BYD goes upmarket: Flagship BYD Sealion 08 SUV and Seal 08 sedan gun for Audi, Benz and BMW

January 21, 2026January 21, 2026 John Mahoney 482 Views 0 Comments BYD, Seal 08, Sealion 08

BYD has given us our closest looks yet at its inbound flagship Ocean 8 series line-up that will be named the BYD Seal 08 Sedan and BYD Sealion 08 SUV when they launch later this year in China.

Created to to rival mid- to large sedans and SUVs from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, the new teaser imagesreveal how the sedan will mirror the silhouette of cars like the latest Audi A5 Sportback and come with slippery fastback rear styling.

The medium- to large SUV, meanwhile, is set to herald a vehicle with more angular and upright proportions that will see occupants tower above other road users, while maximising space and levels of luxury within.

While the new BYD sedan has already been previewed by the sleek Ocean S Concept shown at the Shanghai motor show and the SUV by the Dynasty D, it’s thought both models will include the maker’s fifth-generation DM-i hybrid tech and BYD’s 800-volt 3.0 Evo electrics.

Tipped to deliver some of the fastest charging in the business, the pair of new BYDs should come with a large 100kWh battery pack.

It’s not yet known if the latest luxury BYD Ocean members will be related to the separate flagship BYD Dynasty sub-brand that has confirmed its own flagship models, that include the Tang 9 SUV and Han 9 sedan.

More questions concern that locally BYD already has a Sealion 8 model on sale that is really a rebadged Tang L DM-i in China.

Some have suggested that BYD might employ the Seal 9 and Sealion 9 nameplate for export markets.

A final problem imposed by rolling out flagship BYDs is undermining the car-maker’s new premium Denza brand that has launched with the Fangchengbao-sourced B5 and B8 luxury plug-in SUVs.