BYD adds yet another new model to its Aussie line-up: M9 to join the growing Chinese people-mover battle
BYD will expand into Australia’s increasingly crowded premium people-mover market with the M9 plug-in hybrid, which is due to arrive in local showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The large M9 will be BYD’s first people-mover sold in Australia and the latest in a recent wave of predominantly Chinese models entering a segment led by established names such as the Kia Carnival.
It follows the Australian arrival of the GAC M8, priced from $76,590 plus on-road costs, the Denza D9 from $88,185, XPeng X9 from $89,900 and Zeekr 009 from $115,900.
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The BYD will be offered exclusively with the company’s DM-i 5.0 plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Pricing is yet to be announced, with BYD saying full Australian specifications will also be confirmed closer to launch.
The M9 range will initially comprise a seven-seat Premium, followed by a cheaper eight-seat Dynamic. Both versions will be front-wheel drive.
Power comes from a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine combined with an electric motor, although BYD Australia has yet to detail local power and torque outputs.
The flagship Premium uses a substantial 36.6kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate battery and is targeting up to 145km of electric-only driving and 850km of combined range under the WLTP test procedure.
The Dynamic receives a smaller 20.39kWh Blade battery. Both versions support AC and DC charging as well as vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability. BYD notes the quoted range figures remain subject to final Australian specification and ADR testing.
At 5145mm long, 1970mm wide and 1805mm high, with a 3045mm wheelbase, the M9 is a substantial vehicle designed to provide three usable seating rows.
The seven-seat Premium employs a 2+2+3 seating configuration, with individual captain’s chairs in the second row. Those seats are heated and ventilated and offer what BYD describes as a near “zero-gravity” seating position, while the front seats are also heated and ventilated.
BYD claims 470 litres of luggage space with all seats in use, while the M9 has a relatively modest 1500kg braked towing capacity.
Safety equipment will include up to nine airbags, a 360-degree camera, five millimetre-wave radars and eight ultrasonic sensors, along with a suite of driver-assistance systems. BYD says high-strength steel accounts for 73 per cent of the M9’s body structure.
The M9’s arrival will further broaden BYD’s Australian range, which has expanded rapidly across EV and plug-in hybrid passenger cars, SUVs and utes.
While the GAC M8 is another plug-in hybrid alternative, the Denza D9, XPeng X9 and Zeekr 009 are battery-electric.
BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins said the combination was aimed at families and fleet buyers.
“The M9 offers superb EV-only driving for daily commutes and exceptional touring range for longer trips. It is perfectly suited for Australian families as well as fleets seeking low operating costs.”
