WE'VE become used to seeing ‘made in China' labels attached to everything from clothes and electrical goods to kids' toys.

Now, it's getting the same with cars. From the tsunami of newcomers, one particular Chinese brand stands out - BYD, that country's best-selling manufacturer and an exporter to 33 European nations.

Already with eight models on sale in UK and having clocked up sufficient sales to put it in sixth place here, the firm is now launching a mid-size SUV which will meet head-on best-sellers like the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage.

Unsurprisingly, the BYD Sealion 5 DM-i at a shade under £30,000 undercuts most European rivals substantially and presents a stiff challenge to fellow Chinese competitors.

Of huge appeal to savvy buyers is the fact that the new Sealion 5 blends petrol and electrification into a usefully efficient plug-in hybrid, allowing owners to travel without range anxiety yet still do their bit to save the planet.

Two versions are on sale, the Comfort and the higher level Design, which costs an extra £3,000. Both are driven by 1.5-litre petrol engines but the Comfort, which we tried, gets a smaller 13kWh battery which allows it to be run for almost 40 miles by electric. The Design has an 18kWh battery giving it an electric range of 53 miles.

Both models pack ample punch with 209bhp to call on, giving acceleration to 62mph in around eight seconds - better than the class average. Most owners should easily squeeze more than 45miles from a gallon on general running.

So, with a full tank and a topped-up battery, a range of up to 631 miles is claimed.

The cabin is smart, well-built and feels easily able to withstand the wear and tear of family motoring. With black vegan leather seating and dark plastic mouldings, it doesn't quite have a prestige feel but the controls fall easily to hand and there's ample space and seating options to travel in comfort.

At 4.7metres long it's larger than many rivals, allowing decent space for rear seat passengers as well as those in the front. The rear boot, with a reasonably high platform, however is smaller than you might expect with a carrying capacity of 463 litres. With rear seats folded this expands to 1,410 litres.

We drove the Sealion 5 over a useful mix of motorways through Shropshire and North Wales, windy B-roads and - due to a navigation error - along pitted country tracks.

The suspension coped admirably with the variety of surfaces, absorbing all but the worst scars.

Noise levels, both from the tyres and mechanicals, are pleasantly low and the immediacy of the electric power - while not as noticeable as in a full BEV - was a definite benefit.

There's some body lean on corners when pressing on, but not sufficient to cause alarm or discomfort. You sit fairly high up in the Sealion allowing good all-round visibility through the deep windscreen and glass area - ideal for cross country journeys.

One quibble is the abundance of on-screen controls via the 12.8-inch touchscreen which may become easier with time and usage, but on first acquaintance was challenging, particularly the three finger swipe to control the fan speed and temperature.

Smart looking - if somewhat anonymous - and efficient with an ability to cover distances cheaply and comfortably the Sealion 5 is likely to become a BYD best seller.