BYD’s new car blitz is just getting started: Dolphin G, Sealion 8, Shark 6 due soon

Automotive powerhouse BYD has confirmed it isn’t done with its assault on the UK market, with another “three to four models” due soon. This unrelenting product onslaught would see the maker’s line-up swell to 13 distinct variants before the end of 2026.

The most crucial of the new cars will be a new, plug-in hybrid Renault Clio-sized supermini called the Dolphin G, confirmed in an interview by BYD executive vice president, Stella Li, last year. The covers are due to come off later this year, forming a key part of the maker’s upcoming model offensive.

In addition, UK country manager, Bono Ge, has told Auto Express that he thought there was also growing demand in the MPV sector – either for mainstream maker BYD, or the brand’s upmarket Denza sub-brand, which will launch here in 2026.

“We believe there is customer demand [for MPVs] in Europe,” Ge said. “When I’m travelling, I see there are more and more MPVs on London streets, so I firmly believe that there should be opportunities.”

Asked if anything was off-limits, Ge told us: “All manufacturers have to consider the right-hand-drive market as a whole to develop one product; developing one product is very expensive. Sometimes you need to combine demand from other countries”.

BYD Sealion 8

Considering this, it’s fair to assume that the recently announced Sealion 8 seven-seat SUV could soon find favour over here. The car was revealed for the (right-hand-drive) Australian market earlier this month, and even appeared without acknowledgement on a slide shown to journalists at the UK launch of the Sealion 5 – a model already available via Auto Express Buy a Car service. 

“We have products I think you will find very, very interesting being launched this year – I’m sorry I cannot tell you,” Ge said. “Head office pays a lot of attention to the UK market and we want to offer the best technology to the customers here; [UK] customers are really appreciative of technology.”

BYD Shark 6

The plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 – sold in Australia and other regions – is another model we expect to see join the range this year, despite dwindling demand thanks to significant Benefit-in-Kind tax changes for double-cab pick-up trucks. Ge told us previously that he was deciding “whether [the Shark 6] should be sitting on the passenger car side or join the LCV side of the network” – suggesting confirmation of the model is imminent.

All in, Ge reckons BYD would have “85 per cent of the market covered” by the end of 2026, with models spanning everything from the Dolphin Surf EV city car to the range-topping Sealion 7 and 8 electric SUVs. It has no plan to divert from its range of so-called “new energy” hybrids and EVs into pure petrol or hybrid models.

Existing model updates

In addition to the four new cars, BYD will begin facelifting its existing models this year – some with substantial changes based on customer feedback. “We are working on a lot of facelifts,” Ge told Auto Express. 

“This year you will see a few facelifts; we hear a lot of comments regarding the early-stage products and our R&D team is working really hard to collect the feedback from customers, from the media, and then we try to make sure we can improve the product for the new facelift”.

Though unconfirmed, it’s likely that the Atto 3 electric SUV and Dolphin small car will be the first in line; both have been updated in China, giving us a good idea of how the revised models might look. Aesthetically, neither is dramatically different to what’s currently on sale, hinting at bigger updates under the skin.

“Some of them might be a little bit changed because, really depending on the feedback we collected from more customers and you guys [motoring journalists]. Some of them might be very, very big changes – still called the same name but you will find a very different product,” Ge confirmed.

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