BYD Sealion 6: range, price, specs and where it is sold
Facts checked
The Sealion 6 is the plug-in hybrid version of the SUV China calls the Song Plus, and it carries more names than any other BYD model. China sells it as the Song Plus DM-i, Europe and the United Kingdom as the Seal U DM-i, Australia and Japan as the Sealion 6, and Mexico and Brazil under the Chinese name. Australia's Sealion 6 badge was a late change from a planned Seal U.
European cars pair a 1.5-litre engine with an 18.3 kWh Blade battery. The front-drive Boost is quoted at 80 km of WLTP electric range and 1,080 km combined from 160 kW; the all-wheel-drive Design at 70 km and 870 km from 238 kW. Australian and Brazilian cars use a larger 26.6 kWh pack. Chinese figures are quoted on the older NEDC cycle at 51 or 100 km electric and up to 1,200 km combined, so they are not comparable with the European numbers.
Safety testing followed an unusual route. Euro NCAP crash-tested the battery-electric Seal U in 2023, and ANCAP extended that five-star result to the Australian plug-in hybrid after additional frontal-offset and pole tests, publishing 88 per cent for adult occupant protection. Brazil was the first export market, in November 2022, and the car has since reached Mexico, Europe, Australia, Thailand and Japan.
Key facts
| Name in Chinese | 宋PLUS DM-i “SOONG plus D-M-eye” 宋 Sòng is the Song dynasty (AD 960 to 1279); PLUS marks the larger of BYD's two Song SUVs and DM-i the plug-in hybrid system |
|---|---|
| Brand | BYD |
| Body | SUV, segment C |
| Powertrain | Plug-in hybrid |
| Launched | China 2021; export 2022 |
| Platform | BYD Super DM / DM-i |
| Headline output | 238 kW |
| Battery | 18.3 kWh or 26.6 kWh |
| Dimensions | 4,775 × 1,890 × 1,670 mm, wheelbase 2,765 mm |
What it is called where
The same car carries different names in different markets. This is the crosswalk, so a reader who knows one name can find the other.
| Market | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| China | Song Plus DM-i 宋PLUS DM-i | |
| European Union | BYD Seal U DM-i | |
| United Kingdom | BYD Seal U DM-i | |
| Australia | BYD Sealion 6 | |
| Japan | BYD Sealion 6 | |
| Mexico | BYD Song Plus DM-i | |
| Brazil | BYD Song Plus DM-i |
Range
| Range | Cycle | Variant |
|---|---|---|
| 80 km WLTP | WLTP | 18.3 kWh Boost front-wheel drive, electric only |
| 1,080 km WLTP | WLTP | 18.3 kWh Boost front-wheel drive, combined |
| 70 km WLTP | WLTP | 18.3 kWh Design all-wheel drive, electric only |
| 870 km WLTP | WLTP | 18.3 kWh Design all-wheel drive, combined |
| 51 km NEDC | NEDC | China, smaller battery, electric only |
| 100 km NEDC | NEDC | China, larger battery, electric only |
| 1,150 km NEDC | NEDC | China, combined |
| 1,200 km NEDC | NEDC | China, combined, larger battery |
Price
| Where | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AU, Essential, from BYD Australia's own configurator; Dynamic Extended A$46,990 and Premium Extended A$52,990 | AUD 42,990 as of |
Where the Sealion 6 is sold
| Market | Status | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Sold | March 2021 | On sale in China as the Song Plus DM-i from March 2021. BYD's Chinese site did not list a Song Plus in its September 2026 index, so the nameplate may have been superseded at home; this was not confirmed by BYD. |
| Brazil | Sold | November 2022 | Brazil was the first export market, from November 2022. Brazilian cars use a 26.6 kWh battery. |
| Mexico | Sold | December 2023 | Sold under the Chinese name as the Song Plus DM-i. |
| United Kingdom | Sold | June 2024 | Sold as the Seal U DM-i. |
| Germany | Sold | 2024 | Sold as the Seal U DM-i, quoted at up to 125 km of WLTP electric range in BYD Germany's 2026 line-up. |
| Australia | Sold | May 2024 | Launched in Australia and New Zealand in May 2024 as the Sealion 6, with a larger 26.6 kWh battery than European cars. |
| Thailand | Sold | August 2024 | On sale in Thailand from 8 August 2024. |
| Japan | Sold | December 2025 | On sale in Japan from 1 December 2025. |
| United States | Never sold | BYD has never retailed passenger vehicles in the United States. |
Crash-test results
Quoted from the testing bodies. This site does not rate cars itself.
| Body | Year | Stars | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANCAP | 2023 | 5 | Read the ANCAP result |
| Euro NCAP | 2023 | 5 | Read the Euro NCAP result |
BYD Sealion 6: questions people ask
- What is the Sealion 6 called in Europe and China?
- Europe and the United Kingdom sell it as the Seal U DM-i. China calls it the Song Plus DM-i, 宋PLUS DM-i. Mexico and Brazil also use the Chinese name.
- What is the electric range of a BYD Sealion 6?
- European specification is 80 km of WLTP electric range for the front-drive Boost and 70 km for the all-wheel-drive Design, with combined figures of 1,080 and 870 km. Australian and Brazilian cars use a larger 26.6 kWh battery. Chinese figures of 51 and 100 km are quoted on the older NEDC cycle.
- How much does a BYD Sealion 6 cost?
- BYD Australia's configurator listed A$42,990 for the Essential, A$46,990 for the Dynamic Extended and A$52,990 for the Premium Extended in September 2026. BYD does not publish list prices for it in China, the United Kingdom or Germany.
- Is the Sealion 6 the same as the Seal U?
- It is the same body. The Seal U is the battery-electric version and is left-hand drive only; the Sealion 6, or Seal U DM-i, is the plug-in hybrid version of that car.
- Has the Sealion 6 been crash tested?
- Euro NCAP tested the battery-electric Seal U in 2023 and awarded five stars. ANCAP extended that result to the Australian plug-in hybrid after further frontal-offset and pole tests, giving five stars with 88 per cent for adult occupant protection.
Related
Sources for the BYD Sealion 6
- BYD Europe B.V., Seal U DM-i specification sheet (EU). Read . Dimensions, 18.3 kWh battery, WLTP electric and combined ranges, 160 kW and 238 kW outputs, charging and weights
- BYD Australia, BYD SEALION 6. Read . Australian 26.6 kWh battery and 160 kW and 253 kW outputs; BYD's own description of DM-i
- BYD Australia, BYD SEALION 6 configurator. Read . Australian prices for all three trims
- BYD UK, BYD SEAL U DM-i. Read . United Kingdom name and headline range and consumption figures
- ANCAP, BYD SEALION 6 — Safety Rating & Report. Read . Five-star 2023 rating for plug-in hybrid variants, category scores, and the statement that it rests on testing of the European Seal U with additional tests
- Euro NCAP, BYD SEAL-U — Euro NCAP assessment. Read . The 2023 five-star result on which the ANCAP rating is based
- Wikipedia, BYD Song Plus. Read . Cited as the only source located for the Chinese on-sale date, the export launch dates by market, the Chinese NEDC figures and the late change from Seal U to Sealion 6 in Australia
- BYD Japan, BYD Japan model line-up. Read . Japanese line-up confirmed as Atto 3, Dolphin, Racco, Seal, Sealion 6 and Sealion 7