2026 BYD Seal 06 PHEV caught testing in Australia

The 2026 BYD Seal 06 DM-i has been caught testing in Canberra, suggesting the plug-in hybrid mid-size sedan could join the local line-up later this year.

The lightly camouflaged right-hand drive Seal 06 DM-i was spotted by a member of the BYD Seal Australia Facebook group and comes as the sedan and wagon versions are set to launch in the UK market in the coming months.

Still to be announced for Australia, the headline news of the Seal 06 DM-i sedan is that it offers a total range of up to 2100km, combining a 74kW/126Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 120kW/210Nm e-motor that drives the front wheels.

In China, there are two versions available. One variant uses a 10.08kWh battery that offers an 80km electric-only range and can average up to 2.9L/100km, while the other has a larger 15.87kWh battery and can return up to 3.08L/100km combined. The latter launches from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds – 0.4 seconds faster than the hybrid with the small battery.

With those figures recorded on the lenient Chinese test cycle, BYD claims a total range of more than 2100km.

If BYD chooses to introduce the plug-in hybrid Seal 06, it will rival the incoming Skoda Superb iV PHEV, as well as premium rivals like the reintroduced Mercedes-Benz C350e.

If BYD Australia decides to go ahead and import it, expect the plug-in hybrid Seal 06 sedan to sit below the current Seal EV that is priced from $46,990 before on-roads.

For the first time Down Under, last July the world’s largest manufacturer of electrified vehicles finally outsold the Tesla Model Y, with the mid-size BYD Sealion 7 recording 1427 sales, compared to just 555 deliveries of 2024’s world’s best-selling car.

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