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The meteoric rise of BYD has been one to watch, with the Chinese newcomer going from a literal unknown to being a household name in just two years.
As we write this in mid-2024, the all-electric Atto 3 SUV and the newer Seal EV sedan have notched up nearly 9000 sales between them, with sales from those two models alone putting the brand on track to demolish its 11,000-unit sales tally from 2023. The Dolphin hatch and Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid SUV are also winning their fair share of fans, but there's more on the way, with one model in particular shaping up as potentially BYD's most commercially-important entrant to the Australian market...
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BYD Shark
BYD’s rival for the likes of the Ranger and HiLux will launch towards the end of 2024 with a plug-in hybrid drive system, ahead of the arrival of an all-electric variant in late 2025.
With combined petrol and electric power for the plug-in hybrid (PHEV), BYD's Shark is slated to beat the incoming Ford Ranger PHEV to Australia, giving tradies and offroaders a surprisingly muscular treehugger of a ute. Claimed outputs are a combined 321kW from its dual electric motors (170kW/310Nm front, 150kW/340Nm rear), with a zero-to-hundred time of 5.7 seconds. A 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol inline four charges up the onboard battery to extend range to around 840km on the Chinese test cycle, with an electric-only range of around 100km (again, that's on the Chinese fuel economy test - expect a lower figure for Australia).
Payload in the tub is a healthy 835kg, though its tow capacity of 2500kg is sub-par for the ute segment. The Shark launches soon - we'll have the full local info as we get closer to that time. Specs for the Shark EV have yet to be announced, expect to hear more about that one in 2025.
BYD ‘Atto 2’
BYD has yet to officially unveil its new small SUV, but images and details published by the Chinese government reveal more than a few key details.
As a small SUV, the ‘Atto 2’ (Yuan Up in China) will take its styling cues from the popular and larger Atto 3. If it comes to Australia, expect the Atto 2 to slot in above the Dolphin hatch as the brand's most affordable SUV. Read more here.
BYD Sealion 6
Unveiled in 2022, the mid-sized BYD Seal U electric SUV went on sale in Australia this year as the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid.
But where be the all-electric version of the Sealion 6 that's available overseas? Apparently, a hold-up on development of a right-hand drive example means a local intro for what would otherwise be an intriguing alternative to a Tesla Model Y is so far not in the immediate future for BYD's local office.
Watch this space, though.
BYD U7
In January, BYD revealed its rival to large luxury EVs like the BMW i5, Mercedes EQE and Tesla Model S.
Full details are still to come, but the U7 - which is actually sold in China under BYD's subsidiary Yangwang luxury brand - is understood to feature four electric motors – one at each wheel – and produce more than 1000hp (745kW).
Whether we’ll see this model in Australia is unclear, with the brand’s local arm yet to comment on its potential.
BYD Sealion 07
Late last year, BYD unveiled its latest electric offering for China, in the form of the Sealion 07 coupe-SUV.
The Sealion 07 wears a more sleek and aggressive design than the Seal U revealed a year earlier, looking more than a little like the Seal sedan it shares a name with.
In China, the Sealion 07 will neatly undercut the Tesla Model Y, with a low starting price of RMB200,000 ($42,650), while a recent price cut now sees the Model Y start from RMB299,900 in China ($63,775).
Will we see it in Australia? Likely not in 2024, but perhaps later.
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BYD U8
Even if you don't recognise the name, you've probably already seen the U8 - it's Insta-famous after all.
Sold in China as the Yangwang U8, this monolithic quad-motor plug-in hybrid SUV has gone viral on social media not only for its ability to perform tank turns, but also the fact it's been deliberately engineered to float on water - with plenty of video evidence of it successfully doing so.
Add to that a colossal 880kW power output and a tech-packed cabin that looks remarkably luxe, and it's not hard to understand why the the U8 commands attention like few other cars.
Like the U7 mentioned above, the hulking U8 holds potential for an Australian launch potentially wearing BYD badges, although local leadership has indicated it’ll be at least two years away, with right-hand-drive models still in development.
Although it’s a big LandCruiser 300-sized SUV, the U8 is powered by a seemingly modest 200kW 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine matched to electric power in a plugin-hybrid arrangement. Dive deeper, though, and it’s not so modest: the electric side of the equation is four motors of 220kW apiece, equating to a massive 880kW and 1280Nm of combined power and torque.
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EXISTING MODELS
BYD’s Australian line-up now includes three models: the Atto 3 SUV, the Seal sedan and the Dolphin hatch. Learn more about each model at their respective WhichCar pages.
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