BYD Sealion 5 vs Toyota Corolla Cross

The BYD Sealion 5 starts from $33,990 before on-road costs, while the Toyota Corolla Cross opens at $33,490. That makes the Toyota Corolla Cross the more affordable entry point by $500.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $37,389 and $36,839 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the BYD Sealion 5 by roughly $4,705 in fuel alone.

Both the BYD Sealion 5 and Toyota Corolla Cross hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. The BYD Sealion 5 packs more ADAS features with 6 out of 10 key systems fitted, compared to 5 in the Toyota Corolla Cross.

Both include the essentials: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera. Airbag count is 7 in the BYD Sealion 5 and 7 in the Toyota Corolla Cross.

The BYD Sealion 5 features a 10.1-inch touchscreen, while the Toyota Corolla Cross gets a 8-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The BYD Sealion 5 lines up producing 156kW and 310Nm of torque, sent through a auto to a FWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds.

The Toyota Corolla Cross lines up making 90kW and 163Nm, paired to a automatic driving the front wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 9.4 seconds.

The BYD Sealion 5 has the clear power advantage at 156kW vs 90kW. In the real-world sprint, the BYD Sealion 5 is 2.1s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The BYD Sealion 5 measures 4,738mm long on a 2,765mm wheelbase, 278mm longer than the Toyota Corolla Cross at 4,460mm (2,640mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the BYD Sealion 5 generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 400L in the BYD Sealion 5 and 487L in the Toyota Corolla Cross, giving the Toyota Corolla Cross a 87L advantage.

For towing, the Toyota Corolla Cross leads with a 1,200kg braked capacity vs 1,000kg. That 200kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $342/year for the BYD Sealion 5 and $1,283/year for the Toyota Corolla Cross. That is a $941 annual difference in favour of the BYD Sealion 5.

Estimated annual total: $342 (BYD Sealion 5) vs $1,283 (Toyota Corolla Cross). The BYD Sealion 5 saves you roughly $941 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 6 years / 150,000km (BYD Sealion 5) vs 5 years (Toyota Corolla Cross). The BYD Sealion 5 has longer coverage.