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China’s BYD only made its full-scale Aussie debut in 2022, but by 2026, it wants to crack the top three on Australia’s new car sales charts. Here’s the product roadmap for how it plans to get there.
Electric Cars
BYD’s story of success is a relatively short one. Having trialled a few low-volume vehicles early on, 2022 saw it make its full-scale debut with the Atto 3 electric SUV.
From there, the brand has grown, adding new models in key segments: Two more medium SUVs, a Tesla Model 3 rivalling sedan, a price-leading electric hatch, and its biggest seller by far, a plug-in hybrid ute.
Already the brand has pushed from relatively unknown to occupying a position as a top-ten selling brand in Australia, alongside fellow Chinese rivals, GWM and MG, but not satisfied to linger, the brand has its eyes on a top-three position in 2026.
Small electric cars will price-match petrol rivals, opening the door to a much wider audience.
Cheap compact cars aren’t necessarily the highest-volume pitch a brand can make, but BYD has identified an opportunity in the small car and small SUV segment, and knows that it can potentially secure future customers by hooking them early on.
To achieve this, BYD will introduce the Atto 1 and Atto 2, a pair of electric vehicles priced similarly to their petrol equivalents.
The Atto 1 is a compact five-door hatch with an angular design, a raft of SUV-like styling cues, and a price that’s set to rattle the cage of cars like the MG 3, Mazda 2, and Toyota Yaris – the light car segment’s top sellers.
BYD has targeted a starting price of around $25,000, aimed right at the heart of the light car class, with cars like the Suzuki Swift (from $24,490), Mazda 2 (from $28,190) and Toyota Yaris (from $28,990, all before on-road costs) firmly in its crosshairs.
BYD’s sales targets for the Atto 1 would see it outpace the Yaris and Swift, but not overtake the segment’s top-selling MG 3, priced from as little as $21,990 before on-road costs.
To complement the Atto 1, a compact electric SUV called the Atto 2 will aim for a similar positioning approach in the Small SUV class.
BYD’s low $30,000 price goal for the Atto 2 is a strategic one. A car, sized almost the same as the Light SUV segment’s top-seller, the Mazda CX-3, that offers a fully-electric powertrain at the same price.
The Atto 2 will also cross paths with slightly larger volume-selling Small SUVs, like the GWM Haval Jolion and MG ZS, both of which are slightly cheaper with petrol and hybrid powertrains, but still offer a decent pricing overlap with where the Atto 2 will be positioned.
Families won’t be forgotten, with more family-sized SUVs on the way.
BYD already offers the Sealion 6 PHEV and Sealion 7 EV in the Medium SUV class, but more alternatives are on the way.
In a move that might seem confusing, BYD will add the Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid alongside the existing Sealion 6.
Both are similarly sized, five-seat medium SUVs, but Sealion 5 will be offered with a lower level of standard equipment, and smaller PHEV batteries, resulting in a shorter EV driving range.
With the Sealion 6 already starting from a low $42,990 plus on-road costs, the Sealion 5 has an opportunity to crash the non-PHEV medium SUV price party, costing the same as cars like the Mazda CX-5 and Nissan X-Trail.
Bigger families won't be forgotten either, with the plug-in hybrid Sealion 8 set to become BYD’s first three-row SUV.
The Sealion 8 will join a growing class of seven-seat PHEV rivals, including the Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-80, but it's an arena that the brand will be an early player in, potentially giving BYD an opportunity to take an early lead in the sub-segment.
Long-range electric driving and pricing that’s set to undercut established rivals could provide the Sealion 8 with an unmatched edge when it launches, and gives BYD a stepping stone for buyers ready to graduate from one of its other five-seat SUV models.
More than just new models, BYD is planning on adding more dealers.
During 2025, BYD’s chief operating officer, Stephen Collins, revealed that by the end of 2025, there should be around 110 dealers nationally.
At the time of making that statement in October 2025, BYD had around 90 dealers.
That fast-paced growth won’t continue unabated, but BYD’s eventual aim is to have 150 dealer sites operating around Australia, bringing parts and service closer to customers, and increasing the visibility of the brand for potential new buyers.
Electric Cars Guide
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
