BYD Sealion 8 confirmed for Australia: seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV arriving 2026
BYD has been making waves in Australia, breaking into the top 10 best-selling brands for the first time earlier this year. And now the Chinese electric vehicle specialist has confirmed it will chase sales in Australia’s popular seven-seat SUV market with its Sealion 8.
Set to arrive in the first quarter of 2026, the Sealion 8 will feature BYD’s next-generation plug-in hybrid technology, utilising either a 19kWh battery pack in the entry-level DM-i trim or a larger 35.6kWh unit in the top-spec DM-p.
Both variants will use the same 110kW/220Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as their base powerplant, with DM-i grade receiving a 200kW/315Nm electric motor on its front axle. The more powerful DM-p, meanwhile, includes an additional 131kW/360Nm e-motor on its rear axle.
Consumption figures, all-electric range claims, and charging capabilities have not yet been announced by BYD, however the brand does claim a hot-hatch like 4.9-second 0-100km/h time for DM-p trim. Full specification will be released closer to launch but we do know the Sealion 8 will receive LED head- and tail lights as standard, with heated/ventilated and massaging front seats in DM-p trim.
BYD has not said what components will comprise the Sealion 8’s safety suite but states a “gamut of [active driver assistance systems]” will be fitted – potentially a nod towards implementation of the brand’s ‘God’s Eye’ active safety system, which boasts semi-autonomous features such as adaptive cruise with stop-go, lane-change, lane-keeping and blind-spot assist, and self-parking.
While competition is fierce in Australia’s seven-seat SUV class, not many of the Sealion 8’s soon-to-be rivals implement PHEV technology. As it stands, only the Kia Sorento ($84,660 before on-roads), the Mazda CX-80 ($95,000), Mitsubishi Outlander ($57,290) and Volvo XC90 ($130,990) are offered with a PHEV powertrain option.
The Sealion 8 will join the smaller Sealion 6 ($42,990 before on-roads) and the Shark dual-cab ute as models with PHEV powertrains in the brand’s local line-up.
