Tesla arch-rival BYD will launch the Seal 06 DM-i plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sedan and wagon in the United Kingdom (UK) as the Chinese brand expands its range of right-hand drive models – with the local arm telling CarExpert it’s evaluating an Australian launch.
The Chinese car brand will launch the Seal 06 DM-i as a rival to the BMW 3 Series and Skoda Superb – both offered with plug-in hybrid tech in the UK – sometime in 2025, but has not announced prices or exact timing.
It’s expected to be priced similarly to the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV SUV currently offered in the UK (sold as the ‘Seal-U’) at £33,000 ($68,700) – and priced from $42,990 before on-road costs in Australia.
BYD has not yet confirmed the Seal 06 DM-i for local showrooms, but a spokesperson for the automaker told CarExpert the Seal 6 DM-i is under evaluation for Australia in both sedan and wagon body styles.
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The sedan was introduced in China in May 2024 boasting a claim of 2100km total driving range and fuel efficiency of 2.5L/100km.
The 20mm longer Seal 6 DM-i wagon – measuring 4850mm on the same 2790mm wheelbase as the sedan – was revealed at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show.
The front-wheel drive sedan/wagon uses the DM-i 5.0 architecture, distinctly different from the e-Platform 3.0 Evo underpinning the rear-wheel drive electric BYD Seal already in Australian showrooms.
The latest gen BYD hybrid tech – badged ‘DM-i’ which stands for ‘Dual Mode-intelligence’ – sees the Seal 06 powered by a 74kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The standard configuration uses a 120kW electric motor and 10kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack for a claimed 53km of electric driving, with an optional 160kW motor and 16kWh battery extending range to 83km.
The Sealion 6 was the most popular plug-in hybrid in Australia in 2024, with strong competition expected from a new-generation Toyota RAV4 PHEV arriving in 2026.
The Sealion 6 was overtaken by the Ford Ranger-rivalling BYD Shark 6 as the best-selling plug-in hybrid in Australia in the first three months of 2025.
BYD is expanding its hybrid offering globally as changes to upcoming internal combustion engine bans in Europe and the United States (California specifically) may be pushed back.
“Our target is really to have people in daily use using the EV [mode], but then if they want long distance, given a chance to charge, they have the freedom to go to anything,” said BYD executive vice-president, Stella Li.
It joins other car makers such as Honda, Volvo, Porsche and Kia that have switched focus to hybrid vehicles, revising previous electric vehicle sales targets.
MORE: Everything BYD