BYD Seal 6 Reviews

A Chinese auto executive has warned that the extreme pace of the new car industry in China is “brutal” and unsustainable.BYD Executive Vice President He Zhiqi took to Weibo to lament the “insane” pace with which the Chinese auto industry is progressing - citing a figure of 650 new or updated cars launched just in the first half of 2026.That works out to around four new or refreshed cars launched per day. Contrast this with Australia, where a handful of new cars launched in a week is considered busy, and it becomes clear why the phrase ‘China speed’ has become common.“It’s completely insane,” He Zhiqi said on Chinese social media site Weibo this week, saying the market is “not just fierce, but brutal” in China.While carmakers must still develop cars for many months or years leading up to launches, He Zhiqi says the “buzz” of a new car launch can’t be held for “three months before it goes cold”.In China, the pace set by brands belies the cooling market.Automotive News Europe reports the passenger car segment is down 23 per cent compared to June last year, citing data from China’s Passenger Car Association.Bloomberg also reported the pace of China’s industry means the monthly output of new car launches in a month is roughly equivalent to that of a calendar year in the US.While the BYD executive says the current trend in the industry is unsustainable, He Zhiqi points out that the hard times will result in carmakers emerging with the resilience to survive brutal market conditions.“Competition also breeds prosperity,” he wrote. “You have to roll around, crawl and fight in it to build a strong body.”

Electric car buyers in Australia are facing a new concern.There are demands for increased responsibilities for car manufacturers to correctly state how long EV batteries should last, according to a report from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA). The report warns that buyers could face a “wave of litigation” when EV batteries need replacement outside of warranty as their cost could exceed the vehicle’s remaining value.One particular dealer said Chinese-built cars are “not holding their charge” or are “blowing up on fire”.The report suggests manufacturers should be required to define acceptable battery thresholds or disclose the expected degradation of a unit. Most batteries carry an eight-year or 160,000km manufacturer warranty, but dealers are looking for greater clarity on what this means.The new initiative would require manufacturers to provide clear indicators of acceptable battery performance.A battery would be considered to be performing at an acceptable level if it has at least 70 per cent of its total capacity remaining after more than eight years, for example. The EV driving range debate continues to rage on and it remains a substantial roadblock for buyers considering switching from petrol- and diesel-powered cars. Many EVs now boast more than 500km of driving range, but people have also started to recognise that most journeys do not require significant amounts of driving. The convenience and accessibility to home and public charging have also increased the convenience of EVs. Reported driving range figures on a particular car can vary greatly depending on the testing cycle used. The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is viewed as the most accurate standard available. Its testing figures often come in noticeably lower than the older New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the even more generous China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC).As much as these systems do their best to mirror real-world driving, they can never be truly accurate because of the different ways people use their cars.Consumers often experience range anxiety or disappointment when EVs fail to achieve the range advertised in brochures, according to AADA. AADA has put forward a series of reforms for the Australian Consumer Law to adopt, but it remains to be seen whether any of these will make their way into legislation. 

BYD is offering to refund millions of dollars worth of cars in Australia after an “administrative error”, according to reports.Hot on the heels of its best ever sales month in Australia, the Chinese behemoth has committed to refunding 1265 customers who were mistakenly given 2025 built vehicles instead of 2026 builds, according to the ABC.Build year can have a material effect on the vehicle’s value, with older stock usually discounted in dealerships and the car being worth less when it comes to resale time as it appears to be one year older.CEO of the Consumer Policy Research Centre Wrin Turner told the ABC the depreciation ramifications could leave owners "seriously out of pocket".Once BYD had been alerted to the error it contacted customers and offered a $1100 refund for the clerical error, but many weren’t happy with that compensation, according to the ABC report.Now the company is reportedly offering customers a full refund."It was an administrative error that occurred. There was no deceit," a BYD spokesperson told the ABC."It's important that we keep ourselves in good faith with Australian customers. We need to do the right thing."The BYD spokesperson told CarsGuide the company had used the dates the cars left the factory instead of the date they were manufactured.He stated there were no real differences to the cars delivered to the ones built in 2026.The spokesperson said most customers had chosen to accept the $1100. BYD will contact all affected owners again with the updated offer, which they are free to take up if they have already agreed to the previous offer.BYD sells vehicles for as little as $23,990 and as much as $70,000, all before on-road costs.Customers the ABC talked to bought Atto 3 electric SUVs for about $47,000. It is understood that most vehicles were the Atto 2 and 3 SUVs.This means the company could have to hand back about $50m.The returned vehicles will then be resold as used vehicles.BYD made a concerted effort to boost sales in the past three months, with the promise of 30,000 cars to arrive by the end of June earlier this year by General Manager BYD Asia Pacific Mr Liu Xueliang.The company delivered on that promise, culminating in the ballyhooed arrival of BYD’s own car carrier packed to the rafters with BYD vehicles.Liu said in April it was important the company meets the growing demand and is able to get customers as soon as they place an order.It appears in its rush to meet a massive increase in demand the company may have shipped some older stock to Australia.

Thanks to regulatory filings in China, we have what might be our first look at an updated version of BYD’s Sealion 8 three-row hybrid SUV.Known as the Tang and Tang L in China, the new version of the car filed with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology adopts similar styling to BYD’s flagship Great Tang SUV, which debuted earlier this year.This means a refreshed light profile in the front with a single light bar panel, a smoother profile across the body, tweaked rear light bar designs, more subtle logo work and an overall more premium feel. It also scores either 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels in fresh designs, and replaces the electronic pop-out doorhandles, now banned in China, with flush-set handles.For now, the new version of the car has only been filed in fully electric form equipped with a 300kW single electric motor, while the Sealion 8 version we get in Australia is only a plug-in hybrid.At over five meters long, the Tang has grown slightly over the outgoing model. Its interior is yet to be revealed, but is likely to include at least some of the cabin styling and features from the Great Tang flagship luxury SUV.It features a new steering wheel design, passenger-side entertainment screen, plaid leather seat trim, with an evolution of the geometric dash features which the Sealion 8 originally brought to the Australian market.It is likely it could be some time before such upgrades make it to our market, as BYD’s model strategy continues to diverge between its Chinese domestic line-up and its export market models.For example, Australia won’t receive the major updates to the BYD Atto 3 seen in the Chinese market. Instead, we’ll be getting the ‘Evo’ facelifted version, which has already debuted in Europe.Meanwhile the existing Sealion 8 has had a fairly robust year in Australia, having moved nearly five and a half thousand units in the first half of the year. This number was significantly boosted by a ship arrival, which accounted for 1961 units in June alone, but even without this boost the Sealion 8 has racked up more registrations than popular rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe (3089 units), Kia Sorento (2752 units) and the ageing Toyota Kluger (2475 units) so far in 2026.In its current form in Australia, the BYD Sealion 8 is priced from $56,990 before on-roads for the entry level front-wheel drive Dynamic, to $70,990 before on-roads for the AWD Premium.It produces either 205kW/315 in base FWD form, or 359kW/679Nm in AWD form as combined figures generated from its 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and either single or dual electric motor set-ups.BYD has shot to second position in the Australian new-car sales charts in the first half of the year, off the back of a massive model range expansion as well as dedicated ship deliveries to our market.It is already 10,000 units ahead of the previously second-placed Ford, having jumped 124.1 per cent year-on-year. It is second only to Toyota, although it appears to be closing the gap with Toyota down 21.4 per cent thanks to delays in the arrival of the new RAV4.Expect to learn more about the BYD Sealion 8 shortly as the official Chinese reveal nears.

Mini utes are the next big car trend, but could these small SUV-based utilities be a hit in Australia or prove a very big miss?Just like fashion trends our taste in cars goes in cycles, with often the same style coming back just with a bit of a twist. We’ve been through the people-mover phase a few times, the station wagon a couple of times and now it’s utes. Again.Australia has been a ute-loving nation for a hundred years, from the first early 1930s Holden and Ford utilities to the Commodore and Falcon utes of the 80s, 90s and 00s, and on to the raised off-road utes such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux and then the full-sized American pick-ups such as the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado.Now we are back to small car-based utes again it seems. The twist is it’s not cars such as the Commodore or Falcon, but small and mid-sized SUVs such as Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape. The thing is - will Aussies fall over themselves to get into a baby ute one or walk the other way?If the United States is anything to go by, these little utes could be a big hit here.In the US the Ford Escape-based Maverick baby ute launched in 2021 and has sold out every year since. The company’s next little ute will be the Ranchero - a mini electric ute.Meanwhile Toyota’s own little ute, which is based on the Corolla Cross has been spotted testing, and a larger RAV4-based ute has been mooted, too.BYD is even further ahead and will debut its mini hybrid ute - the Mako - by the end of this year.Finally Ram has the Rampage planned for a US launch where it will sit under the RAM 1500.Ford stopped at bringing the Maverick to Australia years ago. I asked Ford Australia in 2021 if there was a possibility the Maverick would be brought here and was told they weren’t sure “if it measured up”, which I took as them not believing it would meet the expectations of Aussie ute buyers in terms of load carrying and towing capacity.But I think Ford might have had that wrong. Yes, utes such as the Ranger are popular because of their one-tonne load carrying ability, off road credentials and their 3500kg braked towing capacity, but neither a Commodore ute or Falcon ute could meet all those requirements.So perhaps we are ready for these new small utes again? Or has the do-anything, go-anywhere Ranger and HiLux spoilt us too much?If any of the baby utes had a chance it’d be the Maverick. If good looks sell cars, then the Maverick would sell out here, as it does in the US.  The Maverick is 5072mm long, which isn’t tiny but smaller than the Ranger that stretches 5370mm in dual-cab SR5 form.The tray in the Maverick is 1380mm x 1235mm, while a Ranger’s is 1547mm x 1584mm.The Maverick comes in hybrid and petrol variants. The hybrid uses a 2.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor and makes 142kW. The petrol variant uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and makes up to 198kW. Braked towing capacity is 907kg or 1800kg with an option towing package fitted to the all-wheel drive variant.As a comparison the VF Commodore ute has a 1600kg braked towing capacity.The Maverick would work in Australia - absolutely.But Ford is probably very unlikely to bring it here. Instead BYD will launch its hybrid ute, which will be a success and so will other Chinese brands such as Chery and Geely.Another indicator the Australian car market is ready for a change it's the sales of off-road utes, which have been in free fall since the start of 2026.The war in Iran and the fuel price spike has definitely contributed to the decline of in ute sales, and the enormous increase in EV sales may suggest buyers are migrating out of their utes into electric cars. So it's likely the new baby ute trend will be electric and hybrid powered. Would Australia get behind that?Well if the utes look good, then they’ll sell. Otherwise it doesn’t matter how great they are - just look at the Kia Tasman…

BYD has confirmed the pricing and specifications for the new Dolphin G DM-i plug-in hybrid (PHEV) hatchback for the UK ahead of first arrivals in September.There are four trim levels available, Active, Boost, Comfort and Sport. Pricing starts at £23,990 (~A$46,350) and extends to £29,490 (~A$56,990).The entry-level Dolphin G DM-i is £6005 (~A$11,600) more affordable than the entry-level Sealion 5 DM-i. For context, the entry-level Sealion 5 in Australia is priced from $33,990 before on-road costs.If the Dolphin G DM-i comes to Australia it could slide under $30,000, making it the new cheapest PHEV. This title currently goes to the aforementioned Sealion 5.At this stage BYD hasn’t confirmed whether the Dolphin G DM-i is due for an Australian launch.The entry-level Dolphin G DM-i Active is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors with a total system output of 129kW.It features a 7.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that allows for up to 39km of electric range, according to WLTP testing. Claimed total range is 1018km.The battery pack can only be AC charged at rates up to 3.3kW.The rest of the line-up is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors with a slightly higher total system output of 155kW.They have a larger 18.3kWh LFP battery that allows for up to 104km of electric range, according to WLTP testing. Claimed total range is 1039km.The battery pack can be AC charged at rates up to 6.6kW, plus it offers DC fast-charging capabilities at rates up to 39kW.As standard the entry-level Dolphin G DM-i Active comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch central touchscreen multimedia system, a four-speaker sound system and fabric upholstery.Stepping up to the Boost gains a larger 12.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 15W wireless phone charger, eight-speaker sound system, interior ambient lighting, synthetic leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, two 18W USB-C ports in the rear, electrically folding side mirrors and privacy glass.The Comfort gets larger 18-inch alloy wheels, Google Built-in multimedia operating system, fabric and synthetic leather upholstery, power adjustable driver’s seat, as well as a surround-view camera.Lastly the Sport gets black 18-inch alloy wheels and synthetic suede upholstery finished in black with either orange or blue accents.BYD hasn’t confirmed whether the Dolphin G DM-i will be coming to Australia, but the related Atto 2 DM-i has been approved for local sale.These types of government approval filings usually come a few months before a new model is confirmed for local sale. However, it isn't always a guarantee.If the BYD Atto 2 DM-i does launch in Australia it will complement the all-electric trims that launched late last year.

BYD tried to buy a share of Renault in a dramatic shot at a foothold in Europe, according to a new report in French media outlet Les Echos.According to the publication, BYD sought not just a joint production or factory deal, as Chery has secured in some locations with Renault’s partner Nissan, but actual ownership in the French giant as a shareholder.The deal didn’t work out under former CEO Luca de Meo, who was famous for guiding a re-structure of the previously dysfunctional Renault Nissan Alliance.According to several outlets, this was because Renault had already entered into an agreement with Geely to save its ailing Korean factory (formerly the Renault Samsung Motors factory), which now produces both Renaults and Polestars for Asian markets.Geely and Renault also co-own Horse Powertrain with Saudi Aramco, a spin-off of both company’s combustion engine divisions, which builds both engines and hybrid transmissions for future models both inside those two companies and for sale to other manufacturers outside of them.When BYD had a second crack at a Renault deal, it was turned down with involvement from French president Emmanuel Macron, with the government controlling 30 per cent of Renault voting shares and fiercely protective over its manufacturing footprint on the continent.The key benefit for BYD in this deal was obviously a way to avoid a tough tariff structure for Chinese built cars in Europe, while Renault would have access to its signature affordable Blade batteries, which it already sells to other manufacturers Tesla, KGM and Hyundai Group.Renault’s rejection of a BYD ownership stake won’t be a fatal blow for the Chinese giant in Europe. BYD already has a factory in Hungary and is seeking to establish a second base, with many analysts believing it will be in Spain and possible locations also including France and Germany.BYD needs such a foothold as it seeks new global opportunities off the back of a shrinking new car market in China over the course of 2026, and major profitability issues for even some of the biggest groups after a bruising domestic price war.

We are halfway through the year, and what a half it has been for the Australian new-car market.The biggest story of the year has been the superstar rise of BYD, and the fall of a few Japanese stars.Electric car and plug-in hybrid sales have surged on the back of sky-high petrol prices and the growth of affordable options.And Australians continue to fall out of love with utes.So what’s in store for the rest of the year? These are our predictions.BYD had a monster June selling 18,881 vehicles, but despite that monster effort it was still 243 sales behind Toyota. That epic result for BYD was fuelled by the arrival of its own car carriers packed to the gills with BYDs and Denzas.It coincided with Toyota struggling to get production of the RAV4 and HiLux up to steam.Toyota has said it has now secured an additional 20,000 vehicles to arrive in the second half of this year, with the majority being RAV4s and HiLuxes.It is now predicting it will sell 230,000 vehicles for the full year. That means it will sell 22,500 vehicles every month for the rest of 2026.That kind of volume puts BYD’s challenge to bed … for this year at least.Toyota's former Head of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley called it a few years ago, but the data now backs it up — ute sales have peaked.Sales of the volume - and profit making - four-wheel-drive utes are down 11 per cent for the year. And crucially they were down 14 per cent in June, which is typically one of the strongest months for ute sales as the End of Financial Year wraps up.This is despite a range of new models dropping in the past 12 months, including an updated Toyota HiLux, Kia Tasman, MG U9 and a next-generation Nissan Navara, among others. None have lit the sales charts on fire.Not even BYD’s plug-in hybrid Shark 6 can save the segment, with its sales down about nine per cent this year.That’s bad news for carmakers planning a ute assault in the coming months.Chery’s ballyhooed diesel hybrid Stockman is headed our way this year and could replicate the Shark 6’s success.Hyundai is already keeping its options open. Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano told CarsGuide recently there were lots of variables that could affect the timing of the new ute."It's definitely going to happen. The timing is really the issue, because if it's built in the US... and if the FX (foreign exchange rate) is favourable, it would be sooner. But if it's not, we don't need another ute that's priced too high," said Romano."I'd say we're still looking at between now and 2030. There's a timeframe, but even that isn't a guarantee and it would be subject to us saying 'that's the right ute for Australia', and I haven't got to that point yet that anything we're doing at this stage is a guaranteed right vehicle for Australia."It appears a ute is no longer the guaranteed success it once was.The rise of BYD, Chery, GWM and MG has forced a few long-time big sellers to the back of the pack.It is hard to see Subaru, Nissan and Mitsubishi turning it around. All have had their lunch cut by cheaper, and flashier, Chinese alternatives.All have few electric or plug-in hybrid options, which means they will likely be slugged with fines under the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).This will likely lead to higher car prices, which will further erode their position against cut-price Chinese brands with a high level of electrification across the range.Even the mighty Mazda isn’t immune after a tough June, and Aussies will have to wait another 18 months at least to get their hands on a hybrid version of the CX-5, its most popular model.Mazda does have a range of EVs coming from its Chinese partner Changan.Nissan will follow a similar path with EVs and plug-in hybrids from its Chinese partner, Dongfeng, after denying Aussies the new Leaf and Juke EVs.Mitsubishi has paired up with Taiwanese brand Foxconn, which is a sub-division of the company that produces iPhones, to make its electric cars, with little to no plans to make EVs themselves.Subaru has a bunch of EVs co-developed with Toyota, but has walked back plans to make some of its own.EV sales boomed in the past three months off the back of high fuel prices caused by the Iran war.Most carmakers are claiming inquiries have returned to normal after a bumper few months.It is still unlikely that we will see a return to sub-10 per cent market share for EVs as more and more options become available across all price pointsGeely is about to launch its EX2, which is the most popular EV in China, and more brands are focusing on the volume-selling segments as the cost of making EVs drops.So we won’t see the massive surge from the past month, but there will be real sustainable growth in the next six months.

Electric cars are finally having their mainstream moment in Australia, and now make up over 16 per cent of Australia’s new car market.Sales have significantly jumped year-on-year, helped along by a much wider availability of more affordable models, but also an unprecedented fuel crisis, which has made the cost of running a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle front of mind for many.This surge of new options has also seen the list of top-selling electric cars undergo a significant re-shuffle, with new brands featuring heavily.Tesla notably takes the crown for the best selling EV in Australia for the first half of 2026, with its Model Y achieving 20,396 total registrations according to Electric Vehicle Council data. This is due to an eyebrow-raising 8072 unit tally in June thanks to a literal boatload of cars arriving.Next down the charts is BYD with its smash-hit Sealion 7 mid-size SUV. The Sealion 7, which is a key rival to the Model Y, can be had at a more keen $54,990 price-point with similar specs to the Tesla that starts from $58,900 before on-roads.Alongside the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, the Sealion 7 is a major part of BYD’s success story in Australia over the past year.The next two players down compete at the entry-level to their respective segments.Geely’s EX5 clocked up 6756 registrations in the first half of 2026, a quiet achiever in an extremely competitive part of the market. While it goes into battle against a range of rivals in the $40,000 price bracket, it has more than doubled the sales of its closest rival, the previously-popular BYD Atto 3, and it sold 20 times the volume of the similar Leapmotor C10.Below the EX5 is the Jaecoo J5. While this model is now available with petrol power, it is the EV version that has been on sale longer and managed to secure fourth position for the first half of the year, racking up 6113 units.This is no doubt largely thanks to the electric version’s extremely keen $36,990 before on-roads price-tag and generous dimensions for a small SUV, making it the sweet spot for many first time EV adopters. It also undercuts the Atto 3 and Leapmotor B10, and has good visibility in the market thanks to Omoda Jaecoo’s rapidly expanding dealer network.Rounding out the top five electric cars in Australia for the first half of 2026 is the Zeekr 7X. A smash hit for Geely’s premium arm. The 7X stands out for its radical design and strong specs at a generous price point (from $57,900 before on-roads). As a result, the brand tells us that it is attracting not only aspirational buyers, but also buyers who were previously driving BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes.Previous top-sellers, the Model 3 and BYD Atto 3, have now dropped out of the top five, amassing a little over 3000 sales each. Kia’s also-popular EV5 mid-size and EV3 SUVs fell short of the list with less than 3000 sales each.All of the electric cars in the top five for the first half of the year were built in China, with the exception of the Performance grade of the Tesla Model Y (which would account for only a small proportion of its sales), showing the country’s leadership in the electric car space.Mainstream brands are struggling on the EV front, with cars like the Toyota bZ4X mid-size SUV amassing just 1718 sales. Volkswagen is in a similar position, with its similar ID.4 amassing just 1183 sales.Even MG, which was the original Chinese-backed success story in Australia, has tumbled down the charts. Its MG4 hatch has lost hundreds of sales year-on-year. Its S5 and S6 electric SUVs are struggling to compete with newer players, amassing just 1713 and 647 sales respectively.The share of EV sales in the Australian market will inevitably grow as tough new emissions laws start to shape the line-ups of most brands.

In a collaboration between carmaker BYD and fast food outlet KFC, drivers in China can order takeaway though an embedded app in their vehicle.The initiative between BYD and KFC sees the central media display in a BYD vehicle turn into a large menu for the restaurant, similar to a self ordering touchscreen you'd find in-store.The app locates the closest KFC store, sends the order through and navigates the driver to pick up the food.A journalist writing for Chinese motoring publication Auto Home road-tested the app and highlighted the voice interaction as a strength, but that pulling over and putting the vehicle into “Park” to access the full menu was required for safety reasons.   The embedded ordering app is not the first time BYD and KFC have collaborated. In April this year the businesses announced KFC would offer a BYD vehicle charging service at its restaurant locations.Apart from the tasty opportunity for humans to fill up themselves, the chargers are a draw, too. They are the fastest BYD has ever built, delivering up to 1500kW that can provide up to 2km of range a second. The ultra fast chargers are only compatible with second-generation BYD Blade batteries.In April there were already 5000 KFC outlets hosting BYD's chargers and by December the expectation is for there to be 20,000 locations in operation.The numbers are mind boggling and only highlight the sheer scale of commercialisation in China.As for the tech coming to Australia - there’s no word on that. For now, Aussies will have to order their takeaway the old fashioned way and do it through an app on their phone.