Surprise new BYDs incoming

BYD’s model range looks to expand even further as the Chinese brand sets its sights on a podium finish in Australia by the end of 2026.

We already know the brand will add the Sealion 5 affordable hybrid mid-size SUV and the Sealion 8 three-row SUV during the course of the year, but now thanks to new regulatory approval documents we can see two new as-yet-unannounced models are in the works.

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The new information filed with the road vehicle descriptor database confirms the vehicles as plug-in hybrids, meaning they will likely complement the existing Seal sedan, which is pure electric.

They are approved with two battery specifications (15kWh or 21.6kWh) both are paired with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. 

The engine produces just 70kW/120Nm, while there are two electric motor options, either 120kW/210Nm or 160kW/260Nm for total combined outputs of either 130kW or 163kW.

In China those battery options provide a driving range of up to 128km for the 15kWh version, or 210km for the 25kWh version, but these are measured to the more lenient CLTC standard.

Chinese prices indicate the sedan could be a non-SUV plug-in hybrid price leader.

In China, the base 15kWh variant starts from the equivalent of just $21,000. If it follows the usual logic of adding roughly 20 per cent to the price by the time it lands in Australia, this would place the Seal 6 PHEV range in the $25,000 to $30,000 price bracket.

The Seal 6 sedan and wagon were recently released in their Chinese home market, and carry a more recent version of the brand’s signature ‘Ocean’ styling language compared to the current Seal electric sedan.

Chinese versions are front-wheel drive and have independent rear suspension. The Seal 6 can charge at up to 48kW on a DC connector suggesting a sub-30 minute charge time.

Expect an 8.8-inch digital dash, either a 12.8 or 15.6-inch central multimedia touchscreen, over-the-air connectivity and updates, a 50W wireless phone charger, full LED lighting with some grades getting RGB ambient interior lighting, synthetic leather interior trim, dual-zone climate and V2L.

The interior also adopts a newer and more refined styling approach compared to the Seal EV, and features a stalk-mounted gear shifter, which frees up more space in an also-redesigned centre console.

The sedan offers 550 litres of boot space according to Chinese specs, while the wagon offers a significantly larger 670L with the rear seats up.

BYD has made no secret of its lofty ambitions in 2026, with the new boss of the now-factory-backed operation Stephen Collins saying a top-three finish by the end of the year was “ambitious, but we think it’s possible”.

“We want to move from a challenging brand to more of a leadership position,” he told CarsGuide previously.

Part of this strategy would be “having a crack in every segment”, according to newly appointed Denza boss, Mark Harland, who worked on BYD during its rise before being appointed the chief of its premium spin-off.

He said the brand looked to challenge Toyota’s market dominance by battling it across the market, not just in the biggest-selling SUV market segments.

“Toyota has something like 95 per cent of the segments in Australia covered by at least one variant, and if we want to ever be number one we need to have vehicles available in those segments too,” he said.

For its part, the Seal 6 is well placed to challenge everything from the Toyota Camry to the Skoda Octavia and Kia K4.

BYD’s meteoric rise in 2025 (up 156.2 per cent) will need to be replicated again in 2026 if it wants a shot near the top of the market. To do so it will need to unseat some behemoths of the industry, like Ford, Kia, Hyundai and Mazda.

Stay tuned for more details on the Seal 6 PHEV and BYD’s plans for the rest of the year imminently.