BYD Seagull Reviews

Many Aussie have bought their first ever EV in 2026 and it’s changed the new car market forever. The Iran war's impact on fuel prices is often put forward as a key reason why more people than ever are making the electric car switch, but that's not the full story. Ed Harvey, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Australasian home EV charger manufacturer Evnex, told CarsGuide it was fuel security that started to sway buyers. “It flipped the argument,” Harvey said. “The fuel prices have not just really strengthened the cost-saving argument, but also I think it's the first time that people really started talking about energy security or transport security.” Range anxiety has put many buyers off EVs.  It combines a fear of running out of charge with having nowhere to charge it. Harvey said the fuel crisis brought about by the Iran war and the closing of the integral Strait of Hormuz in March 2026 started to change buyer perception. Buyers can now save as much as $3600 a year in just fuel costs by making the EV switch, according to Evnex's research, but Harvey said fuel security also started to cause anxiety with panic fuel buying leading to localised shortages. The federal government relaxed fuel standards and released reserves, while launching a $20 million “Every little bit helps” fuel conservation advertising campaign. Harvey said it was fuel availability not fuel prices that "flipped the script" for many buyers. Drivers worried about where they could fill up as opposed to where they could charge up, for the first time. “I think that really changed how people thought about energy security and our reliance on imported fossil fuels,” Harvey said. “I knew some people with petrol or diesel vehicles that were asking friends to borrow electric vehicles for the holiday period because they were nervous they might not be able to get where they needed to go.” BYD Australia’s Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins told CarsGuide higher fuel prices and fuel shortages contributed to exponential EV uptake earlier in 2026. Collins described the early stages of the fuel crisis period as a “pivotal point” and an “unprecedented time”. “That March, early April period - I think it was genuinely only a four-week period where we saw a big spike in orders,” Collins said. “I think there were a lot of people that were on the cusp of buying an EV and that tipped a lot of people into ‘I’ll just make the decision now’. “It was a pretty tumultuous time, so I think there’s some truth to that.” The Electric Vehicle Council’s (EVC) 2026 ‘State of EVs’ report found buyers purchased one EV every 100 seconds in the first half of 2026. Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales contributed to more than a quarter of all new car sales in the first half of the year, compared to roughly one in every 10 in the first half of 2025. Where there are competitive EV choices, buyers are making the switch, such as the mid-size SUV segment. The BYD Sealion 7, Geely EX5 and Tesla Model Y have consistently featured among the best-selling cars in Australia in 2026, and have experienced unprecedented growth. There hasn’t been the same growth in some other large segments of the market, and this is because competitive EV choices are still emerging, according to Electric Vehicle Council Chair and Origin Energy E-mobility GM Chau Le. “In each of these segments, EVs are becoming competitive, but we're not quite there yet in some of the segments,” Le told CarsGuide. “We're still a bit out, but with more EV models coming in and improvement in battery technology, it's only a matter of time until we're competitive across all segments.” There are no electrified utes that reach the balance of affordability, capability and driveability that their diesel counterparts have yet. Diesel-powered utes like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux continue to be a significant component of the new car market. Once competitive electric ute choices emerge, the ute segment will likely follow a similar transformation to the rest of the new car market. New car buyers' priorities have shifted permanently, and there's nothing fuel prices or supplies can do to change it.

Australia’s EV buying growth has just been put on a global scale. AutoNews has released its “Global EV Report” looking at electric vehicle uptake around the world. Combined fully-electric and plug-in hybrid sales in Australia grew from just one per cent in 2025 to 15 per cent by 2025. The report confirmed BYD as the world’s leading EV manufacturers, with Tesla and Geely also making major contributions, which is reflected in their sales performance Down Under. It’s forecast that more than 66 per cent of the world’s EVs will be built in China in 2026.  Australia’s EV sales grew by 14 percentage points between 2020 and 2025, according to the report, which is more than South Korea, the United States and New Zealand for the same period.  Australia’s EV uptake still lags behind many of the world’s biggest markets.  China’s EV sales have grown by 47 points, while EV sales in the United Kingdom grew from 11 per cent to 35 per cent.  This news follows the Electric Vehicle Council’s “State of EV’s” report that found one in four new vehicles sold in the first half of 2026 were either fully-electric or PHEV in Australia. The EVC noted sales must still increase tenfold to reach a targeted five million EVs on Aussie roads by 2035.  Australia’s market is well set up for large-scale EV uptake because it has limited import restrictions and associated costs compared to other countries.  This differs from Europe, for example, which has placed hefty tariffs on Chinese imported EVs as it aims to protect its local carmaking industry.  Australia's open market allows Chinese automakers to rapidly roll out new models Down Under, several of which have become top sellers. The predominantly China-built Tesla Model Y mid-size SUV is the best-selling EV in Australia, while the closely-rivaling BYD Sealion 7 isn’t far behind.  Other EVs, including the Geely EX5 and Zeekr 7X have also taken the market by storm in 2026, at the expensive of some Australia's previous petrol- and diesel-powered favourites. Nepal led global EV market share growth between 2020 and 2025 with a 58 percentage point jump, with electric and plug-in hybrid representing 68 per cent of all new vehicle sales.  Vietnam also saw substantial growth, going from no EV sales to 41 per cent in the five-year period.  Singapore saw a comparable surge, climbing from three per cent in 2020 to 40 per cent in 2025. Norway had an incredible 97 per cent of its new car sales that were represented by EV and PHEV in 2025. The United States has one of the worst EV uptake rates for the period, according to AutoNews.  It only grew from two per cent to 10 per cent across the five years, with only Canada and New Zealand recording less growth.  This slower uptake is due to trade barriers such as the US government’s 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made EVs, as well as national security and surveillance concerns restricting imports further.  While BYD, Tesla and Geely produce the most EVs, Volkswagen also registers a strong contribution, along with Leapmotor and Hyundai.

China has revolutionised new cars and it is only the beginning. The China Society of Automotive Engineers has come together to show carmakers and third-party suppliers aren’t sitting on their laurels and are planning a big 2027. These are the trends and tech to revolutionise it all again in 2027, according to the gaggle of engineers. This game-changing technology is becoming a reality. The futuristic cells are entering the pilot production stage with an energy density of 400Wh/kg, which is more than double that of conventional electric car batteries. Solid-state batteries are said to be more energy dense, less fire prone and faster to charge than current batteries. This means range can be doubled, or carmakers can use batteries half the size for the same driving range as current EVs. This will allow for lighter, more efficient EVs and will make electric utes, 4WDs and sports cars more palatable.  Nearly every carmaker and battery supplier on the planet is working on this. Watch this space. Harnessing the stored energy inside a car’s battery to power homes and neighbourhoods during times of high power demand and emergencies is the holy grail of EV capabilities. This technology isn’t just being trialled in China, but is also being tested in Australia where is is arguably more valuable. V2G when paired with solar can effectively allow owners to live off the grid and to earn money by sending power back to the grid during peak times. The infrastructure is what is holding it up, the majority of electric cars are not yet set up to handle V2G and it can void the warranty if owners try to use the tech now. Chinese carmakers such as BYD, Geely, MG and others are trialling die-casting using a magnesium alloy which is lighter, stronger and better at reducing vibration than current materials. The die-casting method will make for more affordable construction methods thanks to reduced components, while the material will make EVs more efficient and pleasant to drive via increased structural rigidity and reduction of NVH. This new tech could revolutionise mining operations with a group of trucks following a prescribed route - from the mine to port for example - with one elad vehicle and several following it along major roads. This helps reduce the cost of freight, improve safety and reduce fuel use due to the following vehicles benefitting from reduced drag. 3D printing is common, but an emerging tech is 3D printing using metal. It can be used to make vehicle structures and complex single-piece mouldings. There are numerous constraints currently with the technology, but it has the potential to reduce weight from fewer parts used. It can improve strength, durability and crash safety performance by creating a stiffer structure with fewer welds. The engineers society believe there will be significant breakthroughs next year. Low-cost metal powders are expected to be used as building materials, plus layer thickness to make sturdier structures and improved printing performance. This works by cars and infrastructure all talking to each other to help make collaborative scenarios.  This can help improve road safety with advanced identification of hazards and reduced crash scenarios. It can also help reduce traffic with traffic lights prioritising the flow of traffic in real time rather than on set parameters. It also allows for better pedestrian safety with the cars able to effectively see around corners and other blind spots thanks to integration with static infrastructure and public cameras.

BYD's recently expanded Shark 6 PHEV range now includes a cab-chassis variant. But does this new work-focused offering have the payload/towing capabilities to attract tradies and hardcore adventurers alike?

BYD has smashed through a sales milestone. The brand said it has made more than 50 per cent of its total revenue from export markets, rather than from its domestic sales in the Chinese market. This is due to BYD’s efforts in the last several years growing both its exports and its overseas manufacturing efforts in order to escape a stagnant Chinese new car market, which has contracted after a long period of explosive growth. The brand’s sales in China declined by 12 per cent, but it grew its exports by a whopping 137 per cent, to well over half a million units, according to BYD’s third quarter numbers for 2026. The Chinese market has reached a level of saturation and stagnation after several years of a bruising price war, which many competitors have pointed the finger at BYD’s aggressive domestic pricing strategy, overseas markets have become a crucial battleground for their future growth aspirations. Profit margins on vehicles sold in Australia, Europe and South America are exponentially higher than cars sold domestically in China. This is part of the reason sticker prices in the Chinese market are significantly lower than those we see in other markets. Price tags for the Australian vehicles generally attract a 15 - 20 per cent premium over the equivalent spec offered in China. Part of this will be down to right-hand drive conversion costs, and higher compliance costs for vehicles to meet Australia’s notoriously strict design standards and high bar for a maximum five-star ANCAP score. One analyst, as quoted in Nikkei Asia’s analysis of BYD’s latest sales numbers, said the company earns “roughly 10 times more profit per vehicle abroad than in China”. A part of this is vehicles sold in developed markets like Australia are offered in higher trim levels than they are in the Chinese domestic market, although the slew of larger, more expensive 4WDs and growth of luxury sub-brands like BYD’s Denza or Geely’s Zeekr are also massively helping to buff profit margins. GWM proclaims that it has doubled its average sale price in the last seven years in Australia as it has introduced pricier, better-featured vehicles, both from its Haval SUV brand and its Tank off-road brand further up the price scale. “The year-on-year increase in volume has also come with new cars at more expensive price points. If we can do that at the same time as showing customers value no matter the price then we’re on the right track." the brand’s Executive General Manager of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver told CarsGuide recently. GWM is set to introduce its dedicated luxury arm Wey into Australia before the end of 2026. While Chinese brands continue to dominate the sales charts in Australia, where the barrier to entry is significantly lower, automakers like BYD, Geely, and Chery are facing tariffs in Europe and the USA as those jurisdictions move to protect their own domestic automaking capabilities. This is putting a cap on their respective ambitions, but each brand is also moving to diversify and acquire manufacturing capacity not only across Europe, but also in other strategic markets like South Korea and closer to home in South East Asia. Legacy automakers are feeling the crunch. Domestically this means household names like Subaru and Nissan dropping out of the race to be a top-10 automaker by sales, but internationally it means a massive squeeze in profit margins, big expenditure in research and development, and a large reduction in market share. This has resulted in many large international brands like Volkswagen and Nissan resorting to closing factories or cutting jobs by the thousands, with some brands needing to embrace Chinese joint-venture partnerships more closely to build more competitive models for export. Nissan, for example, shut down its historic Oppama factory in Japan as part of its Re:Nissan business overhaul, as it looks to reduce its capacity by a million units. As of the end of September 2026, the top-10 rankings in Australia are: Toyota (152,944 units) BYD (76614 units) Ford (61104 units) Kia (60800 units) Mazda (58865 units) Hyundai (56009 units) GWM (44959 units) Tesla (41705 units) Chery (38022 units) MG (36832 units)

BYD’s ultra-luxury YangWang division has teased an upcoming flagship sedan, in an unprecedented move for the brand. The teaser image reveals an ultra-luxury sedan, complete with hints of rear-hinged ‘suicide’ doors, a two-tone paint scheme and much more traditional design cues. A translation of the post has Yangwang promising the sedan will “outline the grandeur of the East” and will be an “ultra-luxury executive flagship sedan.” The new model will sit above YangWang’s existing line-up of non-SUVs, including the U7 four-door GT and U9 hypercar. It will debut in the United Arab Emirates in November of this year, according to Chinese media. The same outlets also say the sedan will be five and a half meters long and cost in excess of two million RMB (A$430,000). It is understood BYD is plotting a market entrance for YangWang in Australia, and has previously brought Chinese-market examples of the U9 and U8 SUV Down Under as a preview of what to expect in the future. In fact, the U8 recently appeared in government approval documentation for our market, equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and four electric motors, producing a combined 880kW. Torque is yet to be revealed, but in China it produces more than 1280Nm. For now, BYD’s local spokespeople are quiet on the timing for the launch of the YangWang brand locally. The brand sits above the already-established luxury Denza marque, although it is unclear at this stage what branding the models will wear. The flagship sedan has a distinctly lower likelihood of an Australian launch given how small the demand for sedans is locally, it should showcase impressive drivetrain and interior tech for the brand. It is, of course, expected to be able to fully utilise BYD’s ‘flash charging’ technology, and could even debut solid state battery tech for the brand. At the rear its styling is reminiscent of category stalwarts like the Bentley Flying Spur, while the overall silhouette and blocky face feels as though it could have been influenced by Jaguar’s upcoming and highly controversial Type 01 GT. Meanwhile, the teaser and official camouflage images clearly show the brand’s signature headlight profile, also seen on the U8 SUV. Expect to learn more about YangWang’s new flagship at its November reveal.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles, or PHEVs, are exploding in popularity in Australia as better value models flood in, but a new report claims this particular type of electrified vehicle is six times worse for the climate than official numbers suggest. The report from Transport & Environment, a Brussels based advocacy group for clean energy, says the gap between official WLTP emissions numbers and those assessed in the real world is rapidly expanding, despite more recent plug-in hybrid models focusing on pure electric driving range. Transport & Environment says data collected by the EEA (European Environment Agency) on real-world emissions for PHEVs proves the technology is almost as bad as emissions from petrol and diesel cars, offering just a 14 per cent emissions reduction against an 83 per cent reduction claim according to official WLTP numbers. The reason, the group says, is because a focus on heavier cars with bigger batteries and longer electric driving ranges did not correlate to better emissions performance, with the best indicator instead being the power of the electric motor. In the study, plug-ins with electric motors 25 per cent more powerful than their combustion engines cut real-world emissions by a third, and up to 20 per cent even when the battery was drained. Transport & Environment concluded the ‘utility factor’ correction applied in European emissions rules encouraging automakers to increase battery size to reduce official emissions numbers fails to account for the fact that PHEVs are only driven, on average, 27 per cent of the time in fully electric mode. This means the rest of the time, when the battery is discharged, the engine must work harder to drag around the larger battery, skyrocketing the car’s real-world emissions. The group argues that amending these concessions to the official number to account for this would encourage automakers to improve drivetrain efficiency rather than simply increase battery size. Lucien Mathieu, cars director at Transport & Environment, went so far as to say: “A decade after Dieselgate, it is outrageous that Europe is once again debating whether to keep using misleading emissions to sell cars. “The European Parliament and Council have a clear choice, protect drivers’ wallets or allow carmakers to continue lying to consumers.” This matters in Australia, as automakers rely on the same official emissions numbers to comply with our market’s recently-introduced emissions regime, the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). The rules crack down on a car’s official CO2 numbers, imposing fines on automakers whose fleets exceed thresholds similar to those in the European Union. As a result, a flood of new plug-in hybrids at more competitive price points have been rushed to the Australian market, from ultra-affordable options like the new BYD Atto 2 DM-i (from $24,990) to the ultra-mainstream Toyota RAV4 PHEV (from $59,515). Plug-in hybrid tech is seen as the future of the ever-popular ute segment, which is more ill suited to full EV technology due to the weight of batteries limiting payload and towing capacity. To that end, BYD’s Shark 6 has single-handedly caused a technology shift in the segment, introducing plug-in hybrid technology to the historically diesel-dependent sector. In an attempt to cash-in on the runaway success of the Shark 6, many automakers are plotting PHEV utes and large off-road SUVs for our market, including the much-hyped Nissan Frontier Pro and intriguing Chery Stockman, which uses new diesel plug-in tech. Whether European emissions laws will be amended following these revelations remains to be seen, as Australia’s NVES regime is largely based on established Euro rules.

BYD has taken the Australia market by storm in 2026, but it’s come with more scrutiny for the brand as it targets top spot. The brand has come under fire from several national-level stories in 2026, but Collins said BYD expected and was prepared for the extra scrutiny. “I think with success comes scrutiny and that’s fine,” Collins told CarsGuide. “We want to be a good corporate citizen, and with scrutiny comes improvements and that’s important for us.” This follows high-profile coverage of controversies for BYD, including an extensive report from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Four Corners program in September 2026. Collins said the increased public and media attention reflects the brand’s success, but its perception ultimately rests with buyers. “Our job is to bring BYD’s best global technology and value for money cars to the market, and in the end, the customers decide,” Collins told CarsGuide. BYD has been a distant second to Toyota in 2026, despite its record-breaking year on the sales charts, but this hasn’t stopped Collins from aspiring to take out the number one spot. BYD came close to toppling Toyota in June 2026, when it sold 18,881 units compared to the Japanese giant’s 19,124. Toyota held just 0.2 per cent lead over BYD on market share. June proved to be the perfect storm for BYD with a shipment of nearly 5000 vehicles arriving. Buyers were seeking an electric solution to the fuel crisis, while Toyota was also suffering a sales slump as it awaited the new generation of its hugely popular Toyota RAV4 to hit showrooms. Collins said that getting BYD’s “ecosystem” in Australia right will be crucial to its pursuit of top honours, but viewed Toyota as an example to follow. The ecosystem refers to the full package, from entering the showroom to servicing and ensuring buyers return the next time they want a car. “I think the ecosystem is really important and we’ve got an eye on retention of customers as well,” Collins told CarsGuide. “We know that the good brands, and Toyota is the best at it and have been for many, many years and there’s a good reason for that. “We know that they’re the benchmark, so we’ve got a way to go but we have a very clear vision on what we need to do. “Anyone in anything, sport or whatever it may be would always aspire to be number one and if you're not driven like that in such a competitive market, there's a problem.” A Four Corners report showed functions like headlights and wipers on a Shark 6 ute being remotely controlled by a hacker. It prompted an extensive internal investigation from the brand, concluding that while the Shark 6 was hacked, to do so required prior physical access to the car. BYD said it was working on an over-the-air update to rectify the issue and will continue to develop any necessary fixes. The ABC also covered sections of BYD’s privacy policy that referred to data collection in connection with "suspected illegal or improper activities" and that this could be done through "surveillance activities", but these references were swiftly removed. A spokesperson for BYD Australia told CarsGuide at the time that it "strenuously denied” any inference policy changes were made as a result of the investigation. The Sealion 5 mid-size SUV became the first BYD model that failed to achieve a five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) safety rating. ANCAP independently purchased Sealion 5 models to conduct testing, awarding it a three-star rating. ANCAP’s Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said BYD did not put the Sealion 5 for testing. “BYD is leaving a noticeable mark on the Australian and New Zealand new car markets, quickly rising to become Australia’s second highest-selling brand since its arrival in 2022,” Hoorweg said.  “Since then BYD has been, and continues to be, proactive in bringing forward models for ANCAP testing. “However, the Sealion 5 was a model the brand hadn’t actively pursued for testing, and was subsequently selected by ANCAP to ensure consumers have a clear picture of its safety performance.”

BYD has surged up the sales charts, but its Australian Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins is now turning his attention to an area other brands are lagging behind in. The brand has announced an extensive after-sales revamp, confirming more than 580,000 of parts are stored in Australia, allowing it to fill 95 per cent of dealer orders locally.  BYD doesn’t just want parts to be more accessible and delivered faster. It’s also targeting a less than seven-day wait to book a service. “I think it’s a big part of the whole ecosystem that BYD is investing in. Some other brands, I won’t name them, but you probably know them, are lagging behind in this area,” Collins told CarsGuide.  “We know that some brands are way beyond that , and we think that’s just not acceptable.” The brand has opened up a parts facility in Melbourne that houses parts across 15,000 square metres and is staffed by a team of 40 people.  It’s by far BYD’s biggest parts warehouse to date, and is designed to help with speedy delivery times to dealers.   The Chinese giant said it can deliver parts to local dealers within 24 hours or at most one week for remote and rural areas.  Most interstate deliveries should take two or three days, according to BYD.  Collins said these moves are designed to build trust with existing customers and future buyers.  “I think it’s just a basic requirement and expectation for customers when you get your car serviced or something goes wrong, we have the parts available, we have the service bays available,” Collins told CarsGuide.  A report from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) in July 2026 revealed long car repair wait times.  Dealers admitted customers, especially EV owners, can face delays of between six and eight weeks for an issue just to be diagnosed due to workshop backlogs.  The report went on to read that some manufacturing faults can even take months or years to be correctly diagnosed.  Dealers have been refusing to accept tow-ins or diagnostic work for cars not originally sold in that specific showroom.  Some dealers pointed the finger at car manufacturers for slow resolution times to faults for customers.  Collins said BYD’s decision to announce these initiatives wasn’t driven by the findings in the AADA report, nor any other political factors.   “We made the decision well before that ,” Collins said.  “We took over from an independent distributor in July last year . Before that time, we’d already made these investment decisions. “It was very much a part of our longer term strategy not driven by any pressure or any political pressure.”

BYD’s answer to the G-Wagen could be on its way to Australia. BYD sub-brand Yangwang's U8 ultra-luxury 4WD has just been approved for sale in Australia as the new brawler gears up to tackle the high-end segment. The U8 measures up at 5319mm long, making it substantially longer than the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series (4980mm). It's a rival to the Range Rover ($281,527) and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class ($214,900), both before on-road costs. Yangwang is BYD’s luxury sub-brand, meaning it will likely be the brand's most expensive model to date. Government documents show the U8 will use a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, making 145kW, and an electric motor set-up. The U8 is a range-extender hybrid, so the engine exclusively powers the battery, while four electric motors drive the wheels to produce 880kW. This range-extender set-up is more powerful than the recently announced Geely Battleship 700's tri-motor plug-in hybrid system that produces 830kW. BYD hasn’t revealed the official torque figure, but it’s expected to be mega, because in China it registers more than 1280Nm. The U8 has a rugged four-wheel-drive system and sturdy ladder-frame chassis, riding on either 20-inch or 22-inch wheels. It can tow the industry standard 3500kg with a braked trailer and 750kg unbraked. At this stage, the U8 will only be available in a five-seater configuration Down Under. There is no news on the size of the U8's battery, but it’s equipped with a 49kWh unit in China. This offers an electric-only driving range of 180km, according to generous CLTC standards. Aussie buyers can expect the U8's total range figure to be more than 800km in the real world when it gets here. BYD has featured the U8 in a range of high-profile stunts, including a bizarre test where it dropped tree trunks onto the roof of the 4WD. Sales approval documents don’t always confirm a car will go on sale in Australia, but it dramatically increases the likelihood of it arriving here. Gaining Australian Design Rule (ADR) approval is expensive, so it’s rare for a brand to go through this process and then not sell the car. It’s unclear exactly when the U8 will land in Australia, however, it could be in 2027 as Yangwang’s first model offered here. A spokesperson for BYD Australia declined to comment about the Yangwang brand and the U8’s potential Aussie future. We won’t get an indication on Aussie pricing until closer to the U8’s arrival, but it starts from roughly 1.1 million yuan in China, which is about A$235,000. Cars imported from China to Australia are more expensive when they get here, so it could be closer to the $300,000 mark. This means it will be substantially more expensive than Geely’s Battleship 700 that is expected to sit in the $70,000 - $100,000 range.