BYD News

The BYD Song Ultra electric mid-size SUV has just been teased in China, according to CarNews China.The Song name has been used on several models for BYD, one of those being the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid variant found in Australia.This means the Song Ultra is likely to be an all-electric version of the Sealion 6, which has just been phased out in China.At 4850mm long, 1910mm wide and 1670mm tall, it is bigger than the Australian-sold Sealion 6 and closer to the size of the Sealion 7 EV. This means it would be a direct rival to Mazda's incoming CX-6e, which will launch in Australia this year. It could also be an alternative to the recently-introduced, and China-built, Hyundai Elexio, which has an introductory starting price of $59,990 drive-away.There is no official news yet on whether the BYD Song Ultra will head over to Australia, but with the brand continuing to push models, it is a possibility.The Sealion 6 and Sealion 7 have been two of BYD’s most successful models Down Under, only trailing the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute. The picture BYD has teased of its new car shows a similar outline to the Sealion 6.It falls under the Dynasty series for BYD, which has previously been reserved for hybridss, but the Song Ultra will be the first fully-electric model under the series. We got our first look at the Song Ultra late last year when it appeared in Chinese regulator documents as it edged closer to a domestic launch.The car comes in two variants, the first of which is a single electric motor, producing 239kW, while the up-spec model has dual electric motors for a combined 270kW. The more powerful version of the car has a top speed of 210km/h,We also know the car has a lithium-iron-phosphate battery, but there are no details yet on driving range or charging times. 

It comes down to this. Seven category winners, seven exceptional cars. But only one can take the crown of CarsGuide’s 2026 overall Car of the Year.The final shortlist for the overall Car of the Year award is made up of the winners of each of our seven categories.This impressive list includes high-end performance SUVs from Germany, new contenders from China, a game-changing ute, family friendly hybrids and top-notch EVs.As a reminder, here are the category winners that make up this final shortlist.Best Small Car Starting Under $50,000 - Kia EV3The Kia EV3 proves small EVs don’t have to be boring. A striking design combined with an engaging drive experience, visually appealing and surprisingly spacious cabin and high levels of standard equipment make for a winning package.Best Small Car Starting Under $80,000 - BMW X1It might not be the newest model on this list, but punchy petrol powertrains and a well-calibrated electric version elevate the BMW X1 above all of its premium small car rivals.Best Medium SUV Starting Under $60,000 - Zeekr 7XThe newest car on this list, the long-awaited Zeekr 7X is a deeply impressive electric family SUV in all grades and proves Zeekr means business.Best Medium SUV Starting Under $130,000 - Hyundai Ioniq 5Perhaps a surprising win against some impressive premium players, but the Hyundai Ioniq 5 deserves this award as it remains one of the most impressive electric medium SUVs money can buy.Best Large SUV Starting Under $100,000 - Hyundai Santa FeA massive step up from the previous model, the new Hyundai Santa Fe has a bold design and a spacious and flexible interior with the choice of two excellent powertrains.Best Large SUV Starting Under $220,000 - Porsche CayenneOutpacing a range of mostly German rivals, the Porsche Cayenne has the performance and prestige to make it the clear standout in the category.Best Ute Under $85,000 - BYD Shark 6A truly game-changing ute, the BYD Shark 6 has brought plug-in hybrid power to the masses in a big way.Such a solid list of winners means the car that took the crown is a special vehicle indeed.Without further ado, the winner of CarsGuide’s overall 2026 Car of the Year award is… the Hyundai Santa Fe!The Santa Fe won over the CarsGuide Car of the Year judges for a variety of reasons.The six- or seven-seat large SUV is hard to fault. It’s a phenomenal family car with acres of occupant space across all three rows and decent cargo space as well. There’s also enough to keep kids occupied in the rear two rows while offering high levels of comfort and refinement up front.Interior design and layout is modern, with a retro twist, and the materials used throughout are second to none. Hyundai has used eye-catching seat materials, while the various touchpoints look and feel like they belong in the premium segment.A Santa Fe highlight is the fact that even the entry grade (simply called ‘Santa Fe’) feels nothing like a base model. In fact, it feels more high-end than top-spec versions of many of its rivals.The availability of two excellent powertrains further boosts the Santa Fe. The 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid is not just the best choice for efficiency and refinement, it’s also a punchy, engaging engine. But the 2.5L four-cylinder turbo-petrol version is also an absolute hoot.Both are available in front and all-wheel drive, and they come with a full-size spare wheel. Not something every hybrid can claim.Value for money was also a one of the Santa Fe’s biggest strengths. Pricing ranges from around $54,000 for the entry petrol grade and it tops out at $77,000 for the fully kitted out Calligraphy hybrid. Even at the entry point, the Sant Fe is packed with comfort and safety features.Finally, while its exterior design is undoubtedly polarising, the judges agree that it’s a standout among a largely vanilla bunch of family SUV rivals.Not only is the Hyundai Santa Fe CarsGuide’s top pick for a family car in 2026, but we reckon it’s the best car money can buy.A well deserved win for a brilliantly executed car.

The best ute in Australia? Wow, this is the big award in the 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year awards programme. Let's get into it, shall we?Our 10-strong shortlist for one of the most competitive segments has been whittled down to a top three, and – of course – a winner. But not before plenty of healthy and sometimes pretty vibrant debate between the members of the CarsGuide Editorial team.In the end, though, the choice seemed obvious, and overwhelming. So read on to find out the winner of the 2026 CarsGuide Car of The Year – Best Ute Starting Under $85K category.But first, a note. The runners-up are listed in alphabetical order based on the model name. There's no traditional podium here, just three finalists and a winner. Now, on with the show.Want to know just how strong an offering the Ford Ranger is? Every single CarsGuide judge voted for it in one way or another. It didn't score enough first-place votes to take the top prize, but it was in every single judge's top three.Our judging panel praised its capability and the breadth of its offering (especially now with Super Duty and plug-in hybrid variants).Admittedly, some suggested the plug-in Stormtrak variant felt a little "cynical" for its underwhelming EV performance, while others loved it, but all agreed the Ranger remains among Australia's best utes."It might no longer be the outright benchmark, but it is superior to almost every other ute in lots of ways," said Managing Editor Tim Nicholson.First year on sale and first appearance on the CarsGuide COTY podium! Not a bad effort for Kia's first-ever dual-cab offering, the Tasman.Our judges agreed that while the styling might be controversial, there is nothing opinion-splitting about the way the Tasman drives, or the attention its designers have paid to its cabin, which is by far the best in the business."It does the workhorse thing really well, and with a long warranty. It's big inside. It has got a stunning interior. It has a big tub. Kia has come from nowhere and they have swung really hard at this," said CarsGuide Contributing Journalist Byron Mathioudakis.No single ute had a more significant impact on Australia's dual-cab market than the BYD Shark 6 last year, which not only attracted more than 18,000 customers across 2025, but did it without some of the key weapons in the traditional ute arsenal.To succeed in Australia, utes must be powered by a diesel engine. They must be able to tow 3.5 tonnes. And they need to be able to carry a tonne. But it seems nobody issued these three commandments to BYD, because the Shark 6 can't do any of that, and it was the fourth best-selling ute in the country last year – with, it must be pointed out, just the one body style and trim. In place of the diesel donk is a plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain that has seriously resonated with Aussie consumers – forging a path other manufacturers far more established in the ute scene are now scrambling to follow – and it scored big on style and technology with our judges, too."The big thing for me is the ambition of the product, and the way that it's just turned the segment upside down," said CarsGuide Deputy News Editor Tom White."You could argue the segment had become a bit stagnant and boring, and I think Shark 6 just overhauls it completely."

While several big name car makers walk back their all-electric plans, the suggestion that electric vehicles are yesterday’s news doesn’t tally with growing sales.Electric vehicle (EV) sales still only account for 8.3 per cent of the total market, but grew significantly in the key SUV and light commercial vehicle segments. Notably, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have also grown significantly in recent years and combined EV and PHEV sales accounted for more than 13 per cent of the overall market.While there is still clearly a long way to go, there are also some clear signs that Australians are slowly starting to embrace EVs as they become more diverse in both price and type. Until last year, the market was dominated by Tesla, with the American brand often accounting for more than half the total EV sales.In 2025 the Tesla Model Y remained the best-selling EV, but the BYD Sealion 7 was its closest rival and the Kia EV5 and Geely EX5 also sold in good numbers. In total there were 10 EVs in the top 100 selling vehicles last year, underlining the increasing variety that is attracting new customers.BYD is the leading in this regard with four of the most popular EVs coming from the Chinese brand, and each very different propositions appealing to different buyers. These are the Sealion 7 mid-size SUV, Atto 3 small SUV, Seal sedan and Dolphin hatch.The arrival of the $23,990 Atto 1 will open up the EV market to even more customers too, as it will be amongst the most-affordable new cars on sale this year. In many respects, this is the moment the market has been waiting for, with EVs effectively achieving price parity with conventional petrol and diesel models. While not every EV is as price-competitive as the Atto 1, the increasing cost of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles only helps make EVs more appealing to buyers looking to save on their fuel bill.The growth of PHEVs will only further accelerate the electric future, as the long-touted ‘bridging technology’ will introduce more motorists to electric performance, while still allowing for the ICE back-up.PHEV sales have been on a sharp upward trajectory the past two years, growing more than 130 per cent in 2025 off the back of the BYD Shark 6, BYD Sealion 6, Mitsubishi Outlander and GWM Haval H6 GT. PHEV sales are expected to grow in 2026 and beyond, as more established brands, including market-leading Toyota, join the race. This will only accelerate the electrification on Australian roads, adding to the significant volume of hybrids already sold.While there is still some way to go before EVs become a majority on the roads, a reminder they account for less than 10 per cent at present, it’s clear that despite a slowing down of interest from manufacturers, electric cars are here to stay.Best selling electric cars 2025

Details of BYD’s next-generation charging hardware have leaked in China, according to reports.The upcoming stations form part of the brand’s strategy to roll out megawatt-level charging for its range of cars in the near future.The second-generation megawatt charging stations reportedly will be able to support speeds of up to 1500kW and a maximum voltage of 1000, indicating BYD is future-proofing its new charging hardware for cars that don’t exist yet.Currently the fastest charging cars in Australia use an 800-volt electrical architecture, with the Zeekr 7X capable of charging at up to a claimed 420kW.At the claimed maximum speed, Zeekr says the 7X should be able to charge from 10 - 80 per cent in 13 minutes. Other vehicles with 800-volt architectures, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV9, are capable of speeds of up to 350kW for theoretically sub-20 minute charging times.Very few chargers in Australia are capable of supporting such speeds. Most chargers supporting 800-volt are limited to 350kW, and the fastest public charging station in the country are a set of 400kW ABB chargers at an Ampol AmpCharge site in Sydney.In previous conversations with charge provider Evie Networks, one major limiting factor for providing ultra-fast charging in Australia is the amount of power available to individual sites. Often the sheer input to support even 350kW is not available.In China, where power is both affordable and plentiful, charging ‘rest stops’ with tens of ultra-fast DC chargers are common. The largest site is in Shenzhen which has 258 DC fast chargers.In 2025, China reached a milestone of 20 million charging plugs, with BYD planning to deploy 15,000 MW-level chargers by 2027.These second-generation chargers look set to supersede the original 1MW chargers, which the brand announced to some fanfare in early 2025. At the time BYD said the 1MW chargers could add up to 400km of driving range to its Han L and Tang L EVs in just five minutes.BYD’s charging foray is in support of its range of fast-charge capable EVs, which will no doubt expand beyond the Han L and Tang L in the future.Currently a version of the Tang L is about to become available in Australia, badged the Sealion 8, although it is only sold as a three-row seven-seat plug-in hybrid compared to the EV version sold in China.BYD does not currently offer charging hardware in the Australian market.Tesla is one of the biggest players in the charging hardware game , and in China Tesla now offers its V4 pylons capable of outputting up to 500kW.Meanwhile for BYD locally it would be unsurprising to see the brand launch 1MW capable vehicles, such as an EV version of the Sealion 8 eventually, as part of its strategy to be a top-three automaker by the end of 2026 and beyond.

China’s BYD experienced its fifth straight month of global sales decline in January as it deals with mounting pressure in its domestic market.

Ready or not, there is a new world order coming to the Australian new car market. The established order at the top of the sales charts is set to change dramatically in the near-future as local buyers continue to embrace the Chinese car brands.Like Japanese and Korean cars that came before, the initial backlash has given way to widespread acceptance and analysing the sales trends from recent years makes it clear that several of the leading Chinese brands are on the verge of cracking the top five in sales in 2026.But, as Newton’s Third Law of Motion tells us, for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction, which means brands that have been firmly ensconced in the top five on the sales charts will drop out.So, who will be the lucky Chinese brand to crack the upper echelon first? And which more established brand is most likely to drop out?For the first question there are two stand-out candidates and two more wild card options. GWM and BYD are the current leaders of the Chinese brands, finishing in seventh and eighth place on the 2025 sales charts. That’s a rise from 10th and 15th in ‘24, as GWM enjoyed a very healthy 23.4 per cent increase in sales last year, while BYD managed a staggering 156.2 per cent increase. But that wasn’t the biggest growing Chinese brand. That title belongs to Chery, which just missed out on a top 10 sales finish with 34,889 sales in 25, which was a massive 176.8 per cent growth on the previous year. And those figures don’t include the 3721 Omoda and Jaecoo sales. The final wild card is MG, which notched 41,298 sales in ‘25 but suffered a 18.4 per cent decline and fell from seventh to 10th on the charts. MG will need a dramatic turnaround but has installed new management specifically to address that problem.GWM and BYD are the clear-priced favourites to upset the order and put more pressure on the likes of Hyundai, Kia and Mazda in ‘26 and beyond. Both are investing in expanded line-ups, while GWM is going a step further and locally-tuning its new models to even further appeal to Australian customers.So who is the brand under the most threat of a sales ladder fall? Hyundai finished in fifth place in ‘25, but that was a clear improvement on ‘24, with the brand enjoying 7.7 per cent sales growth.Kia was next up, but was effectively neutral last year, reporting less than one per cent (0.4%) sales growth. Given this came despite the addition of the highly-anticipated Tasman ute, that’s not a positive result for the brand and puts more pressure on in ‘26.Mazda claimed third place, but suffered a 4.2 per cent sales decline, however, with sales over 90,000 units it can probably be considered fairly safe unless there is a dramatic change in the near-future.For either GWM or BYD to jump into the top five sellers they will need to add more than 25,000 sales. While that’s undoubtedly a huge jump, BYD actually attracted more than 31,000 new customers in 2025 - so it’s not impossible. Especially as it will add four models full-time this year - Atto 1, Atto 2, Sealion 5 and Sealion 8.So, while Toyota is likely to stay comfortably ahead of everyone else, the rest of the established order is up for grabs as Australian customers embrace these new brands and put pressure on the bigger names.

Tesla’s electric vehicle dominance came to an end in 2025, losing its global sales crown to BYD as it experienced its second consecutive year of declining sales.But most worryingly for the American brand, there is no reason to believe 2026 will be any better.For the first time official sales data credited BYD with 2.24 million electric vehicle sales, comfortably ahead of Tesla’s 1.64 million. While a win is a win, it’s the reasons why BYD trumped Tesla that should be of most concern to Elon Musk and his team.BYD out-performed Tesla despite suffering its weakest sales growth in its domestic market, but while enjoying sales growth in Europe and Australia. Notably, while Tesla remained Australia’s biggest seller of electric vehicles, with 28,856 recorded sales, BYD closed in dramatically, notching 25,207 EV sales (for direct comparison, that figure excludes its plug-in hybrid models).What really helps BYD’s cause moving forward is its focus on expanding its offerings and markets globally. Canada recently removed some of its restrictions on Chinese-made cars, which opens up a new growth region, and Europe has eased its hardline stance too.BYD has already confirmed the Atto 1, Atto 2, Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 will all be in Australian showrooms shortly, joining the Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal, Sealion 6 and 7 as well as the Shark 6. And that’s just the models confirmed, with either all-new or already available options likely to be added when the time is right.In contrast, Tesla is betting, once again, on technology. Musk’s current focus (at least in terms of Tesla) is growing both its robotaxi business and developing humanoid robots. Not a new, more-affordable car to compete with the Atto 1, but robots. BYD, on the other hand, is focused on making cars and expanding its portfolio to reach new customers. It doesn’t take a deep automotive industry analysis to assess which plan is the more likely chance of success.While there may well be a need for millions of humanoid robots suddenly over the next decade, the more humble reality is most people will be happy with a new car - even one they have to drive themselves.Which is really the difference between the two companies. BYD is a car manufacturer, Tesla is a technology company that happens to make cars. Musk has always seen Tesla as something different, something unconventional and the hard reality is that will ultimately limit its potential as a car maker. Don’t believe me? Well, just look how much time and resources Toyota, the world’s biggest car company, is investing in humanoid robots…That’s the underlying goal for BYD - beating Toyota. Becoming the biggest EV brand is merely a stepping stone along the way to its end goal. Although, achieving that will be a much harder task.In the short-term, there is seemingly little chance Tesla can recover the lost ground to BYD. The Chinese brand should be able to grow further in 2026, while Tesla faces an uncertain year ahead with no brand-new products coming and seemingly waning interest in what is already available.What Tesla needs in the short-term (and long-term) are more vehicles to sell. The Model 3/Y market is saturated, particularly in Australia, and the much-hyped Cybertruck has been a sales flop. Without new products to drive sales, Tesla will have to get comfortable not being the world leader in electric cars.

BYD’s upcoming flagship Tang 9 SUV has been spotted in China

Xiaomi’s updated SU7 electric sedan launches this April in China and while the order numbers are enormous there’s another huge figure grabbing people’s attention - its 900km-plus driving range.The order books for Xiaomi’s new SU7 opened on January 7, 2026 and within two weeks nearly 100,000 pre-orders have been taken. That’s big even for the Chinese market, which sees 34 millions cars sold in a year. But part of the drive in sales is the massive leap in spec for the SU7 particularly when it comes to driving range.Pricing in China for the entry grade SU7 starts at the equivalent of A$46,500, an increase of $2800 over the hugely popular outgoing model.The SU7 now has a range of 902km (CLTC), up from 830km in the previous model. CLTC (China Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle) criteria isn’t as strict or real-world applicable as the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Duty Vehicle Test Procedure) rating which is generally about 18 per cent less. Still, even if the SU7’s WLTP range is about 750km that would still see it beat the best electric long-haulers the world currently has to offer including the Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor with its 706km and Tesla’s Model 3 Long Range AWD with 629km.The longer range of the new SU7 is reportedly not due to a larger battery (a 101.7kWh battery capacity remains in the top grade model), but is down to a new silicon carbide platform in 752V and 897V forms which return improved efficiency.Other upgrades for the new SU7 include more advanced driving assistance systems, laser radar, and 700 TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second) AI computing power for autonomous driving functions.Xiaomi has yet to launch in Australia with the company likely to enter the European market first in 2027 and then the rest of the world including Australia. Right now, the fledgling tech-brand-turned-automaker's factory capacity is exceeded for over a year with back orders for both the SU7 and its YU7 SUV sibling, both of which have created massive hype in China's domestic market.If and when Xiaomi makes it here, the sporty Chinese marque would join a multitude of new brands in Australia with electric vehicles over the past two years.The SU7 would go up against rivals such as the BYD Seal and MG’s IM5, as well as the ever-popular Tesla Model 3.Xiaomi isn’t the only brand coming up with super long-range EVs with Chery also recently announcing progress on solid state batteries which it claims will offer up to 1500km of driving range on a single charge.