BYD Australia has announced it’ll add two more electrified vehicles within the next year, starting with the electric Atto 2 SUV(fourth quarter of 2025) and the Sealion 8 plug-in hybrid SUV (first quarter of 2026).
They’ll join the Atto 3 electric SUV, the Dolphin city EV, the Seal electric sedan, the Sealion 6 PHEV SUV, the Shark 6 PHEV ute and the Sealion 7 electric SUV, giving BYD eight models on sale locally.
The addition of the Atto 2 and Sealion 8 will likely help propel BYD to become a top 10 brand in Australia. Between January and May 2025, it delivered 15,199 vehicles, while Isuzu holds the 10th spot with 16,731 deliveries.
However, BYD has been on a relentless upwards trajectory, having delivered just 7805 vehicles across the same five-month period last year.
The Atto 2 is set to challenge other small electric SUVs such as the Hyundai Kona and Kia EV3, but it’s tipped to be far more affordable, with a starting price under the $39,990 before on-road costs tag of the larger Atto 3 expected.
Measuring 4310mm long, 1830mm wide and 1675mm high, it also has a 400-litre boot with the rear seats up, or 1370 litres when they’re folded.
The front wheels will be driven by a single electric motor producing 130kW and 290Nm, fed by a 51.13kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack. BYD doesn’t have a driving range figure yet, however a smaller 45.1kWh battery available in other markets delivers 312km on the WLTP cycle.
BYD will sell two versions of the Atto 2 in Australia, the base Essential and better-equipped Premium variants. Standard equipment will include an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, synthetic leather seats, a rotating infotainment touchscreen (10.1 inches on the Essential, 12.8 inches for Premium), and a suite of safety systems.
The Sealion 8 meanwhile will be BYD’s largest SUV in Australia yet, stepping up to three rows of seating (seven seats in total) while measuring 5040mm long, 1996mm wide and 1760mm high - similar to the Toyota Kluger.
A choice of two powertrains will be offered in Australia: the DM-i system which mates a 110kW and 220Nm turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine to a 200kW and 315Nm electric motor, plus the DM-p system with a second, rear-mounted 141kW and 360Nm electric motor.
BYD quotes a 0-100km/h time of 8.6 seconds for the DM-i layout, and 4.9 seconds for the DM-p, claiming it is “one of the fastest-accelerating seven-seater SUVs on the market at any price point”.
The DM-i system is fed by a 19kWh battery pack, while the DM-p scores a larger 35.6kWh unit. Driving range figures are yet to be confirmed.
Trim levels will be based on the powertrains, with standard equipment including a head-up display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, rotating 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, an autonomous driving suite with 30 radars, sensors and cameras, plus LED exterior lighting.
Pricing for both BYDs will be announced closer to their respective arrivals.
