Top three or ‘disappointment’: BYD’s bold plan to knock Mazda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and GWM down a peg in Australia

Chinese language carmaker BYD is on a roll in Australia. The Shenzhen-based thoroughly mostly firm has long past from strength to strength on this nation off the abet of its coast-in hybrid Shark 6 ute, electrical Sealion 7 and Atto 3 SUVs plus Seal sedan, and the PHEV Sealion 6.

However it absolutely’s no longer stopping here, taking a leer to double its differ including the originate of top class value Denza, on its diagram to third reveal in the 2026 gross sales speed.

At an match Chasing Autos attended to pattern six unusual fashions, BYD Australia and Original Zealand chief operating officer Stephen Collins acknowledged “if we’re no longer prime three [by 2026], we’d be dissatisfied.”

Collins predicts 55,000 gross sales this year, which will encourage it defend eighth reveal in the gross sales speed. It’s a critically impressive climb from 2024, when BYD gross sales totalled 20,458 for 16th reveal on the ladder.

Maintaining eighth would put BYD in entrance of more established market gamers corresponding to Isuzu and MG, even supposing peaceable in the abet of Mazda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and GWM.

Later this year and early into 2026, BYD will originate a key product offensive certain to bump subsequent year’s gross sales in the same route.

Led by the Atto 1 (a rebadged Dolphin Surf and expected to be Australia’s cheapest EV), moreover coming are the Atto 2 little electrical SUV, Sealion 5 mid-measurement coast-in hybrid and three-row Sealion 8 PHEV.

“We staunch are looking to retain the trajectory going, so we haven’t space a certain number, nevertheless I deem we’d be dissatisfied if we weren’t someplace around the stop 3.

“Notably with what we’re turning in by the exercise of most modern product, and more dealerships — we’re rising our vendor footprint as we be in contact.

“We staunch are looking to retain that trajectory, and I assume the number would possibly be the number, nevertheless, yeah, I deem if we’re no longer prime three, we’d be dissatisfied,” Collins told Chasing Autos.

Crunching the numbers, BYD will must gather in vital more than 95,000 gross sales in 2025, representing a 72 percent amplify on 2025’s predicted result. Shouldn’t be vital of a drama — 2025’s year-to-date gross sales are up almost 150 percent.

Refer to any individual at BYD and they’re fascinated by mounting a relate against market chief Toyota. That formulation over 200,000 gross sales in a year: a more difficult process, nevertheless the trajectory looks to be like promising.

Denza coming in sizzling nevertheless one at a time

The unreal portion of the puzzle is Denza, BYD’s luxurious arm (deem Lexus to Toyota) that can originate with a Toyota Land Cruiser one-two punch.

The main autos confirmed for November free up are the B5 five-seat and B8 six- or seven-seat mountainous SUVs. Both pack coast-in hybrid recount corresponding to, nevertheless beefed up, when compared with the Shark 6.

These products will be counted one at a time in gross sales figures to BYD, so received’t add to the full. Inquire of of is expected to be high, even supposing.

“We’re taking a leer to diagram abet out of the gate stunning speedy,” Denza CEO Imprint Harland told Chasing Autos.

In 2026, [Denza will] originate up turning in B5s later in January, February, after which perchance [30–45] days later for the B8…after which we’ll be evaluating other autos in the second half of the year.

“I no doubt concept to have confidence a crack at among the established top class brands from a volume level of behold. Going after these more or much less volumes is the aim,” defined Harland. Mercedes-Benz and BMW volumes are perchance a stretch for now.

“These can be perchance the stop close from a volume level of behold…If I would possibly perchance well perchance also knock them down, yeah, it’d be mountainous, nevertheless there’s other brands: the Audis, the Lexuses, the Differ Rovere, all these forms of brands as successfully,” he defined.

Some figures for context. In 2024 Audi equipped 15,333 autos, Lexus managed 13,642 and Land Rover 7910.

Toyota managed 15,257 Land Cruiser 300 Sequence gross sales on my own in 2024 — the issue rival for the Denza B8 — while The Gargantuan T has already delivered 21,840 Prados this year. There’s masses of likely for off-motorway wagon gross sales in Australia.

No branding backflips for BYD

Newcomer Chinese language brands are infamous for fickle branding conventions that seem to flip on a dime.

GWM, which started lifestyles as Astronomical Wall Motors earlier than setting apart rapid into Haval and Ora sub-brands, is a legit instance.

As is Chery, which equipped the Chery Omoda 5 at originate, even supposing now Omoda is a separate entity tied up with unusual it sounds as if-luxurious adventure-targeted Jaecoo in Omoda-Jaecoo dealers. Lepas and Jetour are two more separate sub-brands to flood in.

BYD and Denza enlighten they are “crystal obvious” of their strategies. BYD takes BYD products, and any upmarket model from Chinese language sub-brands delight in Yangwang and Fangchengbao will be streamlined into “top class” feeling Denza dealerships.