BYD SEALION 6 DM-i vs Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

BYD SEALION 6 DM-i in South Africa

BYD SEALION 6 DM-i

Premium DM-i AWD Plug-in Hybrid e-CVT Current
ZAR 799,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 96 kW 🔧 220 Nm ⛽ 17.2 km/l
VS
Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV in South Africa

Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV

PHEV Ultra Plug-in Hybrid Current
ZAR 679,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 265 kW 🔧 530 Nm ⛽ 20.4 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tiggo 7 PHEV
Fuel Economy Tiggo 7 PHEV
🛡 Safety SEALION 6 DM-i
📦 Practicality Tiggo 7 PHEV
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Tiggo 7 PHEV starts ZAR 40,000 cheaper SEALION 6 DM-i from ZAR 639,900 · Tiggo 7 PHEV from ZAR 599,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec SEALION 6 DM-i Tiggo 7 PHEV
Maximum Power 96 kW @ 5200 rpm 265 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque 220 Nm @ 1500-3500 rpm 530 Nm
Engine Size 1497 cc 1500 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 17.2 km/l 20.4 km/l
Ground Clearance 180 mm 162 mm
Boot / Load Bay 425 l 626 l
Airbags 7 Multiple airbags
Kerb Weight 2100 kg 1870 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Warranty 5 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit 7 Year / 200 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Tiggo 7 PHEV holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over SEALION 6 DM-i.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tiggo 7 PHEV +33 pts
Efficiency Tiggo 7 PHEV +10 pts
Safety SEALION 6 DM-i +5 pts
Practicality Tiggo 7 PHEV +17 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

SEALION 6 DM-i

Strengths
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use
Catalogue-index leader

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

SEALION 6 DM-i

  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Tiggo 7 PHEV

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec SEALION 6 DM-i Tiggo 7 PHEV
Model Introduced Year 2024 2026
Generation First South African SEALION 6 DM-i generation Current South Africa Tiggo 7 PHEV range
Facelift History No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026 Current South Africa version listed by official source
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2026
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status Active active
Segment Medium SUV SUV
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Tare Mass Kg - 1870 kg
Spec SEALION 6 DM-i Tiggo 7 PHEV
Length 4775 mm 4553 mm
Width 1890 mm 1862 mm
Height 1670 mm 1686 mm
Wheelbase 2765 mm 2670 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 180 mm 162 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 150 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 60 l 60 l
Boot/Cargo Space 425 l 626 l
Kerb Weight 2100 kg 1870 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2510 kg 2310 kg
Payload Capacity 410 kg -
Towing Capacity 1300 kg -
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.5 m -
Front Headroom 980 mm -
Rear Headroom 910 mm -
Front Legroom 1120 mm -
Rear Legroom 820 mm -

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

Tiggo 7 PHEV leads by 15 points

Tiggo 7 PHEV holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over SEALION 6 DM-i.

Index leader 87 /100
Lead 15 points
Data 62% source coverage
87
#1 Index leader

Tiggo 7 PHEV

62% source coverage 4 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Practicality 76
Performance 91
Efficiency 85
Safety 94
Practicality 76
Leads by 15 points
72
#2

SEALION 6 DM-i

83% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 99 Check Performance 58
Performance 58
Efficiency 75
Safety 99
Practicality 59
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tiggo 7 PHEV +33 Efficiency Tiggo 7 PHEV +10 Safety SEALION 6 DM-i +5 Practicality Tiggo 7 PHEV +17

Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

Tiggo 7 PHEV

Performance 91/100
Efficiency 85/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 76/100

SEALION 6 DM-i

Performance 58/100
Efficiency 75/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 59/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV leads the catalogue index with 87 pts vs 72 pts for SEALION 6 DM-i

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, Tiggo 7 PHEV leads. However, SEALION 6 DM-i may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives 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.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This SEALION 6 DM-i and Tiggo 7 PHEV comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: SEALION 6 DM-i 58 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 91.

Efficiency index: SEALION 6 DM-i 75 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 85.

Safety-equipment index: SEALION 6 DM-i 99 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 94.

Practicality index: SEALION 6 DM-i 59 vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 76.

Ownership-cover index: SEALION 6 DM-i not separately scored vs Tiggo 7 PHEV 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.