Australia’s most popular plug-in hybrid SUV (PHEV), the SEALION WORLD 6was set in China.
Accordingly Car news ChinaBYD has confirmed that the new model Sealion 6 will no longer be sold in China, where versions for the Australian market are manufactured Sea lion 06 – offered as both a PHEV and an electric vehicle (EV) and not yet confirmed for Australia – named as a domestic replacement.
However, BYD Australia has confirmed that the existing Sealion 6 will remain in local showrooms.
“The Sealion 6 will continue to be sold in Australia and we will ensure there is no disruption to supply to the BYD dealer network across the country,” a BYD Australia spokesperson said Daily Sparkz.
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The Sealion 6 was BYD Australia’s third best seller in 2025, behind the Shark 6 dual-cab model and the Sealion 7 EV SUV. It accounted for almost 20 percent of the 52,415 sales.
In 2024 it became Australia’s best-selling PHEV, displacing the top spot from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, but in 2025 it was relegated to second place behind the Shark 6.
While sales in China are over, Car news China Production of the Sealion 6 will reportedly continue. BYD Australia currently sources the vehicle from China, but it is also built at the BYD factory in Rayong, Thailand, where 70,000 Sealion 6s have already been produced for export.
The Sealion 6 is based on the Song Plus, which was launched in China in 2020. Specifically, the Sealion 6 launched here in 2024 is a renamed version of the Song Plus Champion Edition in the Chinese market, which was released in 2023.
While it is only offered here with a plug-in hybrid drive, an electric version is offered in other export markets such as Europe under the name Seal U.
Should procurement of the Sealion 6 for the Australian market move to Thailand, it is possible that prices and specifications will change. However, BYD has not confirmed any details.
Thailand is the third largest exporter of vehicles to Australia, overtaken by China last year. The best-selling Ford Ranger is made there alongside a range of dual-cab rivals including the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.
In 2025, one in five new vehicles sold in Australia were Thai-made, with 249,958 vehicles imported, just behind 252,928 from China.
Japan remains the top source of new vehicles in Australia with 358,951 sales in 2025, accounting for almost 30 percent of the 1,241,037 vehicle market.
China overtook Japan in global sales in 2025, ending its Asian rival’s decades-long dominance.
MORE: Explore the BYD Sealion 6 showroom
