Battle of the kings

The BYD Sealion 7 takes on the Toyota Harrier to find out if electric cars can replace the long-reigning petrol-hybrid bestseller

- Christopher Tan

In the world of lions, the leader of a pride faces challengers as he ages. It is a matter of time before a younger, stronger male beats him in a fight and takes over as the new king. The ousted male is often doomed, since it is difficult for a lone lion to land prey.

In the world of cars, the tale of usurper and usurped is less straightforward, since how well a particular model sells is not determined by the ironclad laws of nature but, oftentimes, by state policies and corporate beliefs.

The petrol-electric hybrid Toyota Harrier and electric BYD Sealion 7 are two cars which illustrate this point.

The Harrier was Singapore’s bestselling premium sport utility vehicle (SUV) between the late 1990s and early 2020s. The Sealion 7 - fuelled by generous electric vehicle rebates and the absence of an electric Harrier - looks likely to occupy the throne.

But the overthrown SUV king is unlikely to fade into oblivion, as it still has a lot going for it. One, it is a hybrid, and will continue to be allowed to be sold after 2030, when Singapore is set to ban the sale of pure combustion engines.

Two, it is still a competitive and competent product, as this back-to-back review of the two cars shows.

The Harrier measures 4,740mm long, 1,855mm wide and 1,660mm tall, with a 2,690mm wheelbase and 1,665kg kerb weight.

The Sealion 7 is somewhat bigger at 4,830mm by 1,925mm, with a 2,930mm wheelbase. It is, however, a tad lower at 1,620mm, but substantially heftier at 2,225kg.

The BYD thus has more legroom. With the front seat adjusted for my 1.68m frame, there is a 28cm gap in the rear seat between my knee and the front seat. In the Toyota, this gap is 23cm, which is still adequate even if you are 1.75m tall.

Alas, the BYD’s superior rear legroom is not supported by equally generous headroom. The Toyota’s rear headroom is noticeably better.