BYD Seal 6 vs Nissan Pathfinder

What's the difference?

The Toyota Camry might be in a spot of trouble here.

The 2026 BYD Seal 6 has arrived, and not just at a lower starting price with a more electrified plug-in hybrid drivetrain, but with a wagon option, too.

In fact, the Seal 6 Touring Premium wagon is the halo variant of the Seal 6 range and its price matches the Camry’s entry grade.

The mid-size sedan and wagon duo from China, not to be confused with the already-launched BYD Seal electric car, make up what’s probably BYD’s strongest jab at Toyota yet. A true threat to the iconic Camry.

BYD’s biggest selling point for the Seal 6 is its range, more than 1000km in the real world, tested on just one tank and one charge from Sydney to Melbourne.

One day of pure highway driving and a day of winding country roads put that to the test on its Australian launch so you hopefully never have to.

The Nissan Pathfinder has evolved over the years from what was quite a rough-and-tumble Ford Everest style vehicle to a remarkably plush three-row family SUV.

Although it took a while to reach Australia, when the fifth-generation version landed in late 2022 it was a huge leap over its predecessor. And yet it has been a relatively slow seller in Australia.

In the first half of 2024 only 405 were registered, less than a tenth of the segment benchmark Toyota Kluger (5861 sales).

This can be largely attributed to a lack of choice in the Pathfinder range, following Nissan culling entry-grade variants early on leaving only the relatively expensive Ti and Ti-L grades, both fitted with a V6 petrol engine. 

To increase customer choice, Nissan has reintroduced the ST-L mid-spec trim with the option of front-wheel drive for under $60,000, before on-road costs. But is it a good buy?