BYD's next two cars for Australia confirmed! 2026 BYD Atto 2 electric SUV and 2026 BYD Sealion 8 plug-in hybrid seven-seat SUV locked in for Australia!

BYD will expand its line-up with two key models in critical segments.

The Chinese carmaker will add the BYD Atto 2 small electric SUV to the Australian line-up before the end of this year and the Sealion 8 large plug-in hybrid SUV will land in quarter one, 2026.

These additions are on top of the Atto 3, Sealion 6 and 7 SUVs already on sale.

BYD isn’t talking about pricing just yet, but given the brand’s positioning of other models, expect competitive pricing for both models.

The Atto 2 will sit under the Atto 3 small-to-medium SUV and will face a number of serious competitors in the growing electric small SUV category, namely the well received Kia EV3 and MG S5 EV. Other rivals include the Chery E5 and the Hyundai Kona Electric.

Arriving in quarter four, the Atto 2 - called Yuan Up in China - was penned by BYD’s head of design, and former Audi and Lamborghini designer, Wolfgang Egger. It features what BYD calls its ‘dragon face’ front-end design, flush door handles, a ‘floating’ roof design thanks to blacked out pillars, and a full-width light bar and spoiler at the rear.

At 4310mm long, 1830mm wide, 1675mm tall and a 2620m wheelbase, the Atto 2 has similar dimensions to the Kia EV3.

Underpinned by BYD’s e-Platform 3.0, the Atto 2 will land in two spec grades, Essential and Premium, both powered by a 51.1kWh ‘Blade’ battery and a single permanent magnet synchronous motor with outputs of 130kW and 290Nm.

In China the model has a driving range of up to 401km, but the WLTP range is yet to be announced. It also comes with vehicle-to-load charging capability of 3.3kW.

Inside the Atto 2 comes with a panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather seats, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, an 8.8-inch digital driver’s display and the rotatable central multimedia screen that measures 10.1 inches in the Essential and 12.8 inches in the Premium.

It will also come with a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), six airbags and more, according to BYD Australia.

The Sealion 8 will land early next year and come with seven seats as standard meaning it will compete with the likes of the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Kluger, Mazda CX-80 and Jaecoo J8. It's also offered as a six-seater in its home market.

The Sealion 8 is called the Tang L in China and its dimensions are larger than a Kia Sorento.

There is a fully electric version available in China but BYD Australia is opting for the DM-i and DM-p plug-in hybrid powertrains.

The DM-p (dual-mode - performance) powertrain includes two electric motors and a 35.62kWh battery allowing for electric-only ranges between 175km and 215km, although that's likely on China's lenient CLTC cycle.

Being the performance powertrain, it's also capable of dashing from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. 

The DM-i version will likely be more efficient as there is a less of a focus on outright performance. Its 0-100km/h dash time is 8.6s.

The Sealion 8 incorporates the 'dragon face' design aesthetic so it has a clear visual relationship to the Atto 2.

Inside the Sealion 8 comes with a 15.6-inch multimedia screen and a wraparound dash design, while some grades will have a two-tone interior.

Standard gear is yet to be confirmed for Australia but it might come with the latest 'God's Eye' semi-autonomous driving tech.

In China the pricing kicks off at RMB 229,800, which converts to about $50,000 in Australia. However, expect that starting price to be higher than that when it eventually arrives.