Battle of the kings: Petrol-electric hybrid Toyota Harrier v electric BYD Sealion 7

SINGAPORE – 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 best-selling 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.

The Sealion 7, being 70mm wider than the Harrier, does not quite translate to hip room in the rear. Measured from armrest to armrest, both cars are 136cm across, although the BYD’s completely flat floor bodes well for the middle occupant.

As for boot space, both cars will accommodate a bi-fold bicycle with its handlebar detached, although you will require more manoeuvring with the BYD. The Chinese car, however, offers extra stowage in the form of a sizeable frunk and space below the centre console.

The BYD test car’s tailgate release mechanism is regularly glitchy, and its windscreen wipers in intermittent setting do not work as intended.

The Toyota test car lives up to the brand’s dependable reputation. It requires you to activate the brake hold function each time you start a journey, while the BYD remembers the setting.

Isofix anchors for child seats in the BYD are located on backrests, which may prove uncomfortable for plus-sized occupants. Those anchors in the Toyota are more suitably situated – in the gap between the backrest and seat cushion.

The BYD comes with a panoramic glass roof, which makes the interior brighter and airier. The Toyota’s climate control, including seat cooling, is more powerful, while its doors are lighter. Both cars have one-touch windows, but only the Toyota offers courtesy access on the driver’s seat.

The Chinese car has a more sophisticated infotainment system, with wireless phone pairing and a host of safety features that can be disabled. But like many Chinese cars, navigating its menu can be bewildering initially. I have to resort to voice command to switch on the radio, as I cannot find the icon.

The latest version of the Harrier has a slightly larger infotainment screen than its predecessor, but phone pairing is still restricted. This would not have been so bad if its built-in navigation was more comprehensive. The car is now equipped with rear pedestrian alert, which is similar to the Sealion 7’s rear cross-traffic alert.

On the go, the Harrier outshines the Sealion 7 on several fronts. Its ride quality is better, presumably aided by its lighter weight and 18-inch wheels with high-profile tyres. Its rival has 19-inch wheels shod with lower-profile rubbers. The Sealion 7 handles its enormous weight admirably, but cannot match the Harrier’s light-footedness.

The Harrier makes tighter turns, too. Thanks to better visibility, it is easier to drive. The adaptive cruise control on the two cars works equally well, and both are equipped with head-up display, which also projects navigation instructions.

The Harrier has a higher ground clearance, which makes it more SUV-like than the Sealion 7. Styling-wise, the Harrier remains fresh, elegant and blessed with better proportions than the Sealion 7, which appears a little chunky.

Although the BYD is electric and inherently quieter, its undercarriage noise is significantly more obvious than in the Toyota. Immense and instantaneous torque makes filling gaps and overtaking effortless in the BYD, although the Toyota is far from a laggard on this front, thanks to its refined engine-motor interface.

The Harrier averages 5.1 litres/100km, which is not too far from its declared 4.6 litres/100km. With its 55-litre tank, this translates to a range of 1,078km. The Sealion 7 averages 19.1kWh/100km, which is slightly better than its stated 20kWh/100km.

The BYD’s 82.5kWh battery has 69 per cent of charge and 332km of range remaining at the end of the test drive, which implies a full charge is good for 480km – as declared by the manufacturer.

Based on average distance of 16,000km a year, the Harrier will incur $1,880 a year in 95-octane petrol (after credit card discount), while the Sealion 7 will incur $1,749 a year (if plugged into the cheapest HDB slow chargers).

The Sealion 7, however, has an annual road tax of $2,264, compared with $1,784 for the Harrier. This negates the BYD’s lower running cost. Insurance, maintenance and repair expenses differ between the two cars, but can vary vastly according to individual driver profile.

While it is clear each car has its own strengths and weaknesses, it is equally clear that the Harrier will not be completely overshadowed by the new challenger.

Some may baulk at the Toyota’s significant price premium, but this gap narrows considerably when annual depreciation is considered.

Toyota Harrier 2.5 Premium

Price: $281,888 with COE (four bids) and applicable discounts
Engine: 2,487cc 16-valve inline-4 paired with electric motor
Transmission: Continuously variable with manual select, front-wheel drive
Power: 215hp
Torque: 221Nm
0-100kmh: 8.1 seconds
Top speed: 180kmh
Fuel consumption: 4.6 litres/100km
Range: 1,196km
Agent: Borneo Motors
Rating: ★★★☆☆

BYD Sealion 7 Premium

Price: $217,388 with guaranteed COE and applicable discounts
Motor: Synchronous with 82.5kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed, rear-wheel drive
Power: 308hp
Torque: 380Nm
0-100kmh: 6.7 seconds
Top speed: 215kmh
Power consumption: 20kWh/100km
Charging capacity: 150kW DC; 11kW AC
Range: 480km
Agent: E-Auto
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Follow Christopher Tan on Instagram @chris.motoring