Toyota RAV4 vs BYD Sealion 6

The RAV4 is sold almost entirely as a hybrid now, opening at $45,990 for the GX and climbing through a long range to the plug-in GR Sport. The Sealion 6 keeps it tight with four trims, all plug-in hybrids, starting at $42,990. So the value entry points are close, with the BYD about $3,000 cheaper to get in the door.

The pricing tells the real story. If you specifically want a plug-in hybrid, the Sealion 6 gives you one from $42,990, while the cheapest RAV4 plug-in is the $45,990 XSE PHEV. That is a near-$3,000 gap for plug-in capability, and the main reason the BYD has found buyers so quickly.

The Sealion 6 carries a five-star ANCAP rating from 2023 with a full suite of assists: autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane-keep, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a 360-degree camera. The newly redesigned RAV4 has not yet been re-rated by ANCAP under the current protocols, so we list its rating as pending rather than quote the previous generation's result. Toyota's Safety Sense suite is standard and well proven, but we will only state a star rating once ANCAP publishes one for the new car.

On the road, Toyota's assists are among the least intrusive in the class, tuned over many years. The BYD's systems are comprehensive and its 2023 rating is strong, though the lane-centring and driver-monitoring can be eager until configured. Both are safe family choices on the equipment they carry.

For the money, the Sealion 6 is generously equipped. Even the Essential brings a large rotating touchscreen, synthetic leather, a powered driver's seat, wireless charging and vehicle-to-load, so you can run appliances off the battery. Step up a trim or two and you add heated and ventilated seats and a panoramic roof. It feels a class above its price on features alone.

The RAV4 is more restrained, especially at GX level, where you are paying partly for the badge and the resale rather than sheer kit count. What you get instead is Toyota's slick, dependable infotainment, a cabin built to survive a decade of family life, and the largest hybrid dealer and service network in the country. If you judge by features per dollar the BYD wins; if you judge by long-term dependability the Toyota makes its case.

This is where the two philosophies separate. The Sealion 6 is a plug-in hybrid with an 18.3kWh battery, good for around 92km of electric-only driving. Charge it at home and most commutes happen on electricity at a few cents per kilometre; BYD quotes 1.1L/100km on the combined plug-in test, though that figure assumes you start every trip with a full battery. Let the battery run flat and it drives as a regular hybrid at about 4.7L/100km, which is still impressively low.

The RAV4 takes the simpler path. Its self-charging hybrid never needs a plug, tops up its own small battery on the move, and returns a consistent 6.6L/100km whether you have a driveway charger or not. There is no range anxiety and nothing to remember. The trade-off is that it can never run a commute purely on cheap electricity the way the plugged-in Sealion can. If you have home charging the BYD is meaningfully cheaper to run; if you do not, the gap narrows and the Toyota's no-effort efficiency looks very attractive.

The clearest practical split is the boot. The RAV4 swallows 580 litres against the Sealion 6's 400, a real difference when you are loading prams, sports gear or a big shop. The Sealion gives a little back with a higher 1,000kg braked towing rating to the RAV4 hybrid's 800kg, so light-trailer users lean the other way.

Up front both cabins are roomy and modern. The BYD feels plusher thanks to all that standard equipment and its big central screen, while the Toyota feels more conventional but is faultlessly easy to use and built to last. Rear-seat space is generous in both. For outright family load-lugging the RAV4's boot is the trump card; for in-cabin gadgetry the Sealion feels richer.

BYD covers the Sealion 6 with a six-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty plus longer battery cover, edging Toyota's five-year/unlimited term on paper. On running costs the Sealion wins clearly if you can charge at home, where electric commuting undercuts even the RAV4's frugal hybrid; without home charging the two come much closer, since a flat-battery Sealion at 4.7L and a RAV4 at 6.6L are in the same ballpark.

Then comes resale, and here Toyota is in a league of its own. The RAV4 has long been one of the strongest holders of value in Australia, helped by relentless demand and a hybrid system buyers trust. BYD's resale story is still young and Chinese plug-ins have no long local track record yet, so they are likely to depreciate faster in the early years. Over four or five years the RAV4's stronger resale claws back a chunk of the BYD's lower purchase price and cheaper fuel. Charge at home and keep the car a long time and the Sealion's total cost still looks great; trade often or skip home charging and the Toyota's resale safety net is hard to beat.