A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance,
fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.
Best suited to:Published PerformancePublished Practicality
Specification evidence leader
SEALION 5 DM-i
Strengths
Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
Less powerful engine setup
Fewer listed safety features
Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to:Published Efficiency
Which One's Right for You?
EX-8 Van Body
Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures
SEALION 5 DM-i
Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
Full Specs, Side by Side
Open a category, then swipe sideways to compare every column
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Model Introduced Year
Current local generation year not confirmed
2026
Generation
Current South African EX-8 Van Body listing; generation notes should be kept tied to the local model year and confirmed derivative data.
First South African SEALION 5 DM-i generation
Facelift History
Model-year updates can affect trim, wheels, screens, safety equipment and colours. Use the latest South African price list when checking a specific vehicle.
No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026
Facelift Launched Since
Original current-generation version
Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending
Current
Current
Body Style
Van body truck
SUV
Color Note
Colour availability changes by model year, production batch and dealer stock, check the current colour selector before ordering.
-
Dealer Stock Note
Mid grade in the South Africa lineup
-
Model Year
2026
2026
Production Status
active
Active
Segment
Van
Medium SUV
Tare Mass Kg
2650 kg
-
Vehicle Type
Van
Passenger vehicle
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Length
6620 mm
4738 mm
Width
2100 mm
1860 mm
Height
2355 mm
1710 mm
Wheelbase
3850 mm
2712 mm
Ground Clearance (Default)
200 mm
150 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load)
Not Officially Disclosed
150 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity
100 l
52 l
Kerb Weight
2650 kg
1735 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
7800 kg
2145 kg
Payload Capacity
5150 kg
410 kg
Towing Capacity
Not Officially Disclosed
0 kg
Seating Capacity
3 seats
5 seats
Number of Rows
2 rows
2 rows
Doors
2 doors
5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius
Not Officially Disclosed
6.0 m
Front Headroom
Not Officially Disclosed
970 mm
Rear Headroom
Not Officially Disclosed
910 mm
Front Legroom
Not Officially Disclosed
1100 mm
Rear Legroom
Not Officially Disclosed
935 mm
Boot/Cargo Space
-
463 l
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Front Track Width
Not Applicable
-
Rear Track Width
Not Applicable
-
Front Suspension
Not Available
MacPherson strut
Rear Suspension
Not Available
Multi-link
MagneRide Damping
Not Available
-
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Load Bed Length
Not Applicable
-
Load Bed Width
Not Applicable
-
Climate Control
Not Available
Automatic
Power Windows
Not Available
Standard
Keyless Entry
Not Available
Standard
Push Button Start
Not Available
Standard
Wireless Charging
Wireless
Standard
Sunroof
Not Available
Panoramic
Electric Tailgate
Not Available
Standard
Rain Sensing Wipers
Not Available
Standard
Boot Space Seats Folded
Not Applicable
-
AC Type
Not Available
Automatic
Adaptive Dampers
Not Available
-
Engine Warranty
4
-
Hill Start Assist
Standard
-
Performance Data Logger
Not Available
-
Rev Matching
Not Available
-
Battery Preconditioning
Not Available
-
Bed Extender
Not Available
-
Canopy Fitment
Not Available
-
Diff Lock
Not Available
-
Difflock
Not Available
-
Front Diff Lock
Not Available
-
Intelligent Battery System
Not Available
-
Load Bed Cover
Not Available
-
Load Bed Light
Not Available
-
Load Bed Steps
Not Available
-
Loadbox Depth Mm
Not Available
-
Loadbox Length Mm
Not Applicable
-
Loadbox Rope Hooks
Not Available
-
Loadbox Tiedown Brackets
Not Available
-
Loadbox Width Mm
Not Applicable
-
One Pedal Driving
Not Available
-
Rear Diff Lock
Not Available
-
Rear Electric Motor
Not Available
-
Regenerative Braking Levels
Not Available
-
Source Model Column
ex-8-van-body
-
Sport Plus Mode
Not Available
-
Sports Bar
Not Available
-
Tailgate Damper
Not Available
-
Tailgate Lock
Not Available
-
Tow Bar Type
Not Available
-
Trim Level
mid
-
Variant Role
Commercial utility derivative
-
Vehicle To Grid
Not Available
-
Vehicle To Load
Not Available
-
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Engine
3.9-litre Turbocharged Diesel
1.5-litre Naturally Aspirated Petrol Plug-in Hybrid
Airbags not listed in official Hyundai EX8 brochure
6
ABS
Standard
Standard
Electronic Stability Control
Not Available
Standard
Traction Control
Standard
Standard
Hill Descent Control
Not Available
Standard
Hill Start Assist
Standard
Standard
Child Safety Lock
Not Available
Standard
ISOFIX Mounts
Not Available
Standard
Brake Assist
Not Available
Standard
Tyre Pressure Monitor
Not Available
Standard
Engine Immobiliser
Not Available
Standard
Seatbelt Warning All Seats
Not Available
Standard
Front Parking Sensors
Standard
Standard
AEB
Not Available
Standard
BA
Not Available
Standard
Brake Override System
Not Available
Standard
Curtain Airbags
Not Available
Standard
Driver Airbag
Not Available
Standard
EBD
Standard
Standard
Engine Immobiliser
Not Available
Standard
Hill Hold
Standard
Standard
Passenger Airbag
Not Available
Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Not Available
Standard
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Not Available
Standard
Seatbelt Reminder
Not Available
Standard
Side Airbags
Not Available
Standard
Stability Control
Not Available
Standard
TCS
Standard
Standard
Knee Airbag
Not Available
Not Available
ABS EBD
Standard
Standard
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Cruise Control
Standard
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control
Not Available
Standard
Lane Keep Assist
Not Available
Standard
Lane Departure Warning
Not Available
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring
Not Available
Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Not Available
Standard
Parking Sensors
Front and rear
Standard
Rear View Camera
Not Available
Standard
360 Degree Camera
Not Available
Standard
Autonomous Emergency Braking
Not Available
Standard
Driver Fatigue Alert
Not Available
Not Available
Traffic Sign Recognition
Not Available
Standard
Auto Highbeam
Not Available
Standard
Auto Wipers
Not Available
Standard
EV Mode
Not Available
-
Rear Parking Sensors
Standard
Standard
Reverse Camera
Not Available
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control
Not Available
Standard
Park Assist
Not Available
Standard
Around View Monitor
Not Available
Standard
Blind Spot Warning
Not Available
Standard
Forward Collision Warning
Not Available
Standard
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Seat Material
Cloth
Synthetic leather
Heated Seats
Not Applicable
Standard
Ventilated Seats
Not Applicable
Standard
Ambient Lighting
Not Applicable
Standard
Front Shoulder Room
Not Applicable
-
Rear Shoulder Room
Not Applicable
-
Steering Wheel Material
Not Applicable
Synthetic leather
Instrument Cluster Type
Digital instrument cluster
-
Interior Colour Options
3
-
60 40 Split Seat
Not Applicable
Standard
Driver Seat Adjustment
Not Applicable
Electric adjustment
Fabric Seats
Cloth
-
Passenger Seat Adjustment
Not Applicable
Electric adjustment
Interior Courtesy Lamps
Cabin trim, seating material, screen layout and driver-assistance equipment vary by derivative. Compare the chosen EX-8 Van Body grade before assuming a feature is included.
-
Interior Colours
3
-
Seat Trim
Cloth
Synthetic leather
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Infotainment System
SYNC
12.8-inch rotating touchscreen
Apple CarPlay
Standard
Standard
Android Auto
Standard
Standard
Bluetooth Connectivity
Standard
Standard
Number of Speakers
Not Available
6
Digital Instrument Cluster
Digital instrument cluster
Full LCD instrument display
USB Ports
Not Available
Front and rear USB-A/USB-C ports
Wireless Apple CarPlay
Standard
Standard
Wireless Android Auto
Standard
Standard
Infotainment Screen Size
SYNC
12.8
Infotainment Screen
SYNC
12.8
Multi Information Display
Digital display
-
Connected Services
SYNC
-
Smartphone Connectivity
Bluetooth
-
Touchscreen
SYNC
12.8
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
LED Headlamps
Halogen
Standard
Daytime Running Lamps
Not Available
LED
Fog Lamps
Not Available
Rear fog lamp
Roof Rails
Not Available
Standard
Exterior Colour Options
3
Atlantis Grey, Obsidian Black, Snow White, Time Grey
Body Type
Van
-
Led Headlights
Halogen
Standard
Exterior Colour Options
3
-
Headlamps
Halogen
Standard
Headlight Type
Halogen
Standard
Headlights
Halogen
Standard
Load Bed Liner
Not Available
-
Panoramic Sunroof
Not Available
Standard
Active Exhaust
Not Available
-
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Approach Angle
Not Available
18 deg
Departure Angle
Not Available
22 deg
Wading Depth
Not Available
363.6 mm
Terrain Modes
Not Available
Snow
Locking Differential
Not Applicable
Not Available
4WD System Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Breakover Angle
Not Available
Not Available
Energy Recovery Display
Not Available
-
Front Skid Plate Guard
Not Available
-
Ground Clearance Max
200 mm
-
Ground Clearance Min
200 mm
-
Off Road Descent Control
Not Available
-
Off Road Traction Assist
Not Available
-
Crawl Control
Not Available
-
Rear Skid Plate Guard
Not Available
-
Skid Plates Fuel Tank
Not Available
-
Skid Plates Transfer Case
Not Available
-
Terrain Mode Mud
Not Available
-
Terrain Mode Normal
Not Available
-
Terrain Mode Rock
Not Available
-
Terrain Mode Sand
Not Available
-
Terrain Mode Snow
Not Available
-
Terrain Response System
Not Available
-
Underbody Camera
Not Available
-
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Tyre Size
Not Available
225/60 R18
Front Brake Type
Not Available
Ventilated disc
Rear Brake Type
Not Available
Disc
Spare Wheel Type
Not Available
Tyre repair kit
Wheel Rim Size
Not Available
18
Fifth Wheel Prep
Not Available
-
Handbrake Type
Not Applicable
Electronic parking brake
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Service Interval
15000 km / 12 months
-
Battery Warranty
4
-
Maintenance Plan
3 Years / 45000 km
-
Engine Oil Change Interval
15000 km / 12 months
-
First Service At
15000
-
Service Plan Duration
3 Years / 45000 km
4 years/60000 km service plan (4 scheduled services)
Service Plan Distance
3 Years / 45000 km
4 years/60000 km service plan (4 scheduled services)
Alternator
120A
-
Service Plan
3 Years / 45000 km
4 years/60000 km service plan (4 scheduled services)
Service Intervals
15000 km / 12 months
-
Accessory Battery Type
Lead-acid
-
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Warranty Years
5
5 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
Warranty Kilometers
5
5 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
Roadside Assistance
5 Years
-
Anti-Corrosion Warranty
5 Years
-
Basic Warranty
5
5 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
Roadside Assistance
5 Years
-
Warranty
5
5 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
Warranty Roadside Assistance
5 Years
-
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
CO2 Emissions
Not Applicable
27 g/km
Hybrid System Type
Not Available
-
Fuel Octane Requirement
Diesel
-
Spec
EX-8 Van Body
SEALION 5 DM-i
Ownership Role
Mid
higher-equipment derivative
Pricing Role
Price on application
higher-equipment derivative
Price Zar
-
569900 ZAR
Starting Price
-
569900
Starting Price Zar
-
569900
In depth: how these cars differ
This EX-8 Van Body and SEALION 5 DM-i comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.
Performance index: EX-8 Van Body 58 vs SEALION 5 DM-i 39.
Efficiency index: EX-8 Van Body 29 vs SEALION 5 DM-i 81.
Safety-equipment index: EX-8 Van Body 94 vs SEALION 5 DM-i 92.
Practicality index: EX-8 Van Body 67 vs SEALION 5 DM-i 61.
Ownership-cover index: EX-8 Van Body 65 vs SEALION 5 DM-i not separately scored.
These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.
Model imagery
EX-8 Van Body and SEALION 5 DM-i image comparison
Open an image for its full canonical file or visit the model page for the complete vehicle record.
A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.
Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout
SEALION 5 DM-i leads by 3 points
EX-8 Van Body and SEALION 5 DM-i are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.
Performance
EX-8 Van Body +19
Efficiency
SEALION 5 DM-i +52
Safety
EX-8 Van Body +2
Practicality
EX-8 Van Body +6
Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Evidence-index leader
SEALION 5 DM-i
Performance
39/100
Efficiency
81/100
Safety
92/100
Practicality
61/100
EX-8 Van Body
Performance
58/100
Efficiency
29/100
Safety
94/100
Practicality
67/100
Ownership
65/100
What the evidence means
Evidence indexBYD SEALION 5 DM-i
leads the specification evidence index with 67 pts
vs 64 pts for EX-8 Van Body
In Hagalu's specification evidence index, SEALION 5 DM-i leads. However, EX-8 Van Body may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.
Related comparisons
Continue with closely related South Africa models and comparable body styles.
There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.
Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.
Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.
A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.
Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.
Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.
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