If you're trying to get your head around BYD in Australia, here's the short version: BYD now sells a full range here that runs from a tiny $23,990 city EV right up to plug-in hybrid SUVs and wagons, and it covers pure-electric hatches, electric SUVs, and plug-in hybrids that do big combined ranges. The cheapest BYD you can buy is the BYD Atto 1 Essential at $23,990 before on-road costs, and the range climbs to the BYD Atto 3 EVO Dynamic at $41,990 before on-roads. Below I'll walk you through every BYD currently on sale, what each one actually gives you, and which buyer each model suits. All prices here are RRP (before on-road costs) unless I say otherwise.
BYD went from unknown to one of the fastest-growing brands in the country in a couple of years, and the reason is simple: they build their own batteries, they price aggressively, and they've filled gaps the established brands left wide open, especially cheap EVs and affordable plug-in hybrids. That doesn't mean every model is a winner, so let's sort it properly.
The full BYD Australia range, cheapest to dearest
Here's the lineup as it stands, grouped by what they are.
- BYD Atto 1 Essential | $23,990 | 65kW, 220km range, 4 seats, ANCAP 5
- BYD Atto 1 Premium | $27,990 | 115kW, 310km range, 4 seats, ANCAP 5
- BYD Dolphin Essential | $29,990 | 70kW, 340km range, 5 seats, ANCAP 5
- BYD Dolphin Premium | $36,990 | 150kW, 427km range, 5 seats, ANCAP 5
- BYD Atto 2 Dynamic | $31,990 | 130kW, 345km range, 5 seats
- BYD Atto 2 Premium | $35,990 | 130kW, 345km range, 5 seats
- BYD Atto 3 Essential | $39,990 | 150kW, 345km range, tows 750kg, ANCAP 5
- BYD Atto 3 EVO Dynamic | $41,990 | 150kW, 420km range, tows 750kg
- BYD Sealion 5 Essential | $29,990 | 156kW, 80km EV range, 1080km combined, tows 750kg, ANCAP 3
- BYD Sealion 5 Premium | $37,990 | 156kW, 80km EV range, 1080km combined, tows 750kg, ANCAP 3
- BYD Seal 6 Essential Sedan | $34,990 | 130kW, 55km EV range, ANCAP 5
- BYD Seal 6 Touring Premium | $35,990 | 163kW, 100km EV range, ANCAP 5, wagon
The best-value picks in the BYD range
Cheapest EV in Australia: BYD Atto 1
The BYD Atto 1 Essential at $23,990 is genuinely the cheapest new EV you can buy in Australia right now. It's a small hatch with 65kW, a 220km range and four seats, and it scored a full ANCAP 5. That 220km range is a city number, not a road-trip number, and four seats means it's not a family car. But if you're after a second car, a run-around for the suburbs, or a first EV and you don't want to spend big, nothing undercuts it.
Step up to the BYD Atto 1 Premium at $27,990 and you get a big jump: 115kW instead of 65kW, and 310km of range instead of 220km. For four grand more that's a meaningful upgrade if you ever drive beyond the city limits. I'd happily pay it.
The sweet-spot EV hatch: BYD Dolphin
The BYD Dolphin Essential at $29,990 is the first proper five-seater in the range and does 340km on 70kW. It's the one I point most first-EV buyers at, because it's a real small car you can put four adults in, not a city-only two-plus-two. The BYD Dolphin Premium at $36,990 bumps you to 150kW and 427km, which is among the longest ranges of any BYD EV here. If you do regular longer runs and want the fewest charging stops, the Dolphin Premium is the pick.
Family EV SUV: BYD Atto 3
The BYD Atto 3 Essential at $39,990 is the one that put BYD on the map here. It's a proper five-seat electric SUV with 150kW, 345km range, a 750kg tow rating and ANCAP 5. The newer BYD Atto 3 EVO Dynamic at $41,990 keeps the 150kW but lifts range to 420km, which is the version I'd want if you can stretch the budget, because that extra 75km of range makes weekend trips far less stressful.
Sitting between the hatch and the Atto 3 is the BYD Atto 2 Dynamic at $31,990 and BYD Atto 2 Premium at $35,990. Both are smaller electric SUVs with 130kW and 345km range. The Atto 2 is a good shout if you want SUV height and boot space but the Atto 3 is more than you need or your budget.
Plug-in hybrids for people not ready to go full EV
This is where BYD is quietly very clever. The BYD Sealion 5 Essential at $29,990 is a five-seat plug-in hybrid SUV that does 80km on electric alone and a 1080km combined range, with 156kW and a 750kg tow rating. For under $30k that's a lot of car, and the big appeal is you can commute on electricity during the week and never worry about charging on a road trip. The catch: the Sealion 5 only has an ANCAP 3 rating, which is worth knowing if safety score sits high on your list. The BYD Sealion 5 Premium at $37,990 is the loaded version with the same drivetrain and range.
The BYD Seal 6 PHEVs are the other plug-in option. The Essential Sedan at $34,990 does 55km of EV range on 130kW and holds a full ANCAP 5. The one I actually rate most, though, is the BYD Seal 6 Touring Premium at $35,990. It's a wagon, so you get real boot space, it has 163kW, a 100km EV range (among the longest EV-only ranges of any BYD PHEV here), and ANCAP 5. Wagons are nearly extinct in Australia, so a plug-in hybrid wagon with 100km of electric range for $35,990 is a genuinely unusual package.
How to choose a BYD, and the trade-offs
Start with the EV-versus-PHEV question, because that sorts half the range straight away.
Go pure-electric if you can charge at home and most of your driving is commuting and errands. The Dolphin and Atto 3 make the strongest case here. Running costs on an EV are the lowest in the range, you're charging off home power, and there's no engine to service. The trade-off is range and charging on longer trips, which is why I keep steering longer-range picks (Dolphin Premium at 427km, Atto 3 EVO at 420km) to anyone who drives beyond the city regularly.
Go plug-in hybrid if you can't charge easily at home, if you do frequent long drives, or if you tow and want range security. The Sealion 5's 1080km combined range means you never think about charging infrastructure, and you still get 80km of electric running for daily use. The honest trade-off is that a PHEV is more mechanically complex than an EV, you've got an engine and a battery to look after, and if you never plug it in, you're just carting a heavy battery around and the fuel savings evaporate. PHEVs only pay off if you actually charge them.
On safety, note the split: the Atto 1, Dolphin, Atto 3, Seal 6 Essential and Seal 6 Touring all carry ANCAP 5. The Sealion 5 is ANCAP 3. The Atto 2 and Atto 3 EVO Dynamic don't have a listed rating yet. If you've got kids in the car, I'd weight the ANCAP 5 models more heavily.
On ownership and running costs, BYD's big structural advantage is that it makes its own batteries, which is part of why the pricing is so sharp. The flip side for any newer-to-market brand is that service and dealer networks are still growing, and resale values on fast-moving Chinese brands are less proven than a Toyota or Hyundai. If you're a long-term keeper that matters less. If you churn cars every three years, factor it in.
Cars in this story
7 cars
Price shown is each car's stored figure with its basis and check date. Images: BYD Australia.
See all BYD modelsHow BYD stacks up against the cheap-car alternatives
If the reason you're looking at BYD is price, it's worth knowing what else sits in that sub-$26k bracket, because not everyone needs or wants an EV. A Chery Tiggo 4 Urban petrol SUV is $21,750 with an ANCAP 5, the MG ZS Vibe is $22,990, and the Hyundai Venue at $23,750 tows 1100kg, more than any BYD here. On the hatch side the Kia Picanto Sport at $19,190 and MG MG3 Vibe at $20,990 undercut the Atto 1, and the Mazda2 G15 Evolve at $22,990 is a nicer thing to drive.
The point: if you want the lowest running costs and you can charge at home, the BYD EVs win on fuel and servicing. If you want the cheapest sticker price with no charging to think about, a petrol rival like the Chery Tiggo 4 or MG3 does the job for less upfront. BYD's real strength is that it gives you the EV and PHEV options the cheap petrol brands don't, at prices that are close enough to make the switch easy.
For most buyers I reckon the BYD Dolphin is the smart entry point into the brand, the BYD Atto 3 EVO Dynamic is the family pick, and the BYD Seal 6 Touring wagon is the quiet gem if you can't charge at home.