DIRECT ANSWER
Make the decision from one identified vehicle.
Treat the DM-i as a complete plug-in-hybrid system, not an EV with an emergency engine. Real fuel use changes with starting charge, route speed, temperature, load, climate demand and charging frequency. Test the exact candidate from a known state and inspect its engine, EHS hybrid unit, traction battery, fuel system and thermal circuits together.
Turn model-level information into candidate-level proof. Market terminology can overlap while hardware and legal identity differ, so preserve the original name, VIN, production timing and powertrain beside every translated description. A comparison is credible only when unknowns remain labelled as unknowns.
CONNECTED DECISIONS
Use the evidence in its wider route
- Place these checks inside the broader DM-i versus EV decision so the extra engine and fuel system are weighed against the destination route.
- Because DM-i still depends on its traction battery, continue with the battery and charging evidence rather than assessing only the combustion engine.
- Turn the inspection result into a destination-ready maintenance and parts plan before accepting the candidate.
EVIDENCE FILE
Records that change the answer
Start with VIN-linked powertrain and battery labels and link it to the VIN before accepting translated trim names or catalogue photographs. Add cold-start video with fluid and cooling-system photographs so condition or equipment claims can be checked against the actual car. The remaining records establish how the vehicle operates, how it has been treated and whether the proposed route is credible.
- VIN-linked powertrain and battery labels
- cold-start video with fluid and cooling-system photographs
- route log showing starting charge, fuel level, distance, speed and climate use
- pre-drive and post-drive diagnostic reports
- version-specific service record and destination support plan
Record provenance matters as much as the file itself. Link images, scans, measurements and quotations to their source, date and vehicle. If custody changes or the seller substitutes stock, repeat the checks affected by that change instead of assuming the earlier result still applies.
DECISION TEST
Test the route, not the brochure
A seller presents the car warm, fully charged and after a short urban drive, so the engine barely operates and the dashboard shows favourable consumption. Repeat the assessment from a documented cold state and a lower battery state of charge. Include steady running, acceleration, regeneration, charge-sustaining behaviour and a restart. Record when the engine enters, whether power delivery is smooth, whether warnings appear and whether temperature remains stable.
Score evidence strength before scoring price. A transparent candidate with a disclosed preparation item may be safer than a cheaper listing whose identity, history or route compatibility cannot be reproduced for the buyer.
Inspection scope should follow the decision. For this route, check identify the exact DM-i engine, EHS and battery configuration, then test a genuine cold start and mixed EV or hybrid operation. Continue with inspect engine and high-voltage cooling circuits for condition and correct fluids and record scan the vehicle before and after a recorded mixed-mode drive. Measurements, photographs, diagnostics and test conditions are more transferable than labels such as “excellent,” “full option” or “export ready.”
Risk boundary
An official test-cycle consumption figure describes one controlled test context. It cannot predict a buyer’s delivered result, while prolonged electric driving can conceal engine, fuel-system or cooling faults until after export. A silent dashboard and a short test are not proof that the combustion side is healthy.
Do not confuse acceptance with optimism. Write the limitation, likely outcome, remedy, responsible party and allowance into the decision record. Leave purchase approval conditional when the evidence needed to narrow the risk is still obtainable.
DESTINATION CONTROL
Carry the same facts through export
Declare the vehicle as a plug-in hybrid and follow current carrier rules for battery state of charge, fuel level and dangerous-goods information. Supply the correct manual, maintenance basis and fluid specifications, and confirm that the destination can diagnose both the high-voltage and engine systems.
Align commercial, customs and transport language before the vehicle enters inland logistics. The destination must accept the actual class and the carrier must receive the correct energy declaration. Registration, insurance and local roadworthiness remain separate checks after customs.
Calculate from a named starting price to a named destination state. Show inspection, repair, inland handling, ocean freight, cover, border charges, compliance, delay allowance and local delivery separately, using a range where the responsible provider has not issued a firm figure.
BUYER QUESTIONS
Questions to settle before payment
Can the official fuel-consumption figure predict my route?
No. Model your temperature, speed, charging access, load and starting state of charge, then verify the candidate on a recorded route.
Does normal EV driving prove the engine is healthy?
No. A separate cold-start and mixed-mode test is required.
What DM-i service should be completed before export?
Use the exact maintenance record and inspection findings to decide; do not replace version-specific requirements with a generic oil change.
PRIMARY REFERENCES
Verify the current market version
BYD lists the current China-market vehicle through separate official Sealion 06 EV and Sealion 06 DM-i pages. Official pages describe the model family; the candidate still needs VIN-linked verification, and destination rules require separate confirmation.