BYD Australia’s offering is set to grow from later this year with the addition of two new SUVs: the Atto 2 as its entry-level electric SUV and the seven-seat plug-in hybrid Sealion 8 at the top of the line-up.

Priced from potentially under $35,000 plus on-road costs, the BYD Atto 2 is smaller than the existing Atto 3 and uses the same ‘e-Platform 3.0’ as the smaller BYD Dolphin.

Two Atto 2 models will be available in Australia: Essential and Premium, with both using a 130kW/290Nm electric motor on the front wheels.

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Using a 51.3kWh LFP battery, the Atto 2 is rated at 401km of range on the lenient Chinese CLTC testing cycle – expect that to sit at around 300km on WLTP numbers when it launches locally.

Features such as synthetic leather, adaptive cruise control and vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality will be standard across the range, with the upper-spec Premium adding a larger 12.8-inch touchscreen and a 360-degree camera.

At the other end of the range is the Sealion 8, which will be BYD’s largest offering locally and its first seven-seater. Unlike the electric Atto 2, the Sealion 8 will be a plug-in hybrid centred around a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 110kW of power and 220Nm.

Two drivetrains will be available: DM-i (intelligent in BYD jargon) and DM-p (performance), with the DM-i using a 200kW/315Nm front-mounted electric motor and a 19kWh battery. The DM-p further adds a 141kW/360Nm rear electric motor and a larger 35.6kWh battery.

BYD Atto 2

Combined outputs are yet to be announced, but the Sealion 8 DM-p hits 100km/h in a claimed 4.9 seconds and can reportedly drive around 200km – again, on the lenient Chinese testing cycle – on a full battery before the petrol engine kicks in.

As we’ve come to expect from the brand, the Sealion 8 will be well equipped with features such as heated, cooled and massaging seats in the first and second rows of all-wheel-drive models.

BYD Australia will confirm local pricing and specifications for both the Atto 2 and Sealion 8 closer to their respective launches.