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BYD’s aggressive growth strategy is set to ramp up considerably before the end of the year with confirmation of four new models to launch.
The four new models are no huge surprise with CarsGuide reporting earlier this year the likely arrival of each of them.
The biggest news in BYD’s confirmation is the Atto 1, which is better known as the Seagull in China and the Dolphin Surf in the UK.
This fully electric light hatchback will be the cheapest EV in Australia, according to BYD Australia COO Stephen Collins.
“When it comes to the Atto range, start believing the hype,” he said.
“The Atto 1 will be Australia’s most affordable EV by some margin, opening the door for even more Australians to get behind the wheel of their own new energy vehicle.
“As we’ve seen with those incredible sales numbers overseas, we expect really strong pre-order interest locally.”
BYD already has bragging rights as offering the cheapest EV on sale in Australia with the entry grade Dolphin Essential from $29,990 before on-road costs. The GWM Ora is the second cheapest at $35,990 drive-away.
That means the Atto 1 will likely come in at around $25,000 before on-roads.
BYD is yet to confirm full specification, powertrain details or pricing, but expect that information to be revealed closer to each model’s respective launch.
The version of the Atto 1 that's coming to Australia is expected to be more closely related to the European and UK-spec Dolphin Surf as it more closely aligns with Australian Design Rules (ADR) compared with the China-market Seagull.
The Atto 1 will launch in November alongside the larger Atto 2 electric small SUV. The Atto 2 model will compete directly with the MG S5, Chery E5, Kia EV3 and Hyundai Kona Electric, but it is expected to undercut the price of the Kia and Hyundai.
Further up the model range, BYD will add to its family SUV stable that already includes the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and the Sealion 7 EV, with the Sealion 5 and 8 PHEVs.
The Sealion 5 is a five-seat mid-size SUV and at 4735mm long, 1860mm wide and 1710mm tall, it’s longer, has a longer wheelbase, but is shorter and lower than a Mitsubishi Outlander.
In China, the Sealion 5 is powered by BYD’s 'DM-i' (dual mode - intelligent) plug-in hybrid set-up which combines a 74kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 120kW permanent magnet synchronous electric motor. It uses an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) driving the front wheels. Depending on the battery size it offers up to 115km of electric driving range.
The Sealion 8 is larger than the 5 and it comes standard with seven seats, making it BYD’s first three-row model in Australia. This is also a plug-in hybrid model and it will sit above the Sealion 6 and 7 in the expanding line-up.
It will likely compete with other seven-seaters like the Chery Tiggo 8, Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-80 PHEVs.
Timing for the Sealion 5 and 8 is not locked in but if it's not before the end of 2025 it will be early 2026.
The BYD new model bonanza follows last week’s official confirmation that BYD’s premium Denza brand will launch before the end of the year. Denza - a Lexus and Genesis rival - will launch with the B5 and B8 premium plug-in hybrid off-roaders. In China these models fall under the Fanchengbao brand.
Denza will eventually source models for Australia like the D9 people mover, N9 upper-large SUV and Z9 GT four-door coupe from the Denza stable, but it will also cherry pick from Fanchengbao and BYD’s upper premium brand, Yangwang. The latter includes the wild U8 off-roader and the potent U9 electric supercar, known for its ‘jump’ function.
