BYD News

Sales slide for once popular brands: Mainstream Japanese brands Nissan, Mazda and Suzuki dip in popularity as demand for Chinese brands like BYD, Chery & GWM skyrockets.

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BYD’s aggressive growth strategy is set to ramp up considerably before the end of the year with confirmation of four new models to launch.The four new models are no huge surprise with CarsGuide reporting earlier this year the likely arrival of each of them.The biggest news in BYD’s confirmation is the Atto 1, which is better known as the Seagull in China and the Dolphin Surf in the UK.This fully electric light hatchback will be the cheapest EV in Australia, according to BYD Australia COO Stephen Collins.“When it comes to the Atto range, start believing the hype,” he said.“The Atto 1 will be Australia’s most affordable EV by some margin, opening the door for even more Australians to get behind the wheel of their own new energy vehicle.“As we’ve seen with those incredible sales numbers overseas, we expect really strong pre-order interest locally.”BYD already has bragging rights as offering the cheapest EV on sale in Australia with the entry grade Dolphin Essential from $29,990 before on-road costs. The GWM Ora is the second cheapest at $35,990 drive-away.That means the Atto 1 will likely come in at around $25,000 before on-roads.BYD is yet to confirm full specification, powertrain details or pricing, but expect that information to be revealed closer to each model’s respective launch.The version of the Atto 1 that's coming to Australia is expected to be more closely related to the European and UK-spec Dolphin Surf as it more closely aligns with Australian Design Rules (ADR) compared with the China-market Seagull.The Atto 1 will launch in November alongside the larger Atto 2 electric small SUV. The Atto 2 model will compete directly with the MG S5, Chery E5, Kia EV3 and Hyundai Kona Electric, but it is expected to undercut the price of the Kia and Hyundai.Further up the model range, BYD will add to its family SUV stable that already includes the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and the Sealion 7 EV, with the Sealion 5 and 8 PHEVs.The Sealion 5 is a five-seat mid-size SUV and at 4735mm long, 1860mm wide and 1710mm tall, it’s longer, has a longer wheelbase, but is shorter and lower than a Mitsubishi Outlander.In China, the Sealion 5 is powered by BYD’s 'DM-i' (dual mode - intelligent) plug-in hybrid set-up which combines a 74kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 120kW permanent magnet synchronous electric motor. It uses an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) driving the front wheels. Depending on the battery size it offers up to 115km of electric driving range.The Sealion 8 is larger than the 5 and it comes standard with seven seats, making it BYD’s first three-row model in Australia. This is also a plug-in hybrid model and it will sit above the Sealion 6 and 7 in the expanding line-up.It will likely compete with other seven-seaters like the Chery Tiggo 8, Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-80 PHEVs.Timing for the Sealion 5 and 8 is not locked in but if it's not before the end of 2025 it will be early 2026.The BYD new model bonanza follows last week’s official confirmation that BYD’s premium Denza brand will launch before the end of the year. Denza - a Lexus and Genesis rival - will launch with the B5 and B8 premium plug-in hybrid off-roaders. In China these models fall under the Fanchengbao brand.Denza will eventually source models for Australia like the D9 people mover, N9 upper-large SUV and Z9 GT four-door coupe from the Denza stable, but it will also cherry pick from Fanchengbao and BYD’s upper premium brand, Yangwang. The latter includes the wild U8 off-roader and the potent U9 electric supercar, known for its ‘jump’ function.

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There’s been a lot of noise about US President Donald Trump’s high-percentage import tariffs on everything from steel, copper and aluminium to timber, furniture and you guessed it, cars and car parts.But it was his predecessor, Joe Biden that upped the tariff on Chinese electric vehicles from 27.5 per cent under the first Trump administration, to the current 100 per cent rate.Not surprisingly, this slammed the brakes on the ambitions of Chinese carmakers for growth in the US, which has led to a pitched battle in the domestic market with manufacturing capacity and current output outweighing demand.And China’s biggest carmaker, BYD has been reaching into its deep pockets to cut profit margins and drive a price war many believe is designed to put smaller players to the sword.But it’s possible these heavy-handed tactics may be backfiring because for the first time since 2020 the rise and rise of BYD has faltered. As reported by CarNewsChina BYD Group sales in China fell 5.9 per cent (to 393,060 units) in September, compared to the same month last year, following two months where year-on-year sales had been close to flat.In particular, BYD’s plug-in hybrid numbers dropped 25.6 per cent last month, with sales now declining for six consecutive months since April.But while the mother ship BYD brand has borne the brunt of the domestic downturn, its relatively small-volume sub-brands have gone the other way. Fang Cheng Bao (off-road capable SUVs) grew 345 percent (to 24,121 units), Denza (premium models) was up 20.5 per cent (to 12,407 units) and Yangwang (super performance models) improved by 145 per cent (to 758 units) in September, YOY.Of course, BYD has been aggressively seeking new market opportunities to fill a USA-sized export hole in its business plan. And Australia is clearly a target, as the brand has made a big impact locally in a stunningly short period of time.Having recently switched from an importer/distributor arrangement to a direct factory subsidiary, BYD is now a regular top 10 new car player here (P8 year-to-date in 2025) with models like the Sealion 7 SUV and Shark 6 dual cab ute occupying an increasing number of Aussie driveways.And there’s lots more on the way, with the Atto 2 small electric SUV and large three-row Sealion 8 PHEV both approved for local sale and expected to arrive before the end of the year.But the next step is a flanking manoeuvre, using the Denza brand to expand BYD’s group-wide offering. And this week saw confirmation of a November arrival for the Denza B5 and B8 PHEV 4WD SUVs.Marketed in China under the Fang Cheng Bao Leopard Series banner, the B5 is a mid-size plug-in hybrid riding on a full body-on-frame chassis powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine and two electric motors for combined outputs of 505kW and 760Nm with a 1200km overall range. Then, the larger, seven-seat B8, also a Fang Cheng Bao Leopard model in China, is a similar separate-frame 4WD powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and a pair of electric motors delivering 550kW/760Nm with a 1200km range.Both feature a trio of diff locks, selectable terrain modes and generous ground clearance for serious off-road performance and the standard specification is sky-high with multiple media and instrument screens included in a premium interior fit-out.Look out Toyota RAV4 and LandCruiser Prado! BYD said this week it would offer a curated range of premium vehicles from BYD’s three acclaimed sub-brands in Australia under the Denza brand.This means models from the Yangwang product portfolio will soon be on offer here. Most likely the front-engine, quad-motor U8 SUV; a large, five-seat ‘tank turn’ capable 4WD.Stand by for more BYD and Denza new model news as the Chinese giant’s push into this market continues to build momentum.

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