors limiting its overall rating.
Lane support raises concerns
One of the most significant findings was the performance of the Sealion 5’s emergency lane keeping system.
The system did not intervene when the vehicle was tested in road-edge departure scenarios. ANCAP said this capability has been encouraged through its rating criteria since 2018.
The lane support system also provided limited intervention against potential collisions with oncoming or overtaking vehicles and motorcycles, with intervention available only below 70 km/h.
ANCAP noted that unintended lane departures are a major contributor to road trauma in Australia, accounting for 42 per cent of fatal crashes and 55 per cent of fatalities resulting from light-vehicle crashes.
The vehicle also does not offer child presence detection, which has been assessed by ANCAP since 2023.
Other safety features missing from the Sealion 5 include seatbelt misuse detection, occupant stature classification, front-seat out-of-position detection, and low-speed pedal-misapplication prevention.
Mixed crash avoidance results
The Sealion 5’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system can detect potential collisions involving vehicles, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, including adults and children.
However, performance varied across the tested scenarios, with limitations identified at intersections, including T-bone crashes and situations where the vehicle turned across the path of a pedestrian or cyclist.
Low-speed AEB performance was also limited, while reverse AEB avoided collisions in only a limited number of scenarios.
The driver monitoring system could identify and respond to several common forms of distraction but could not detect phone use or intervene for an unresponsive driver.
During ANCAP’s on-road assessment, the Sealion 5 correctly identified 66 per cent of speed-change events, equivalent to 95 per cent of the distance driven.
Crash protection remains stronger
The Sealion 5 recorded a 79 per cent score for Crash Protection, with maximum scores achieved for adult and child occupants in the side-impact test.
However, ANCAP identified a higher risk of injury to the driver’s chest and lower legs and the front passenger’s neck in the frontal offset test.
The vehicle also received a deduction for crash compatibility in head-on crashes, where it presents a higher risk to occupants of an oncoming vehicle if struck.
Additional sled and virtual testing found that protection was not as strong across different occupant sizes and crash severities.
A centre airbag performed effectively in limiting movement between the driver and front passenger during a side crash.
The vehicle’s curtain airbag rollover protection also attracted a penalty because BYD did not provide evidence that it would deploy in a rollover crash or remain inflated for the required period.
Post-crash performance
Rescue information met ANCAP requirements, with a rescue sheet and emergency response guide available. Multi-collision braking and hazard lights also activate following a crash.
As a plug-in hybrid, the vehicle demonstrated effective post-crash fire-risk management and appropriate battery voltage isolation in three of the four destructive crash tests.
However, voltage did not reduce to the required level within the specified time in the full-width frontal test, resulting in a penalty.
The Sealion 5 does not provide eCall functionality, and BYD did not demonstrate that its windows would remain functional if the vehicle became submerged.
ANCAP selected Sealion 5 for testing
ANCAP Chief Executive Carla Hoorweg said the Sealion 5 was the first BYD model tested by ANCAP to fall short of the brand’s established five-star record.
“BYD is leaving a noticeable mark on the Australian and New Zealand new car markets, quickly rising to become Australia’s second highest-selling brand since its arrival in 2022.”
Hoorweg said BYD had generally been proactive in bringing its vehicles forward for testing, but the Sealion 5 had not been actively pursued for assessment by the manufacturer.
“Since then BYD has been, and continues to be, proactive in bringing forward models for ANCAP testing. However, the SEALION 5 was a model the brand hadn’t actively pursued for testing, and was subsequently selected by ANCAP to ensure consumers have a clear picture of its safety performance.”
She said the latest rating requirements were designed to assess balanced performance across all four stages.
“Both the M9 and SEALION 5 have been tested against our latest 2026-2028 star rating requirements. These requirements continue to encourage balanced safety performance across all four stages of assessment, with the SEALION 5 not able to match the safety offering of its stablemate.”
The result contrasts with the five-star rating recently awarded to the BYD M9, which ANCAP assessed alongside the Sealion 5.
“The results produced through ANCAP’s independent vehicle selection and testing provide valuable information for consumers who, without it, may be unclear as to how different vehicle models compare,” Hoorweg said.
The three-star rating applies to all BYD Sealion 5 variants and was assessed against ANCAP’s 2026–2028 criteria. The rating expires in December 2034.
Download the full safety report for the BYD Sealion 5.
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