Australia's cheapest mid-size family PHEVs: BYD Sealion 5 leads a Chinese-dominated sub-$40,000 field

Sealion 5 tops the affordability list at under $34,000

The BYD Sealion 5 Essential is the cheapest plug-in hybrid on sale in Australia at $33,990 before on-road costs, a position confirmed by both CarExpert's latest family-PHEV shopping guide and zecar's regularly updated Australian PHEV price database. The small-to-mid-size SUV pairs a 12.9kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, delivering a claimed 71km (NEDC) of electric-only range and a combined range of around 1000km, with CarExpert noting BYD's 1001km combined claim as good for minimising petrol stops on family road trips. ¹²

CarExpert's guide reports the Sealion 5 Essential offers a 463-litre boot, ISOFIX anchors for the two outboard second-row seats and top-tether anchors for all three, with the 60:40 split rear seats foldable for larger loads. The higher-spec Premium costs $4000 more and adds a powered tailgate, roof rails, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated driver's seat, a larger 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen with a nine-speaker sound system and a wireless phone charger, while lifting electric range to 100km, CarExpert reports. zecar separately lists 1.3L/100km hybrid fuel consumption, 6.6kW AC charging with no DC fast charging, and vehicle-to-load support. ¹²

There is one significant safety caveat. CarExpert notes the Sealion 5 ended BYD's five-star ANCAP streak with a three-star result under the latest ANCAP criteria, though it scored 90 per cent for rear-passenger protection in the frontal offset crash test and 100 per cent in the side impact test, with seven airbags standard. This matters for the family audience the guide addresses, even though child-occupant scores were strong. ¹

BYD's sedan and wagon PHEVs sit just behind

Second on CarExpert's list is the BYD Seal 6 Essential mid-size sedan at $34,990 plus on-road costs, just $1000 above the Sealion 5. CarExpert reports the sedan's 55km (WLTP) electric range from a 10.08kWh battery may suit families who can charge daily at home or work, while the Seal 6 Touring Premium wagon at $39,990 plus on-road costs carries a larger 19kWh pack and 100km (WLTP) of electric range with a much bigger 670-litre boot. The sedan's boot is rated at 491 litres, and CarExpert found three slim child seats fit across the rear in both body styles. ¹²

Unlike the Sealion 5, the Seal 6 holds a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 90 per cent for child occupant protection and 92 per cent for adult occupant protection with seven airbags standard, according to CarExpert. zecar characterises the Seal 6 as one of the longest-range PHEVs in Australia, estimating total range of more than 1400km for the sedan and more than 1300km for the Touring, and notes both variants use BYD's DM 5.0 Super Hybrid system with a 12.8-inch touchscreen and DiPilot Level 2 driver assistance. CarExpert separately identifies the Seal 6 as Australia's cheapest PHEV sedan and the Touring as the cheapest PHEV wagon on sale. ¹²³

Newcomers: Forthing EREV and Geely Starray EM-i

The newest entry on CarExpert's list is the Forthing Range Extender Hybrid Luxury at $36,990 drive-away, a five-seat mid-size SUV using an extended-range electric powertrain in which the petrol engine acts as a generator. CarExpert reports a claimed 170km (WLTP) of battery range — the longest in its five-car list — against a more modest 937km combined range, meaning most families could go several days between charges. The publication notes the model was formerly called the Forthing Taikon 5 and that its final Australian name remains up in the air, with Porsche and Volkswagen having trademark disputes over the Taikon name. The Forthing has not yet been ANCAP assessed and has six airbags, with ISOFIX points on the outer two rear seats only, CarExpert reports. ¹

The Geely Starray EM-i Complete is priced at $37,490 plus on-road costs, just $3500 above the Sealion 5, with the top Inspire variant at $41,490 plus on-road costs adding a panoramic opening sunroof, hands-free powered tailgate, ventilated front seats, front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera, according to CarExpert. The Complete version carries an 83km (WLTP) claimed electric range from an 18.4kWh battery, with a 943km combined range, while a 136km extended-range version offers more flexibility for families relying on public chargers. CarExpert's May 2026 cheapest-PHEVs article listed the Inspire at $39,990 before on-road costs, so the price has apparently risen since, though neither publication explains the change. zecar lists hybrid fuel consumption of 2.4L/100km, 40kW DC fast charging and V2L support, and notes the Starray set a fuel-efficiency world record on the Sydney-to-Melbourne drive — though CarExpert has separately reported that record car used a larger 29.8kWh battery not available in Australia. ¹²³

Chery Tiggo 7 Urban: NRMA's value winner despite a shrinking price edge

Rounding out CarExpert's five is the Chery Tiggo 7 Urban at $39,990 drive-away in entry-level Urban guise, rising to $43,990 drive-away for the Ultimate. CarExpert reports a 93km (NEDC) claimed electric range from an 18.3kWh battery, a 1200km combined range, three child seats fitting tightly across the second row, and a 356-litre boot — the smallest on its list but still large enough for a double pram. The publication observes the Tiggo 7 has gone from standout value to a harder sell on paper as newer, cheaper Chinese PHEVs have arrived. CarExpert's cheapest-10 article from May 2026 noted a deal, active until June 30, 2026, that brought the Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid Urban down to as little as $34,990 drive-away and the Ultimate to $38,990 drive-away, so discounted pricing in this segment may differ from list prices depending on the date. ¹²³

The NRMA's 2026 Best Value Cars awards take a different view on overall cost. In its medium SUV category, published in August 2026, the Chery Tiggo 7 Urban PHEV took first place at $39,990 drive-away, edging out its petrol sibling and the Honda ZR-V VTi X thanks to a much smaller fuel bill — $1471 in fuel and electricity over five years against the Honda's $7354. The NRMA calculated total five-year ownership costs of $36,259 for the PHEV, comprising $19,590 depreciation, $8127 in comprehensive insurance, $4900 in registration and CTP for years two to five, $1595 in servicing and $576 for tyres. The NRMA cautions the Tiggo 7 PHEV's 1.4L/100km fuel claim depends on consistent battery charging, and that failing to charge will produce a higher fuel bill than the petrol version given the PHEV's roughly 200kg weight penalty. ⁵

The NRMA's full ranking also shows how differently these PHEVs can score on running costs. The BYD Sealion 5 Essential finished fifth at $42,147 in total five-year costs, the Geely Starray EM-i Complete eighth at $42,115, and the BYD Sealion 6 Essential sixth at $42,654 — with the NRMA attributing the BYD and Geely models' lower-than-expected finishes largely to higher comprehensive insurance premiums. The Leapmotor C10 Style finished last of nearly 30 contenders on the back of its inflated drive-away price and a projected $20,000 depreciation, the NRMA reports. The NRMA's figures are NSW-based: drive-away pricing as of June 30, 2026, registration and CTP costs for NSW ownership, fuel prices from NSW averages in the first half of 2026, and comprehensive insurance premiums quoted by NRMA Insurance for a 30-year-old male living in Chatswood with a clean driving history and $1000 excess, so individual costs elsewhere in Australia will differ. ⁵

A market reshaped by Chinese brands

The affordability wave is broader than the family-car top five. CarExpert's separate list of the ten cheapest PHEVs in Australia, published in May 2026, found the entire list is now populated by Chinese vehicles priced below $50,000 — a marked change from early 2025, when just two PHEVs sat under that threshold. The publication notes models like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV have been drastically undercut, and that the Sealion 5's arrival as Australia's cheapest PHEV displaced the Tiggo 7, which had held that crown after launching in mid-2025. ³

Several models on that cheapest-10 list were also subject to time-limited drive-away discount offers reported by CarExpert as active until around June 30, 2026 — including the Chery Tiggo 7 Urban from $34,990 drive-away, the Jaecoo J7 SHS Track at $40,990, the GWM Haval H6 Lux PHEV 2WD at $40,990 and the MG HS Super Hybrid Excite at $42,990. CarExpert also reported equivalent offers running to May 31, 2026 for the Haval H6 range, meaning the discounted figures are tied to specific expiry dates rather than standing list prices. ³

zecar's August 2026 update similarly reports Australia now has more affordable plug-in hybrids than ever, with most of the cheapest options being Chinese-brand SUVs and several seven-seat PHEVs now available under $60,000, led by the Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid at $45,990 before on-road costs. zecar also notes the MG HS Super Hybrid has newly joined the cheapest-PHEV list, priced from $47,990 drive-away for the Excite variant with a 24.7kWh battery and 120km (WLTP) of claimed electric range. In CarExpert's 2026 Choice Awards, the BYD Sealion 6 was named Best Affordable PHEV SUV ahead of the GWM Haval H6 PHEV and MG HS Super Hybrid, with the publication crediting BYD's long PHEV pedigree — it launched the first mass-produced PHEV passenger car in China in 2008 — and noting the Sealion 6's base price of $42,990 plus on-road costs despite the existence of cheaper rivals including its own Sealion 5 sibling. ²⁴