BYD Shark 6 is number one: Chinese ute takes just 12 months to become the best-selling PHEV of all-time in Australia
Strong BYD Shark 6 sales have resulted in the Chinese PHEV ute overtaking the Mitsubishi Outlander to become Australia’s most popular plug-in hybrid of all time.
Remarkably, the BYD Shark 6 took just 12 months to surpass 12 years of Outlander sales.
An incredible 18,073 plug-in hybrid BYD utes found homes last year in Australia.
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Since its introduction back in 2014, 16,949 Mitsubishi Outlanders have been sold.
BYD could soon outsell the Outlander PHEV again, thanks to strong demand for its Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid SUV.
It’s likely to see Mitsubishi displaced to the third spot in little more than a year, with the BYD mid-sizer currently out-selling the plug-in pioneer four-to-one.
Last year Mitsubishi only shifted 4110 Outlanders, compared to the 9055 Sealion 6 models sold over the same 12-month period, taking the total volume sold to 15,253.
Helping the Sealion 6 outsell its more established Japanese rival, prices of the BYD sit around $20,000 lower than the Outlander.
What could scuttle BYD’s chances of bashing the Outlander into third place is the huge ramp-up in competition in the mid-size SUV class in 2026, with new rivals from Chery, Geely, GWM and Jaecoo.
Big 2026 updates to the Outlander that herald a longer range could also help Mitsubishi re-establish a foothold on the number one spot this year.
Meanwhile an internal battle from the cheaper new BYD Sealion 5, that’s $9000 cheaper, could all deny the bigger Sealion 6 of its sales milestone.
The more expensive BYD Sealion 8 seven-seat PHEV could also chew into Sealion 6 sales.
