BYD Sealion 7 Premium vs Kia EV5 Air Long Range: Specs Comparison

BYD offers the Sealion 7 in two trims. Kia offers the EV5 in four. The variants compared here sit $6,180 apart before on-road costs.

Both cars qualify for the federal fringe benefits tax exemption on novated leases. BYD has also run a 5 percent novated lease discount on its full EV range, including the Sealion 7, for vehicles ordered between April and June 2026.

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The Sealion 7 is longer and wider than the EV5, while the EV5 is taller and rides on a shorter wheelbase.

The Sealion 7's SUV Coupe body trades some boot space for its sloping roofline, while the EV5's more conventional SUV shape and 95mm height advantage give it a roomier-feeling cabin despite the shorter overall length. The EV5's 171kg lighter kerb weight is a notable advantage for a car carrying a similarly sized battery, likely reflecting Hyundai-Kia's E-GMP platform efficiency.

Despite a near-identical usable battery size, the EV5 covers 73km more on the WLTP cycle, a clear efficiency win at 146Wh/km against the Sealion 7's 171Wh/km. That 15 percent efficiency advantage is meaningful for buyers prioritising range over outright pace.

Outright acceleration favours the Sealion 7 by a wide margin, with a 2.2-second advantage to 100km/h thanks to 70kW more power despite carrying 171kg more weight. The two cars are closely matched on towing, with the Sealion 7 rated 150kg higher on its braked figure.

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Both cars use LFP battery chemistry. The Sealion 7 charges at the same AC rate but the EV5 has a notably faster maximum DC peak on paper, despite a comparable real-world charge time.

The two cars are closely matched on AC charging, both rated at 11kW. On DC, the Sealion 7's slightly higher peak rate translates into a faster real-world 10-80% top-up despite the similarly sized batteries. Both models feature V2L but neither car currently supports vehicle-to-home or vehicle-to-grid in Australia.

Both cars carry a five-star ANCAP safety rating and come standard with a comparable suite of Level 2 driver assistance features.

Standard on both:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane keep assist and lane departure warning
• Blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
• 360-degree camera system
• Safe exit assist

Both brands offer a similarly comprehensive Level 2 suite at this price point, reflecting how competitive the mid-size SUV segment has become on safety equipment. Neither car stands out with a meaningfully more advanced system than the other.

On infotainment, the Sealion 7 Premium pairs a 15.6-inch rotating central touchscreen with a separate 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display. The EV5 runs Kia's Integrated Panoramic Display arrangement on higher trims, giving it a similarly tech-forward cabin, though exact screen sizes vary by grade within the EV5 range.

Both include wireless phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a companion smartphone app for remote lock, climate control and charge monitoring. Neither car has a clear edge here; the choice comes down to interface preference rather than missing features on either side.

Outside the core spec sheet, each car has a handful of features the other does not offer.

Exclusive to the BYD Sealion 7 Premium:

• Lower entry price by $6,180 before on-road costs
• Substantially quicker acceleration (6.7 seconds vs 8.9 seconds to 100km/h)
• Higher V2L output (6.6kW vs 3.6kW)

Exclusive to the Kia EV5 Air Long Range:

• Longer claimed WLTP range (555km vs 482km)
• Lighter kerb weight (2,054kg vs 2,225kg) despite a similar battery size
• Larger boot capacity (513L vs 500L standard, 1,714L vs 1,358L maximum)
• Longer vehicle warranty (7 years vs 6 years)

Kia's vehicle warranty term is longer, while BYD's capped-price servicing gives buyers more cost certainty over the medium term.

Kia's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty is longer than BYD's six-year, 150,000km term, though BYD counters with a marginally longer battery warranty at eight years against Kia's seven.

BYD's Sealion 7 also carries capped-price servicing across 10 years, totalling $4,157, giving buyers a clear upfront figure for long-term running costs. Kia's shorter 15,000km service interval against BYD's 20,000km means EV5 owners visiting the dealer somewhat more often over the same distance travelled.

These two cars trade off in opposite directions. The Sealion 7 Premium is cheaper, quicker and has more features. The EV5 Air Long Range has more range, is more efficient and carries a longer vehicle warranty.

Buyers who prioritise outright value and performance per dollar will find the Sealion 7 Premium hard to beat at $6,180 less before on-road costs. Buyers who drive longer distances regularly, or who put more weight on warranty length and Kia's established Australian service network, will find the EV5 Air Long Range the more reassuring choice despite the higher price.

Both have proven themselves as legitimate mid-size SUV contenders against the Tesla Model Y, just with strengths on their spec sheets.

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