Exclusive: BYD Song Pro DM-i plug-in hybrid spotted testing in Australia EXCLUSIVE: BYD Song Pro DM-i plug-in hybrid spotted testing in Australia

The BYD Tune Knowledgeable DM-i midsize mosey-in hybrid SUV is being tested on Australian roads below blue-tinged cover in spite of the most up-to-date update to the Toyota RAV4 and MG HS PHEV rival being fully published in China in February 2025.

Observed by Chasing Vehicles on public roads in Sydney’s lower north shore district, the lightly-lined Tune Knowledgeable is white in color beneath its wrap and is carrying a flat roof tray.

Appreciate the small Atto 3 SUV—which became as soon as the first BYD model to initiate in Australia—the Tune Knowledgeable hails from the Chinese language mega-producer’s more traditionally-styled ‘Dynasty’ line of items.

By distinction, the Sealion 6 mosey-in hybrid (PHEV) and Sealion 7 battery EV (BEV) crossovers, both offered in Australia, are sourced from BYD’s more adventurously-styled ‘Ocean’ series.

While the Sealion 6 and Tune Knowledgeable are both PHEVs, the latter is smaller with its 4735mm length, 1860mm width and 1710mm height making the Tune Knowledgeable a quite of shorter, narrower, taller choice with a more magnificent stance in distinction to the Sealion 6’s gentler roofline.

BYD headquarters no longer too prolonged ago seized adjust of automobile gross sales in Australia from frail distributor EV Voice, which established the PRC-basically based fully carmaker domestically and racked up greater than 40,000 gross sales since its leisurely 2022 stamp initiate.

The presence of the Tune Knowledgeable in testing on Australian roads indicates that its maker is never any longer no longer as a lot as concerned with launching the SUV domestically, doubtlessly as an best likely more cost-effective foil to the Sealion 6, which is already priced very sharply from $42,990 sooner than on-boulevard costs.

First launched in China in 2019, the Tune Knowledgeable is an older product than the
Sealion 6. It has obtained two facelifts, with essentially the most most up-to-date happening in September 2024 sooner than more contemporary DM-i PHEV powertrains had been added in early 2025.

To begin with, non-hybrid, petrol simplest variations of the Tune Knowledgeable had been offered however they gather got been discontinued in China in favour of a PHEV-simplest vary.

Customers can resolve between two LFP battery sizes come in in China: 12.9kWh or 18.3kWh, in Ultra or Excellence perfect. All Tune Plus variations combine a 74kW/126Nm 1.5-litre non-turbo petrol four with a 120kW/210Nm entrance electric motor.

Estimated WLTP vary for the 12kWh battery is 60km on electric power and 1000km total vary, with the 18kWh pack extending those figures to 90km and 1050km respectively because of a 52-litre gasoline tank. Each batteries are in a position to a 30-80% DC mercurial-price in around 36 minutes.

The Contemporary South Wales-plated ‘BYD Tune Plus evaluate automobile’ became as soon as registered on 2 Would possibly perchance 2025 with offer kilometres simplest, and became as soon as certified to assemble a tare mass of 1740 kg—which traces up with its Chinese language-spec kerb weight of 1765kg.

Customary specification in China incorporates a 12-drag touchscreen (15-drag in the Excellence), 8.8-drag digital instrument cluster, artificial leather-basically based fully seating, an influence driver’s seat and objective rear suspension.

Staggeringly, as of June 2025, the Tune Plus PHEV costs correct $23,000 AUD in 12kWh Ultra perfect, or $27,000 AUD in beefy-chunky 18kWh Excellence guise—rock-bottom pricing spurred on by a label battle in the Chinese language ‘contemporary energy’ (PHEV and BEV) market which BYD has led.

In Australia, if the Tune Knowledgeable became as soon as positioned beneath the Sealion 6, it would sneak into the excessive-$30,000 vary for an entry-stage model.

An more and more gigantic portfolio of BEV and PHEV items in Australia, which incorporates the Shark 6 hybrid ute, will give BYD an advantage below this nation’s NVES emissions authorized pointers.

Below NVES, credits are awarded to carmakers that beat CO2 targets—and penalties handed out to those in breach—likely most of BYD’s competitors. Manufacturers that beat NVES targets can promote extra credits to producers that might well well in every other case face a ultimate, rising one more income.

In that context, it would manufacture sense for BYD to add one more PHEV crossover—a segment of the market that will warmth up severely in the first half 2026 when the Toyota RAV4 PHEV will land in Australia in contemporary-generation fetch.

Other mosey-ins competing for attention in the house consist of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Lexus NX450h+, and Cupra Formentor VZe.

NVES will warp the economics of most up-to-date car, SUV and ute gross sales in Australia to a significant stage, and this will more and more manufacture sense for carmakers to favour BEV and PHEV items—with that you might also gather of discounting one tactic to induce additional gross sales and possess some distance off from skill fines.

Sales of PHEVs had been incentivised in Australia by capacity of a beefy exemption from fringe advantages tax (FBT) for PHEVs bought through a novated rent structure the utilization of pre-tax earnings—however the FBT waiver became as soon as closed to PHEV gross sales on 1 April 2025, turning into a BEV-simplest abet from that date.