The BYD Seagull could become Australia’s most affordable electric vehicle (EV) – although it may come with a four-star ANCAP safety rating – after the Chinese brand told CarExpert the pint-size hatch could make its way here.
BYD will take over distribution of the brand in Australia from independent importer EVDirect on July 1, 2025, and now the previously ruled out Seagull is back in contention to join the local lineup.
Already produced in right-hand drive for the UK – where it will be badged as the ‘Dolphin Surf’ – the Seagull is slightly bigger than the Kia Picanto and the discontinued Volkswagen Up micro-cars, but smaller than the Mazda 2 light hatch
While BYD makes many of its models in both hybrid and battery-electric form, the Seagull is electric-only and uses a 55kW motor to drive the front wheels, and offers a range of up to 507km (CLTC) from its two battery sizes.
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Because it’s smaller than the Dolphin electric hatch – currently the cheapest EV in local showrooms at $29,990 drive-away – the Seagull would have to be even cheaper, making it a prime candidate to become the brand’s new price-leader.
In January 2025, EVDirect boss Luke Todd told CarExpert the Seagull would only make sense if it had a five-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating and was priced around $25,000 or less.
Now, with the Chinese car giant taking over local distribution – and a tech update coming in 2025 – the Seagull is back on the list for a local launch.
“There would be room under the Dolphin and the Atto 2,” BYD Australia Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Hornstein told CarExpert when asked about the Seagull’s chances for Australia.
That’s despite the once-booming micro segment it would compete in now offering only two models – the Kia Picanto and the Fiat 500/500e – accounting for only 0.6 per cent (3130 vehicles) of total new car sales year-to-date.
By comparison, Chinese-market sales of the Seagull were a staggering 61,131 in May 2025 alone, making it the brand’s best-selling single model there.
“If we look at the numbers of the micro segment, is there opportunity? Has the customer had a lot of choice?”, Ms Hornstein added while speaking with CarExpert at a BYD driving event in China.
The only electric contender in the micro segment right now is the Fiat 500e priced at $52,500 before on-road costs.
The second hurdle – the lack of a five-star ANCAP safety rating – would rule the electric hatch out for many fleet and government customers, and could also turn off some private buyers.
Every BYD currently sold in Australia – from the entry-level Dolphin to the Sealion 6 PHEV and the top-selling Shark 6 dual-cab ute – has a five-star ANCAP rating.
Yet an early 2025 facelift added BYD’s entry-level ‘God’s Eye C’ system, bringing Lidar, camera and ultrasonic sensors to the Seagull and offording it with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and even navigation-based route learning ability.
The upgrades could bring a five-star ANCAP rating within reach – yet even a potential four-star rating may not be a deterrent in such a cost-conscious segment.
The Fiat 500e has a four-star rating, while the petrol-powered Kia Picanto is currently ‘Unrated’ by ANCAP after its four-star safety rating from 2017 expired two years ago.
The four-star Seagull would not be an outlier and – in fact – may lead the segment courtesy of its ‘God’s Eye’ tech.
“I think after driving it and seeing the reactions of everyone driving it in the last couple of days, I’ve almost been converted to see that there is an enormous amount of opportunity,” Ms Hornstein said.
“The amount of people that have said first-hand they would buy this car is so exciting to me, so I think what we can take back is that excitement and try and build a case for it to come into the range.”