BYD will undercut the Kia Sportage and Ford Kuga with a new plug-in hybrid SUV called the Sealion 5, available to order now from just under £30,000.

The Sealion 5 is BYD's ninth car in the UK and its fourth PHEV, joining the technically related DM-i versions of the Seal U, Seal 6 and Atto 2.

It measures 4.74m long, putting it about halfway between Kia's Sportage and Sorento.

As standard it uses a PHEV powertrain that combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for 215bhp and a 0-62mph time of as little as 7.7sec.

Energy is stored in either a 13kWh or 18.3kWh battery, the latter of which is good for 53 miles of electric-only range and helps the SUV achieve 134.5mpg and combined CO2 emissions of just 48g/km on the WLTP test cycle. 

The Sealion 5 is available in two trims: entry-level Comfort, at £29,995, includes 'vegan leather' upholstery, a 12.8in touchscreen, smartphone mirroring, a six-way adjustable driver's seat and a rear-view camera.

Top-spec Design trim – with the larger battery – adds £3000 and brings welcome lights, an electric boot lid, front parking sensors, a 360deg camera, a wireless phone charger and heated front seats.

The first cars are due in UK showrooms on 7 February, with customer deliveries to begin shortly after.