BYD Sealion 6 2025 News

One of the world’s largest carmakers' recent entry into Australia is proving fruitful, as China’s BYD finds itself sitting amongst the nation's top 10 brands.But BYD hasn’t only just managed to nab itself 10th or even 9th - in June 2025 the brand was the fifth-most popular behind Toyota, Ford, Mazda and Hyundai.In fact, in the entire first half of the year BYD has sold 23,355 cars in Australia putting it ahead of competitors like Isuzu (21,883), MG (21,674), Nissan (20,604) and Subaru (19,910).The first six best-selling brands in terms in the first half of 2025 will be familiar: Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Kia, Hyundai and Mitsubishi. But then? GWM and BYD.While GWM’s growth compared to the first half of 2024 is up a steady 17.0 per cent, BYD’s rise since the same period last year is meteoric. Compared to its 9548 sales up to June 30 in 2024, BYD’s 23,355 sales so far this year means it’s up 144.6 per cent.Eighth on the ladder year-to-date is an impressive feat for a brand most Australians likely hadn’t heard of just a couple of years ago, but the brand recognition brought about by its Atto 3 and the few models launched since has clearly worked.The brand has even made it into the ute market before mainstays like Kia, with its plug-in hybrid Shark 6 ute having broken the five-figure sales barrier. The brand has shifted 10,424 Sharks since its launch earlier this year.It’s unsurprisingly BYD’s most popular model, followed by the Sealion 6 PHEV (4375 YTD) and its electric Sealion 7 sibling (3756 YTD).The Atto 3 remains popular enough despite sales halving compared to the same point last year, now 1854 units this year-to-date, followed by the Seal sedan (1609 YTD, down 60.7 per cent) and Dolphin hatch (1337 YTD, up 7.1 per cent).The only thing that seems like it could see BYD come undone is a report from last week via Reuters that production at some BYD factories has been “cut by at least a third”, but it’s yet to be seen whether this is confirmed, or whether this will have a direct impact on Australian sales.

BYD is gearing up for a massive new-model rollout that should cement its place in Australia's top 10 car brands.

The BYD Sealion 6 is already Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid (PHEV), but it could soon get a new variant that increases the amount of electric-only range.According to government approval documents, a new version of the Sealion 6 is approved for sale in Australia to sit alongside the existing front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants.Dubbed the BYD Sealion 6 Dynamic Extended Range in the approval documents, it features the same 72kW petrol engine and 145kW front-mounted electric motor as the existing front-wheel drive Sealion 6 Essential. Total system output is 160kW of power.The big difference, however, is the high-voltage battery pack. The approval documents don’t specify an exact battery capacity, but the Sealion 6 Dynamic Extended Range is 53kg heavier than the Essential, with a tare mass of 1958kg.Given the extra heft and its name in the approval documents, it’s expected this new extended-range version has a larger battery pack.BYD already offers the Sealion 6 with a larger 26.6kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery in certain markets. For context, existing versions of the Sealion 6 have an 18.3kWh LFP battery.This version of the Sealion 6 is already on sale in the UK, which means the car is already being produced in right-hand drive.Thanks to the larger 26.6kWh battery pack, it gets a longer electric-only range of 125km, according to WLTP testing. With the regular 18.3kWh battery pack on the other hand, the car gets 80km of electric range, according to WLTP testing.With well over 100km of electric range, this version of the Sealion 6 has considerably more EV range than rivals like the Jaecoo J7 SHS and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.One of the few PHEVs with more electric range is the GWM Haval H6 GT PHEV, which has a stonking 35.4kWh battery pack and an electric range of 180km, according to lenient NEDC testing.Beyond this, little else is confirmed about this new extended-range Sealion 6 in the approval documents. It has a braked towing capacity of 750kg and 19-inch alloy wheels.Although it’s called the Sealion 6 Dynamic Extended Range in the approval documents, it’s unclear whether it will actually launch in this trim level.BYD moved away from the Dynamic trim level name when it introduced the new entry-level Essential variant across a number of existing models like the Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal and Sealion 6.If BYD did reintroduce the Dynamic trim with this new extended range Sealion 6, it would sit between the existing Essential and Premium variants.These Sealion 6 variants are currently priced at $42,990 before on-roads and $52,990 before on-roads, respectively.We’ve reached out to BYD’s local distributor, EVDirect, about the prospects of this new Sealion 6 variant launching in Australia. We’ll update this story once we hear back.

Will the Geely Starship 7 be the brand’s second model for Australia? Essentially a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the company’s EX5 EV released in the beginning of this year, the five-seater mid-sized SUV could arrive before the end of 2025, opening up the brand to a much wider audience. If given the green light, it would directly target the popular BYD Sealion 6 and Mitsubishi

Following its 2025 pricing cull, BYD has chopped the entry price to its Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid range. The family SUV now starts in Essential trim, with the old Dynamic grade dropped entirely, from $42,990 before on-road costs. This cements its position as Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid — the price battle is getting bloody. Compared to rivals, it is very sharply priced. The most popular vehicle in the segment, the Toyota RAV4, starts at $42,260 before on-road costs in plugless hybrid guise while the most affordable Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the ES at $57,290, before on-road costs. BYD says the new Essential is targeting fleet customers mainly and it does lose some equipment.Inside, there’s no 360-degree camera, auto-dimming mirror, insulated front door glass, seat heating and ventilation, metal sill protectors, mood lighting or wireless phone charging.The touchscreen is smaller (but still generous) at 12.8 inches and the speaker count falls from 10 to six. The driver’s seat is still power adjustable but only six ways, not eight. The Sealion 6 Essential still features two-tone brown synthetic leather upholstery, 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting and keyless entry. Under the bonnet is the same plug-in hybrid system based around a 1.5-litre petrol engine. It drives the front wheels only with a total power output of 160kW, for a 0-100km/h sprint in 8.5 seconds. The 18.3kWh ‘Blade’ battery remains, giving around 80km of electric-only driving range and total full-empty distance of 1000km plus, says BYD, if you can achieve the 1.1L/100km rating. A five-star ANCAP safety rating covers all Sealion 6 trims. It is currently advantageous to purchase a plug-in hybrid as it is considered a low-emissions vehicle, making them much more affordable to finance thanks to the FBT exemption. This will change on 1 April 2025 and may impact PHEV sales. Since its release in May 2024, though, the Sealion 6 has proven popular, with 6198 finding homes. BYD is on a product offensive in 2025, rolling out a new Sealion 7 electric model and introducing Australia’s first plug-in hybrid ute, the Shark 6. 

Many so-called “all-new” models aren’t all that new. In fact, a sizeable chunk are reskinned versions of what came before, with fresh sheetmetal over the same general hard points.