BYD confirms super-cheap Atto 1 for Australia! Sealion 5 plug-in SUV also on the way as four model launches planned by early 2026
All four new models that will expand BYD’s Australian line-up by early 2026 have now been named.
The latest confirmations include the tiny four-seat hatchback Atto 1 that is set to become Australia’s cheapest battery electric vehicle and the Sealion 5 medium plug-in hybrid SUV.
They join the previously announced compact Atto 2 battery electric SUV and large Sealion 8 PHEV SUV.
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These four are only part of hectic few months for BYD in Australia, as it is also launching its premium brand Denza in Australia in November with the B5 and B8 4x4s.
These four models will join the Shark 6 PHEV ute, Sealion 6 PHEV medium SUV, Sealion 7 BEV SUV, Dolphin BEV small car, Seal BEV passenger car and Atto 3 BEV small SUV in BYD’s local line-up.
“To release this volume of product at such a rapid pace is really unprecedented in my time in the automotive industry,” BYD Australia COO Stephen Collins said.
“With our growing mix of PHEVs and pure EVs, what it proves is that BYD is committed to providing Australian consumers with choice in starting – or continuing – their new energy automotive journeys.”
No pricing or specific timing for the four new models has been provided, but Collins was clear the Atto 1, which is known as the Surf in Europe and Seagull China, would be cheap.
“The Atto 1 will be Australia’s most affordable EV by some margin, opening the door for even more Australians to get behind the wheel of their own new energy vehicle,” he said.
“As we’ve seen with those incredible sales numbers overseas, we expect really strong pre-order interest locally.”
As we’ve previously forecast expect that pricing to start in the $25,000 range for the Atto 1 in Australia, undercutting the $29,990 plus on-road costs BYD Dolphin to become Australia’s cheapest EV.
But as reported recently, Geely has its eyes on the same price-leading position with its 2026 EX2 BEV hatch.
In the right-hand drive UK market the Seagull is 3990mm long, comes with the choice of 30kWh and 43.2kWh battery packs and 65kW or 115kW e-motors driving the front wheels. WLTP range claims vary from 220km to 320km.
The Atto 2 is 4310mm long and in Australia is expected to come with a 51.1kWh Blade battery pack and 130kW e-motor. The claimed WLTP range is 344km.
If its name is a guide to its pricing then the Atto 2 will sit below the Atto 3 in Australia, which starts at $39,990 plus on-road costs. The freshly-announced Leapmotor B10 is Australia’s cheapest electric SUV starting at $38,990 drive-away.
At 4735mm long, the Sealion 5 will sit above the Atto 3 and below the Sealion 6 in the line-up. In China it is driven by a combination of 74kW 1.5-litre petrol engine, 120kW e-motor and a choice of 12.9kWh and 18.3kWh battery packs for a claimed EV-only range of 75km or 115km.
According to Australian homologation documents, the Sealion 8 – or Tang L in China – measures up at 5040mm long – longer than a Toyota LandCruiser – and will come here with the choice of 205kW front-wheel drive and 359kW all-wheel drive 1.5-litre petrol engine/e-motor powertrains.
The Sealion 8 will be the first seven-seat model the BYD brand will sell in Australia, providing the Chinese giant with a competitor for the likes of the Toyota Kluger hybrid and Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento.
