BYD’s run of five-star results is over. BYD Sealion 5’s ANCAP rating came back at 3 stars, the first BYD ever rated below 5, while the M9 people mover got the full 5 in the same round of testing.
ANCAP tested both plug-in hybrids locally against its 2026-2028 Stages of Safety criteria. BYD M9 is a new people mover, and BYD Sealion 5 is a mid-size SUV. Every other BYD that ANCAP rated got 5 stars.
BYD is the country’s second-biggest seller, in a running fight with Toyota for first place, but it didn’t put the Sealion 5 forward for testing. ANCAP chose to test it anyway.
“BYD has been, and continues to be, proactive in bringing forward models for ANCAP testing,” said ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg. “However, the Sealion 5 was a model [BYD] hadn’t actively pursued for testing, and was subsequently selected by ANCAP to ensure consumers have a clear picture of its safety performance.”
Where BYD Sealion 5’s ANCAP rating slipped
In ANCAP’s crash tests, adults and children got respectable protection. The new virtual and sled assessments were less generous, showing reduced protection for larger occupants and at higher test severity.
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ABOVE: BYD Sealion 5 moving barrier and full-width frontal crash tests, then BYD M9 moving barrier, side impact and AEB cyclist tests
Crash Avoidance and Safe Driving cost it most. Some of the features the new criteria encourage aren’t offered, and there were shortcomings in established areas too. Emergency lane keeping didn’t intervene in the road-edge tests, something ANCAP has encouraged since 2018. By ANCAP’s figures, unintended lane departures account for 42% of fatal crashes and 55% of fatalities from light-vehicle crashes in Australia.
There’s no child presence detection, which ANCAP has assessed since 2023. The Sealion 5 also goes without a seatbelt misuse alert, which warns when a belt is worn incorrectly, and stature classification, which recognises an occupant’s size so the restraints respond to suit. Low-speed pedal misapplication is missing as well, and it cuts power if the accelerator is pressed by mistake with a pedestrian ahead. Several of those are fitted to the M9 and other current BYDs.
Its post-crash features are similar to the M9’s, with battery thermal management, multi-collision braking, and occupant egress options, but there’s no eCall. The 3-star rating covers both the Essential and Premium versions.
“Both the M9 and Sealion 5 have been tested against our latest 2026-2028 star rating requirements,” Hoorweg said. “These requirements continue to encourage balanced safety performance across all four stages of assessment, with the Sealion 5 not able to match the safety offering of its stablemate.”
How the M9 got 5 stars
The M9 comes standard with the Safe Driving features the new criteria encourage, including stature classification, child presence detection, and a driver distraction system. All of them performed well. AEB and lane departure prevention scored well across many of the Crash Avoidance scenarios ANCAP assessed.
Physical crash protection was good, with low occupant injury risk in almost all areas. Whiplash protection was good in the first and second rows but marginal in the third.
There are top-tether anchorages on the second-row seats and the left outboard third-row seat. Many of the child restraints ANCAP assessed couldn’t be correctly installed in that third-row position.
It scored 100% for Post-Crash. It met every emergency information requirement, passed the battery voltage isolation and fire-risk checks, and has door releases people can reach inside and out. eCall is fitted. The 5-star rating applies to seven-seat versions only.
BYD M9 and Sealion 5
| M9 | Sealion 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| ANCAP star rating | 5 stars | 3 stars |
| Versions covered | Seven-seat versions | Essential and Premium |
| eCall | Fitted | Not fitted |
| Child presence detection | Standard | Not offered |
| Stature classification | Standard | Not offered |
| Road-edge lane keeping | Not stated | Didn’t intervene |
Sources: ANCAP
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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