23/11/2025

theSunday Special XV ON SUNDAY NOV 23, 2025

BYD unveils 2026 Seal 06 DM-i with new Ocean Series design Refreshed & improved

BYD has formally introduced the 2026 Seal 06 DM-i, a new mid-size sedan offered in two configurations priced at 96,800 yuan (around RM62,700) and 106,800 yuan (around RM69,200). The model expands BYD’s plug-in hybrid line-up with refreshed styling, updated technology and improved electric driving capability. Built on the same platform as the Qin L, the Seal 06 DM-i adopts BYD’s latest “Ocean Series” design language. The front end is defined by a closed grille paired with a large lower air intake, giving the sedan a clean and modern appearance. At the rear, a full-width taillight strip is accompanied by water-drop shaped lighting elements on each side, while a darkened lower bumper adds contrast and visual depth. The interior follows the “Ocean Family” theme, featuring smooth, curved surfaces across the door panels and seating areas. Key equipment includes a full LCD instrument display and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen as the cabin’s main interface. The centre console adopts a circu

lar layout with a compact toggle-style gear selector, framed by neatly arranged physical buttons for essen tial functions. In terms of size, the Seal 06 DM-i measures 4,830mm long, 1,875mm wide, and 1,495mm in height, with a 2,790mm wheelbase, making it slightly longer and higher than the BYD Seal that we have here in Malaysia. Powering the Seal 06 DM-i is BYD’s fifth-generation DM hybrid system, combining a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. The engine produces 101hp and 126Nm of torque, while the electric motor delivers 218hp. The system supports a pure electric driving range of up to 128km, offering substantial zero-emission capability for daily use while retaining the flexibility of hybrid power for longer journeys.

Can car makers remotely control your car?

CAN your shiny new car be remotely con trolled? The short answer is maybe; it depends on what you are driving. If you have just bought a new Suzuki Jimny, then there is no chance because that car is arguably one of, if not the most, analogue new car that you can buy today. If it is a Tesla or any of the newer Chinese or European cars, then the answer is yes. Do you have anything to be worried about? Not yet – not unless you are the government of a country. Global news outlets have been abuzz with reports of major concerns among European bus companies. The concerns arise from the fact that the Chinese made buses the companies have bought can supposedly be brought to a standstill by the Chinese government. According to a report in the Financial Times , the UK government is in the midst of carrying out a major investigation into this possibility. This investigation focuses on whether or not hundreds of Chinese-made electric buses on British roads can be remotely deactivated. The Chinese company at the centre of this investigation is Yutong, the world’s largest bus manufacturer. And officials from the Department for Transport (DfT) are working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to find out whether Yutong has the ability to remotely access the controls of the bus for software updates and diagnostics. Yutong has already supplied about 700 electric buses to the UK. The UK is not the first nation to sud denly be wary about this. The govern ments of Norway and Denmark have also started their own investigations into the same Zhengzhou-based bus company

to your BMW ID which in turn is tied to your car’s VIN number, it is very likely that the subscription stays with your ID rather than the car. So, if you sell your car, the next owner will have to pay to enjoy the subscription again. Might this affect the price of your car on the used market? It is likely. This is not exclusive to BMW or Tesla; you can do the same with a number of other car makers. All of this is not exactly the hottest, lat est news, it has been around for at least the past five years. But it seems that many people have not realised it yet that auto makers now have unprecedented access to your car. While they may not be able to summon your car away from where it is that you are, the chance of any vehicle maker remotely turning off your car is not a Hollywood script anymore. It is very real. And with the advancement of autono mous driving, we could only be a few years away from a bank physically recall ing your car in case you miss a payment on your hire purchase agreement. On the topic of Yutong, the company issued a statement to The Sunday Times saying it “strictly complies with the appli cable laws, regulations and industry stan dards of the locations where its vehicles operate.” “Data collection practises are limited to vehicle-related maintenance, optimisa tion and improvement.” The company also clarified that all data is encrypted and access controlled. “No one is allowed to access or view this data without customer authorisa tion,” and finally it added that the com pany fully complies with EU data protec tion laws.

aside, it has long been known that manufacturers can access a car to carry out updates. Tesla was among the very first to introduce over the air software updates to further enhance a car’s features as it goes through its life cycle.

with the same concerns. Norwegian transport opera tor Ruter recently conducted independent tests on Yutong buses and found that the com pany “retained remote access to the bus’s battery and power management systems.” So, in theory, the Chinese bus company could “stop or render inoperable” the bus.

And then there is the topic of subscription services where car makers offer certain features but only if the owner makes monthly pay ments. Like subscribing to Netflix. Tesla for one has long introduced sub scription services such as full self-driving capabilities where owners pay a monthly subscription fees to enjoy the service. The American company also charges a monthly subscription for premium con nectivity for features like live traffic updates, satellite-view maps, as well as music and video streaming. These fea tures are remotely deactivated if payment is not received. Car makers like BMW also charge a subscription fees for owners to enjoy fea tures like adaptive LED headlights, adap tive suspension, augmented engine sounds, smartphone integration and even activate a drive recorder. I tried to register with the BMW Malaysia website to see how much these would cost but all features are tied to a car’s VIN number, so I could not access the price list. If you do want to pay for these features, each one of them is transferred to your vehicle via an over the air update. So that means that when your subscription ends, the feature is automatically turned off. It is unclear what happens if you sell the car while the subscription is still active. But because the subscription is tied

WRITTEN BY KESHY DHILLON

However, this risk could be mitigated by removing the on-board SIM card to cut connectivity. Dannish authorities on the other hand decided against the removing of SIM cards from the buses because it would supposedly disconnect the bus from other systems. The report did not mention what those other systems were. A separate investigation was also launched by Denmark’s largest public transport company – Movia. But the com pany also emphasised that the issue of remote access is not unique to Chinese manufacturers alone. A number of electric vehicles including those from Western companies also allow remote connectivity for software updates. So, theoretically, those too can be remotely operated. So why the focus on Chinese manufac turers then? The investigations stem from heightened political scrutiny on China’s involvement in British infrastructure and technology. British lawmakers and politicians have been debating on whether the Chinese government, through seemingly inde pendent companies, is a threat to national security through cybersecurity vulner abilities. Governments and public infrastructure