I used to wonder whether the Sealion 6 deserved the hype it was getting, especially coming from a new Chinese brand competing in an industry dominated by established Japanese hybrid tech pioneers.

Let me cut to the chase and tell you what is already a well-known open secret — yes, it is. After seven days with this plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), I came away thinking this two-year-old nameplate is what, and more importantly, how all hybrids should be.

BYD got the design of the first-generation Sealion 6 right on two accounts: appeal and efficiency. The contoured surface has no angular sides and strategically placed air vents ensuring reduced wind resistance and minimal drag. It sports a full LED lighting system, including an intelligent system with auto on/off feature in front and sequential turn signals, a power tailgate, functional roof rails, and stylish aerodynamic 19-inch wheels. Its age is starting to show a little bit because two Sealion years is equivalent to 14 human years (or something like that). More modern rivals are now sporting a sleeker shape, slimmer headlamps, and more colors. The Harbour Gray on this test unit is one of only three exterior hues.

With the keyfob on me, I clicked the button on the handle to unlock the doors. As it swings open, I get an idea of why buyers get impressed even before they go on a test drive of the Sealion 6. Firstly, it is more spacious — plenty of elbow and legroom, front and rear — than a typical compact crossover, which is the segment it’s in locally. Secondly, it is visibly loaded with premium features: leather upholstery, power adjustable ventilated front seats, padded surfaces, a 12.3-inch LCD instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control with a PM 2.5 filter, a 15.6-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen, and a 10-speaker Infinity speaker system.

I love the seats. The driver’s is sufficiently bolstered and its sports-bucket styling not only looks good, the way it cradles the torso made me feel secure and confident behind the wheel. The second row has air vents, a pop-down armrest with cupholders, but the best part is the legroom. Even with the front seats set at the middle, rear passengers can still afford to slouch and cross their legs. The topping to this experience is the two wireless charging pads on the center stack and ambient cabin lighting. If you’re thinking wired charging is faster, you’re mistaken. The Type-A USB port is so weak that while my iPhone says it was charging, the battery level continued to go down while I was using it.

What makes the Sealion 6 a Pinoy-favorite is the BYD Super DM-i Technology which is comprised of a 1.5-liter engine, an 18.3-kWh battery, and a 145-kW front electric motor. The front wheels get 217-PS and 325-Nm of torque from an e-CVT (Electronically Controlled Continuous Variable Transmission). Its EV-first performance delivered one of the smoothest drives I have ever experienced in a plug-in hybrid. Acceleration is instant, which took me to the speed limit faster than I expected, but that ate a chunk of kilowatts. Fortunately, even with only about 80% (battery level), I still made it to Manila and back to Santa Rosa on full EV mode with 28% to spare. It returned 18.1 km/l in mixed driving conditions.

Complementing the Sealion 6’s suave demeanor is the comfortable behavior of the MacPherson front struts and multi-links. Plus, the acoustic panels worked marvelously, hushing exterior noise for a pleasant and sleep-inducing in-cabin experience.

The Sealion 6 only has one trim level so each one that drives out of the dealership has BYD’s DiPilot Advanced Driver Assistance Systems featuring Cruise Control (Stop & Go Full-Speed Adaptive & Intelligent, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Assist, Automatic Emergency Braking System, Front Collision Warning, Traffic Congestion Assistance, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limit Control, and Intelligent Speed Limit Information.

Aside from all of the aforementioned, the reason there is a long wait list on a Sealion 6 today is its reasonable acquisition price of P1.548 million. The powertrain setup justifies the price, but it’s the performance that makes it a great deal.