BYD Sealion 6 News

BYD is facing backlash in its home market of China over its semi-autonomous driver-assistance system.The system, called God’s Eye by BYD, is touted as self-driving in the same way Tesla advertises Full Self Driving (FSD), but anecdotal evidence suggests the system is similarly not yet up to scratch for widespread use on public roads.A report by Bloomberg has outlined complaints from both high-profile and a slew of other customers of BYD who have experienced recurring malfunctions in their cars.There are three variants of God’s Eye, one using cameras and radars, one adding LiDAR to the equation, and another with a full array of sensors.In one of BYD’s luxury brand’s flagships, the Yangwang U8 SUV, a Chinese “entrepreneur” reported “the vehicle suddenly accelerating to 93 kilometers per hour” in a 60 zone, or “abruptly jerking into an adjacent lane”.The Yangwang U8 costs the equivalent of A$230,000 in China, though buyers of many BYD models are reporting similar issues on Chinese social media site Xiaohongshu.The Bloomberg report lists “steering flaws, navigational screen malfunctions and delays in features such as memory navigation in urban roads” as complaints made by buyers of BYD’s mass-market models.It’s not the only assisted-driving or semi-autonomous driving technology under scrutiny, given Tesla’s FSD is involved in numerous crash investigations, and there have even been incidents involving Ford’s similar BlueCruise system.It’s not yet clear if BYD plans to implement God’s Eye tech in Australia, but CarsGuide has contacted the brand’s local arm for comment.

BYD details the next-generation version of its best-selling mid-sizer, but what's the catch for Australia?

BYD’s Sealion 6 will undergo a behind the scenes change in Australia, which could alter the future direction of BYD products for our market.Following the news of the end of production for the top-selling BYD Sealion 6 in China, the brand’s local division has confirmed to CarsGuide not only will the model live on, but it will swap production to the brand’s Thai factory.The “eventual” change will be seamless and imperceptible to Aussie buyers, and ongoing supply of the popular plug-in hybrid will not be affected, according to a BYD Australia representative.“BYD vehicles are built to the same exacting quality standards irrespective of the production location, so it doesn’t matter if the vehicles originate from China or Thailand,” the representative said. “Nor would we anticipate any impact to shipping and logistics costs.”While the shift may be imperceptible to buyers, it represents an interesting move for the Chinese brand in opening the door to potentially more Thai-built cars in the future.BYD opened its new Thai factory in 2024, which has been building the Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal and now the Sealion 6, with a capacity of 150,000 units a year. While the factory serves as a strategic facility for right-hand drive markets in the region, it also started exporting left-hand drive vehicles to Europe in 2025.This is because vehicles built in Thailand can dodge some tariffs placed on Chinese-built vehicles in Europe.The massive export boon, plus a big push in Thailand to electrify its vehicle fleet, has attracted multiple Chinese manufacturers to its shores.BYD joins GWM, which took over the Holden plant in the same province, as well as familiar giants SAIC Motor, Changan and GAC.GWM has also begun to source cars for the Australian market from its Thai facility, kicking off with the updated Ora electric hatchback.Thailand continues to be the country of origin for the majority of utes sold in Australia, including the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton. It was once a strong export location for passenger cars from brands such as Honda, it has since fallen to the wayside as Australia’s safety and emissions standards further diverge from our South East Asian neighbours.More demand for electric vehicles and a higher specification level offered in Chinese cars has again made Thailand relevant as a point of origin for cars sold in our country.The majority of BYDs will continue to be sourced from China for the time being, but it will be interesting to see whether the shift to Thai production for one of its best-selling products will influence its local line-up in the future.BYD has an ambitious goal to be a top-three automaker in Australia by the end of 2026, and to achieve that goal it will aggressively expand on its line-up over the next 12 months.The brand has just launched its Atto 1 city hatch and Atto 2 small SUV both as fully electrics, and will soon offer the Sealion 5 as a price-leading plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV to sit below the Sealion 6. It will also top-out its local range with the Sealion 8 three-row plug-in hybrid SUV. The brand has also flagged an expansion of its smash-hit Shark 6 plug-in ute range, which currently only has a single variant. It has earmarked well-received upgrades from the related Denza B5 — such as differential locks, which are currently a glaring omission from the Shark 6’s equipment list.Other officially unannounced models in the works include the Seal 6 sedan and wagon pair, both will serve as plug-in hybrid alternatives to the fully electric Seal sedan, which has been on sale for some time. The pair appeared in regulatory approval documents earlier in January. These approval documents usually precede a launch by a few months.All form part of BYD’s plan to attack as many market segments as possible to challenge some of the most popular automakers in Australia. To achieve a podium finish, the brand will need to nearly double its sales tally from 2025, and unseat popular brands Hyundai, Kia and Mazda.

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.The new Sealion 06 replacement in China is available in both PHEV and fully electric forms, and introduces new tech like an 800-volt battery system for the EV variants, and larger batteries for the PHEV versions.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.

Whether BYD wants to confirm its existence or not, the Chinese carmaker has clearly been working on a smaller, more lifestyle-oriented dual-cab ute to sit under the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute.

Timing is key.

BYD expects its hybrid seven-seat Sealion 8 will be its next segment-dominating offering.

One brand has set its sights on making a serious dent in the Aussie car market.China's BYD is aiming to sell 1.6 million vehicles outside its domestic market in 2026, according to Reuters, and Australia will be integral to achieving this. The news comes from a report in global banking outlet Citi. BYD already sells an extensive and diverse range of vehicles in Australia, with more still in the works.Its all-electric Dolphin small hatchback is the currently the brand’s cheapest offering, starting from $29,990, before on-road costs, however this will likely soon change with the introduction of the smaller Atto 1.Beyond its sprawling electric vehicle (EV) line-up, the company also has a strong selection of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, including the Sealion 6 SUV, and the increasingly popular Shark 6 ute, which alone boasts more than 15,000 sales so far in 2025. Reuters claims that BYD has built at least eight mega factories in China in the last five years, but has been expanding this to overseas locations such as Hungary, Turkey and Brazil. By the end of 2025, the brand plans to begin production of some of its Dolphin hatchbacks in Hungary.All BYD models currently offered in Australia are produced in China, for reference.With the Chinese car market becoming increasingly segmented thanks to brands like Geely and Leapmotor, BYD faces a tough sell domestically.It is looking to overseas markets to tap into potential new sales, pursuing a top-three place in the Australian new car market by the end of 2026. BYD’s desired sales increase would represent a substantial shift from its sales figures outside of China in 2025, which are expected to sit at around one million. Its sales in Europe, North America and South East Asia account for one-third of the company's total sales.BYD is not immune from the fierce competition of its domestic market in Australia, with other Chinese manufacturers targeting the segment as well. Brands such as Chery and GWM have plenty of options for buyers particularly in the sought-after family SUV category, and MG has a similarly affordable and enticing vehicle line-up.

BYD plots podium finish in Australia - but how will it get there?

Patent imagery of what appears to be BYD’s next dual-cab ute has surfaced as part of a filing from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).