2026 BYD Seal 6 will be Australia's cheapest PHEV sedan and cheapest wagon

The onslaught of new BYD models continues, with the Seal 6 Sedan and Seal 6 Touring plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) locked in for an Australian launch.

Available to order from April 9, 2026, the mid-size PHEV sedan and wagon range will be available in just two variants.

The Seal 6 Sedan will come here only in Essential trim and, with a price tag of $34,990 before on-road costs, it will not only be Australia’s cheapest PHEV sedan but also undercut even the Toyota Camry Hybrid by $5000.

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It narrowly misses out on being the cheapest PHEV of any kind Down Under, with another BYD – the Sealion 5 Essential medium SUV – undercutting it by just $1000.

The Seal 6 Touring will be offered here only in posher Premium trim, priced at $39,990 before on-roads. That makes it Australia’s cheapest wagon, undercutting the Skoda Octavia 110TSI Select at $43,990 drive-away.

The Essential sedan and Premium wagon differ not only in body style, but also in battery.

While they both use a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine at the heart of their DM 5.0 Super Hybrid powertrains, the Essential has a 10.08kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and the Premium scores a larger 19kWh pack.

Pure-electric range is 55km on the WLTP cycle in the sedan and 100km in the wagon. Combined range claims are 1400km and 1300km, respectively.

While BYD hasn’t published full technical specifications, recently published Australian Government certification documents list total system outputs of 130kW and 163kW, respectively.

Standard equipment includes an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a suite of active safety and driver assist technology including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and child presence detection.

The Seal 6 Sedan measures 4840mm long, 1875mm wide and 1495mm tall on a 2790mm wheelbase, making it 80mm shorter but 35mm wider and 50mm taller than the Camry on a 35mm shorter wheelbase.

The Seal 6 Touring has the same length, width and wheelbase as its booted counterpart, but is 1505mm tall and has 670 litres of cargo space, expanding to 1535L with the rear seats folded.

BYD Australia’s first mid-size wagon is 131mm longer than the Octavia wagon, as well as 46mm wider and 40mm taller on a 109mm longer wheelbase.

The brand also touts “impressive rear-seat legroom” and a “flat rear floor”.

BYD says the Seal 6 is a “compelling proposition for Australian families wanting space, practicality and affordability in a vehicle other than an SUV”. It’s already got a wide range of models for the SUV part of the PHEV market, with two different mid-size SUVs, a large SUV, and a ute.

As a mid-size PHEV sedan and wagon, the Seal 6 will have essentially no direct competition in Australia – you’ll either need to step down to a smaller (but sportier) Cupra Leon Sportstourer or up to the upcoming, larger Skoda Superb.

BYD already has a mid-size passenger car in Australia, the all-electric Seal. However, this is available only as a sedan, not a wagon.

The Chinese automotive giant has an even wider range of medium-to-large passenger cars in its home market, including the Seal 7, Qin and Han.

In Australia, it wants to be “close to the top three [automotive brands]” in the sales race this year, after finishing in eighth last year. It finished third in March, behind only Toyota and Kia.

MORE: Explore the BYD showroom