BYD to Launch ‘Seven or Eight’ Models in Australia in 2026, Country Chief Says

# BYD to Launch 'Seven or Eight' Models in Australia in 2026, Country Chief Says

BYD plans to introduce around seven or eight new models in Australia this year, according to Stephen Collins, head of the Australian market. Speaking at a media event, Collins said the company will fill gaps in its lineup and upgrade several existing models over the next six to eight months. The goal, as stated by BYD's CEO, is to expand the range and make new energy vehicles available to every Australian.

Deliveries of the Atto 1 city hatchback—known as the Seagull in China—and the Atto 2 SUV were slated to begin last December, but the company has yet to confirm the first handovers as of Monday. On February 14, BYD will launch two plug-in hybrid SUVs: the Sealion 5 and Sealion 8. The Sealion 5 will be the country's cheapest plug-in hybrid.

The Seal 6, offered as a sedan and station wagon, is also on the horizon. It surfaced last month in an Australian government approval filing, as first reported by local outlet CarExpert. the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid mid-size pickup will receive a significant engine upgrade, boosting its 2.0-liter turbocharged unit to a combined output of 345 kW—224 kW more than the prior version—and enabling a 3.5-tonne towing capacity.

BYD entered the Australia and New Zealand markets in mid-2022 with the fully electric Atto 3 compact SUV as its debut model. A year later, it added the Dolphin hatchback—called the Seagull in China and Dolphin Surf in Europe—and the Seal sedan. The Sealion 6 arrived in May 2024 and earned a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program six months later. The Shark 6 launched in October 2024, with deliveries starting in January 2025, while the battery-electric Sealion 7 crossover SUV debuted exactly a year ago.