BYD’s best-seller to be discontinued?

BYD has pulled the ever-popular Sealion 6 from its Chinese range, despite its ongoing global popularity.

The mid-size SUV, which is known as the Song Plus in China, has sold more than 1.5 million units since it was introduced in 2020. Although the model has ended its run for the Chinese market and will be replaced by the Sealion 06, which syncs the mid-sizer up with the design cues seen on the incoming Sealion 8 three-row SUV.

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The outgoing Sealion 6 will continue production for export markets, according to reports, and is built in BYD’s Thai facility that makes an array of models for fellow right-hand drive locations throughout Asia.

It is unclear how local supply of the popular plug-in hybrid will be affected. CarsGuide has reached out to BYD’s local operation for more detail.

The possibilities include continued production of the current car, a switch for Australian-sourcing to the Thai facility, or the model being replaced entirely with a right-hand drive export version of its successor in China.

It is worth noting the incoming Sealion 5, which is a more affordable plug-in mid-sizer based on an older architecture, continues to be produced alongside the existing Sealion 6.

The Sealion 5 will arrive in our market in the first half of 2026, with an aggressive starting price of just $33,990 before on-roads making it the most affordable new plug-in hybrid model on sale. The current Sealion 6 starts from $42,990 before on-roads.

Locally, the mid-size plug-in hybrid amassed over 9000 sales during the course of 2025, finishing well ahead of once favourites like the Volkswagen Tiguan, Honda CR-V, and the MG HS.

BYD is on a meteoric sales trajectory in Australia, having moved 52,415 units by the end of 2025, representing a volume increase of 156.2 per cent over 2024. It cements the brand’s place now in Australia’s top 10 favourite automakers, with more to come as sales of the Atto 1 small car, Atto 2 small SUV and Sealion 5 mid-sizer join the range.

Stay tuned for more new or updated model activity for the brand as it targets a podium finish by the end of 2026. An update to the Sealion 6 could also be joined by a tweaked or expanded Shark 6 range with some of the well-received features (like differential locks) from its Denza B5 relation.

To finish in the top three in Australia, BYD would need to again more than double its sales in 2026, and unseat well-entrenched favourites like Hyundai, or Kia, or Mazda.