Chinese automaker BYD says it has begun Australian deliveries of its new Sealion 6 “super-hybrid” car, which it says has already attracted more than 1,000 orders.
The Sealion is the first BYD plug-in hybrid to be released in the Australian market, and boasts a maximum combined range of just under 1,100km and incorporates BYD’s new DM-i (Dual-Mode intelligent) technology which the company claims “sets a new benchmark for energy efficiency.”
Despite the fact that there is a full-battery version of the Sealion 6 available in Europe – where it is marketed under the Seal U name – Australia is only getting the PHEV version.
The large SUV is available in two variants, the Dynamic which starts from $48,990, and the Premium, which starts from $52,990, both before on-road costs. Equipped with an 18.3kWh battery, the Dynamic boasts a battery-only range of 92km while the Premium sees this cut to only 81km (based on the ADR 81/02 tests).
The front-wheel drive Dynamic offers up power of 145kW and maximum torque of 300Nm, delivering acceleration from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds. The all-wheel drive Premium variant, however, bumps up the power to 150kW, keeps the torque figure the same, and delivers a notably faster acceleration of 5.9 seconds.
As a further incentive for those interested in the BYD Sealion, the company is offering a free home charger worth $999 to the first 3,000 models sold. The vehicle is being sold through its local distributor EVDirect.
The Sealion 6 is one of four new vehicles BYD is bringing to Australian shores this year, along with an unnamed dual-cab ute, while the remaining two models are unknown at this point. It already sells the Seal, Atto 3 and Dolphin full battery electric EVs in Australia and has the second highest total electric sales behind Tesla.
See our EV Models page for a full list of EV models available in Australia, and our latest update of EV sales month by month.
