BYD Seal 6 News

BYD is a serious sales threat to Toyota in Australia.The giant Chinese carmaker sold 243 fewer cars than Toyota, which has dominated the Aussie charts for decades.There is one particular segment BYD is chasing Toyota in that isn't getting the attention of the others.Sedans have generally been on the decline in Australia, with SUVs climbing the charts in their place.The Toyota Camry has owned the sedan segment for many years, and has recently seen a huge boost in sales.It has faced little competition from European rivals like the Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Passat.BYD is now showing promise where those models haven't made an impression.The brand has introduced two sedans in Australia so far: the Seal EV and Seal 6 plug-in hybrid. The Seal is one of few fully-electric sedans on sale in Australia, with the Kia EV4 and Mazda 6e providing further competition in recent months.It has proven to be one of the best-selling electric sedans since it launched in late 2023, trailing only the Tesla Model 3 on the sales charts this year.The Camry remains the outright leader of the sedan segment, but the Seal’s sales trump every competitor but the Camry and the Model 3. It is also the sedan that has experienced the most growth in 2026, up nearly 65 per cent. The Seal isn’t the only sedan providing a threat to the Camry from BYD, with the Seal 6 PHEV also now on sale.It has managed 249 registrations since it went on sale in April.BYD’s sedan push doesn’t stop there.The Seal 7 has recently been approved for sale in Australia.It will size up similarly to the Camry, compared to the smaller Seal and Seal 6.It could be an appealing alternative for fleets and ride share drivers, as it may be available in both plug-in and fully electric forms.Those sales remain an important component of the Camry’s success in Australia.

Sedans used to be the staple of many brands in Australia, from the Holden Commodore to the Toyota Camry, but the SUV boom has seen numbers drop off significantly.Ten years ago, in 2016, the Toyota Camry was the fifth best-selling car in Australia, followed by the Commodore sedan in sixth.Fast forward to 2025, Toyota's sedan was the 35th best-selling car in the country, and the Commodore was nowhere to be seen.In 2026 there have been less than 10,000 mid-size sedan sales in Australia so far compared to mid-size SUVs, where almost 100,000 have already been sold. The Camry is still the dominant player in the sedan-only segment, owning nearly 70 per cent, but it looks like China’s next battleground in Australia will be a shot at shaking its dominance.BYD has led the way in this respect and it already has a fully-electric Seal and the just-launched plug-in hybrid Seal 6 on the market.The Seal in particular made some successful inroads into the sedan space. It accounts for the majority of sales outside of the Camry and the Tesla Model 3.The brand is not stopping there, with a larger Seal 7 plug-in hybrid sedan now approved for sale in Australia.MG is another brand focussing on sedans, having already brought in its MG5 a few years ago and the MG7 in 2026, both to middling levels of success so far.It’s not just BYD and MG that are getting in on the sedan act, however, with Geely confirming its Emgrand sedan next year initially in plug-in hybrid form, but possibly also plugless at a later date.Additionally the China-built Tesla Model 3 remains one of the best-selling EVs in the country.There are also 'legacy' brands pinning their hopes on a strong-selling sedan. Mazda recently launched its fully-electric 6e sedan, which is based on the Deepal L07 (not yet sold in Australia) - another China-made model. The 6e is a crucial model for Mazda as it looks to turn around extensive fines incurred under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) due to its predominantly petrol-powered range.The electric 6e saw its initiative pre-order allocation run out very quickly, starting from $49,990 (before on-road costs), highlighting early signs of it achieving its potential.Korean brands Kia and Hyundai have also seen solid sales from its hatch/sedan models, with the K4 and i30 plugging along with a decent amount of registrations, which will be bolstered thanks to the arrival of desirable plugless hybrid versions of both.As usual, price is a key factor where Chinese sedans are providing an enticing alternative, bucking the trend of sedans becoming more expensive as buyers focus on SUVs.While the Mazda 2 is the most affordable sedan on sale at just $28,490, it is the sought-after hybrid tech luring buyers to newer options.The plug-in hybrid Seal 6, for example, starts from $34,990, which is $5000 more affordable than the plug-less hybrid-only Camry, and it is both larger and offers genuine EV range over the barely more affordable Hyundai i30 plugless hybrid (from $33,250). It will no doubt be a similar story for Geely's Emgrand EM-i which is set to launch in 2027.While SUVs remain the biggest seller in Australia, this new wave of affordable and electrified sedans could see the once bustling segment reignited.The question remains whether this array of new options will just fragment a shrinking part of the market, or whether buyers are now looking for something different from the SUV trend.

Safety ratings have been handed out for the hotly-anticipated Tesla Model Y L, BYD Seal 6 and other EVs, with a surprise for one family SUV.This latest batch of results were assessed using the Australasian New Car Assessment Program's (ANCAP) outdated 2023-2025 testing criteria, with the revamped 2026 criteria still to be officially brought in.The new testing protocols will have a greater focus on accident prevention, emphasising safe driving and crash avoidance, while crash protection remains an important factor.These vehicles are now able to hold a five star rating for six years."We can expect to see ratings assessed under 2023 to 2025 criteria for some time as they enter the Australian and New Zealand markets," ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said in a statement to CarsGuide. "The first vehicles rated against the new 2026 criteria are expected later this year.”The incoming six-seat Tesla Model Y L SUV has been awarded a five-star rating, which is based on the rating of the standard Model Y. The Model Y L is Tesla’s first three-row car on sale, with deliveries starting last week. ANCAP said there were additional tests undertaken on the car to ensure results were applicable to the Model Y L.While achieving a protection rating of 91 per cent for Adult Occupant, ANCAP noted there were difficulties in correctly installing child restraints. This resulted in an 11 per cent decrease to 84 per cent for Child Occupant protection compared to the standard Model Y.The incoming BYD Seal 6 also received a five-star rating, with the car arriving imminently in the Australia as a plug-in hybrid sedan or wagon. The Seal 6 received an overall adult protection rating of 92 per cent, with maximum points for side impact and oblique pole tests, with good protection generally offered on the frontal offset test.Elsewhere Child Occupant protection was at 90 per cent, while Vulnerable User Protection was 84 per cent. MG’s new MG4 Urban budget EV has also picked up a five-star rating, courtesy of protection ratings of 87 per cent for Adult Occupant and 86 per cent for Child Occupant.The MG4 was marked down for marginal protection of the driver’s legs due to upward pedal movement.The Skoda Octavia was also awarded five stars, following reassessment of vehicles built from July 2025.

BYD has confirmed pricing and specifications for its Seal 6 sedan and wagon pair.The new plug-in hybrid pair arrive in one grade each. The Seal 6 Sedan Essential is the price leader at $34,990 (before on-roads) with a smaller 10.08kWh battery, and the Seal 6 Touring Premium steps up to $39,990 before on-roads with a larger 19kWh battery pack.The sedan can travel 55km in EV mode, while the wagon can travel 100km in EV mode, both according to the generally more accurate WLTP standard.Both cars share the same plug-in hybrid powertrain, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Specs for this powertrain were not revealed, but pre-approval documents show the engine producing 70kW/120Nm with the electric motors producing either 120kW/210Nm or 160kW/260Nm. Total combined outputs are either 130kW or 163kW.According to Chinese specifications, the Camry-rivalling pair can charge at a maximum rate of 48kW on a fast DC charger for a sub-30-minute charge time, and are equipped with vehicle-to-load, allowing the battery to externally power devices.Combined driving range is expected to exceed 1300km for both variants according to preliminary figures.The sedan offers 550 litres of boot space, while the wagon offers up 670-litres.Standard equipment on both cars is set to include an 8.8-inch digital dash, a 12.8-inch central multimedia screen, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and over-the-air features.Other features available on the Seal 6 overseas include a wireless phone charger, interior ambient lighting, and full synthetic leather interior trim.Orders for the Seal 6 Sedan and Touring wagon begin on the 9th of April.The pair will go into battle against local rivals like the ever-popular and plugless hybrid-only Toyota Camry (from $39,990), the mild-hybrid Skoda Octavia (from $43,990), the combustion MG7 (from $44,990), placing the aggressive sub-$40,000 pricing in good stead amongst its rivals.It will also serve to bolster BYD’s seemingly ever-growing line-up, as a hybrid alternative to the existing Seal EV sedan (from $46,990).The growing line-up is a significant part of BYD’s strategy in Australia to rival Toyota in every category, which the brand’s executives told CarsGuide would be a key part of the brand’s ambition to clinch a top-three position in our market by the end of 2026.Denza Chief Operating Officer Mark Harland, who previously held senior roles in BYD before ascending to the head of its luxury arm, told CarsGuide in 2025: “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.”Spurred on by meteoric fuel prices in recent weeks, BYD is already making good progress on its goal - more than doubling its sales year-on-year to the latest figures. It has now leapfrogged GWM to become Australia’s favourite Chinese automaker, and is ranking sixth in the Australian market so far in 2026 after finishing 2025 in eighth position.