When BYD first landed in Australia it claimed it would be a top three brand within five years. Most people just smiled politely at the claim.
But last month, in April of 2026, it was second. Only beaten by Toyota. Ahead of Ford.
This time there were giant smiles at BYD, with plenty of celebrations at other fast-improving Chinese brands although less at MG which has been struggling to maintain its earlier momentum.
It’s highly likely that the April result is a short-term blip, with showroom results boosted by the panic buying of electric cars and a turn away from diesel pick-ups including the Ford Ranger, but the long-term trend is clear. BYD has arrived.
So, what’s it like with a BYD? Surprisingly un-bad.
BYD describes the Sealion 7 as “our flagship family EV and number two best-seller” and that makes it a pivotal model and the one to measure the brand.
It’s never going to be the first choice for someone who enjoys driving, or people who are not putting price high among their requirements, but BYD is doing well and getting better.
At first there was too much ‘bling’ and not enough substance from the brand, but a week with the battery-electric Sealion 7 – it’s a five-seater family SUV – showed the car is completely competent.
It will travel for more than 450 kilometres between charging, is quick to charge to 80 per cent (although the time almost doubles for the final 20 per cent to protect the battery), it gets along nicely and the comfort is good.
The Sealion 7 is a car to recommend to family and friends, and it’s good value from $54,990. The test car, a ‘Performance’ version, jumps to $63,990, but the benefits are clear.
It becomes all-wheel drive, instead of only relying on the front tyres, and the 0-100km/h acceleration jumps down from 6.7 down to 4.5 seconds. There is a slight hit on range, which is claimed at 567 for the regular car, but it’s a minor thing.
Are you waiting for the ‘but’? Well, here it comes and there is more than one.
For a start, the basic Sealion 7 weighs a chunky 2225 kilograms, which chubs out to 2340 on the Performance.
There is a laundry list of slight ‘whoopsie’ failings in the Seven. The steering wheel is set like the tiller in a bus, the outside mirrors don’t have enough adjustment, and the lovely double-stitching upholstery highlight in he cabin does not meet exactly in the join between the dashboard and the doors. The CarPlay connection does silly things for no reason and the tuning of the Driver Assist systems is coarse and often intrusive.
Are any of these A Big Deal? No, of course not.
Except that BYD intends to challenge Toyota in Australia, which means it needs to be held more accountable than other newbie Chinese brands. We’re not talking about matching the final finishing of a Rolls-Royce, but Toyota sets the bar and BYD needs to get closer.
The company is already making plenty of other advances, including a quality dealer network and plenty of focus on service work, and there is much more to come as experience Australian leadership gets into gear.
It also has a model line-up that hits the hot-button choices in Australia, from pick-up trucks to family SUVs with powertrain choices that include full EV and a growing number of plug-in hybrids.
So BYD is one of the leaders in the Chinese drive into Australia – the other is GWM – and the Sealion 7 is a decent car. Could it be better? Yes.
Does BYD know how to make it better? I’m not sure. But it’s going to be interesting to watch it try.
Price: from $54,990
Position: 5-seater SUV EV
Engine: single electric motor, 230kW/380Nm (390/690 Performance)
Gearbox: single-speed auto, front-wheel drive (all-wheel Performance)
Range: 567 kilometres
Safety: 5-star NCAP
The tick: nearly, but not quite there