BYD’s roadmap of “building the brand with pure-electric vehicles and boosting sales with plug-in hybrids” has officially taken shape in Japan.
On October 29, 2025, the Tokyo Motor Show officially opened.
As the only Chinese brand participating in the exhibition, BYD has for the first time introduced its DM Super Hybrid system to the Japanese market and launched its first plug-in hybrid model for Japan—the BYD SEALION 6.
This model is a plug-in hybrid SUV based on the domestic Song Plus DM-i, positioning it to compete directly with Japanese brands like Toyota and Honda, contending in the Japanese market through technological strength.
The exterior of the new vehicle remains consistent with the domestic Song Plus DM-i, with the main change being the rear badge, which has been updated from “Song Plus DM-i” to “SEALION 6.”
The SEALION 6 is equipped with BYD’s fifth-generation DM hybrid system, consisting of a 1.5L hybrid-dedicated engine and an electric motor. This system offers three modes: EV pure electric, HEV series, and HEV parallel. It achieves a fuel consumption of 3.9L/100km under NEDC conditions and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in as fast as 7.7 seconds.
Additionally, BYD announced that it will further reduce fuel consumption under power-deficient conditions by 10% through an OTA update within the year, which is expected to bring the actual operating costs of the SEALION 6 below those of comparable Japanese HEV models.
The introduction of the SEALION 6 marks the official expansion of BYD’s product lineup in the Japanese market from pure electric SUVs to the plug-in hybrid segment.
BYD has been steadily advancing in the Japanese market in recent years.
In May of this year, BYD’s monthly registrations in Japan surpassed 400 units for the first time, securing a place among the top ten imported car brands. In August, BYD Japan announced that its cumulative sales of passenger vehicles in the local market had officially exceeded 5,000 units. According to the plan, BYD aims to establish 100 dealerships in Japan by the end of 2025 to accelerate its expansion in the local market.
With the launch of the SEALION 6, BYD’s strategy in Japan of “building the brand with pure electric vehicles and boosting sales with plug-in hybrids” has officially taken shape. Japanese giants like Toyota and Honda are about to face the first wave of direct competition from a Chinese brand.
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