BYD Model Names by Country: Why One Car Has Four Names

BYD Model Names by Country: Why One Car Has Four Names

Short answer: BYD sells the same car under different names in different countries. The Atto 3 is the Yuan Plus in China, the Seal U is the Sealion 6 in Australia and the Song Plus in China and Brazil, and the little hatch called the Dolphin Surf in Europe is the Atto 1 in Australia, the Seagull in China and the Dolphin Mini in Latin America. The table below puts every current BYD model side by side, market by market.

Last updated: November 2026.

BYD's naming problem

Ask a Tesla owner in Sydney, London, Berlin or Shanghai what they drive, and they all say the same thing: Model 3 or Model Y. One name, every market. A review, a forum post or a YouTube video about a Model Y applies to every Model Y in the world.

Ask BYD owners the same question and you get four answers for one car. A Seal U owner in Germany, a Sealion 6 owner in Melbourne and a Song Plus owner in São Paulo are all driving the same SUV, and they may not know it. Worse, some names point to different cars in different places. A "Seal 6" in Malaysia is not the same car as a "Seal 6 DM-i" in the UK.

That confusion has real costs for buyers outside China:

  • Research is harder. Owner reviews, recalls and how-to videos are split across several names, so buyers miss information about their own car.
  • Buying parts is risky. Parts are often listed under the Chinese name. Owners who don't know their car's other names buy the wrong part, or don't trust the right one.
  • Used cars are harder to value. An imported Song Plus and a local Seal U look like different cars on a sales listing.

For a brand trying to win over overseas buyers, that's a strange choice. Even BYD seems to agree: at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025, BYD said it would simplify the names in its Ocean family, with SUVs called Sealion, sedans called Seal and hatchbacks called Dolphin, plus a number for the size. Until that settles down, owners need a translation table.

Why BYD names change from country to country

  • Two Chinese families. At home, BYD sells "Dynasty" cars named after Chinese dynasties (Yuan, Song, Tang, Han, Qin) and "Ocean" cars named after sea animals (Dolphin, Seagull, Seal, Sealion). Dynasty names mean little outside China, so exported cars are often renamed, sometimes with a new name like "Atto".
  • Hybrid versus electric. In Australia the plug-in hybrid Seal U was renamed Sealion 6 in 2024, so buyers wouldn't confuse it with the fully electric Seal sedan.
  • Trademarks. Names that are free in one country can be taken in another. In Europe, Seat has challenged the Seal, Seal U and Sealion names at the EU trademark office, arguing they are too close to Seat and the Seat León.
  • Market-only models. Some BYDs are built only for export (the Dolphin G DM-i and the Atto 2 DM-i) and have no Chinese name at all.

BYD model names by country: the full table

Each row is one car. Read across to see what it's called in each market. Australia, New Zealand and the UK drive on the left, so their cars are right-hand drive (RHD). China, continental Europe and Latin America are left-hand drive (LHD). A dash means the car isn't sold there or we couldn't confirm the local name.

China (Chinese name) Australia & New Zealand UK & Europe Latin America Southeast Asia
Yuan Plus (元PLUS) Atto 3; Atto 3 Evo from Aug 2026 Atto 3; Atto 3 Evo from 2026 Yuan Plus (Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador) Atto 3
Yuan Up (元UP) Atto 2, Atto 2 DM-i Atto 2, Atto 2 DM-i Yuan Pro (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina); Yuan Up (Colombia) Atto 2
Seagull (海鸥) Atto 1 Dolphin Surf Dolphin Mini Atto 1 (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore)
Dolphin (海豚) Dolphin Dolphin Dolphin Dolphin
Not sold in China – Dolphin G DM-i (from autumn 2026) – –
Seal (海豹) Seal Seal Seal Seal
Seal 06 DM-i (海豹06) Seal 6 DM-i; Seal 6 DM-i Touring (NZ) Seal 6 DM-i, Seal 6 DM-i Touring (estate) – Seal 6 DM-i (Singapore)
Song Plus (宋PLUS) Sealion 6 (sold as Seal U until 2024) Seal U (EV), Seal U DM-i Song Plus (Brazil) Sealion 6 (Thailand)
Song Pro (宋Pro) Sealion 5 Sealion 5 DM-i Song Pro (Brazil) Sealion 5 (Philippines, Cambodia)
Sealion 07 EV (海狮07) Sealion 7 Sealion 7 Sealion 7 Sealion 7
Tang L DM-i (唐L) Sealion 8 (Australia) Sealion 8 (announced for the UK) Sealion 8 (Brazil) –
Fangchengbao Shark (方程豹 鲨鱼), from 2026 Shark 6 Shark 6 (UK); Shark (Europe) Shark (Mexico, Brazil) Shark 6 (Philippines, Brunei, Laos)

"DM-i" means the plug-in hybrid version (petrol engine plus battery). "EV" means fully electric. In some markets one name covers both, so check which one you have.

The biggest traps: same name, different car

  • Seal 6 vs Seal 6 DM-i. Malaysia's Seal 6 EV is the Chinese Qin L EV. The Seal 6 DM-i sold in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand is the Chinese Seal 06 DM-i. Similar names, different cars.
  • Sealion 5 vs Sealion 05. The export Sealion 5 is the Chinese Song Pro. China also sells a separate model called the Sealion 05.
  • Sealion 8 vs Sealion 08. Australia's Sealion 8 is the Chinese Tang L DM-i. The larger Chinese Sealion 08 is a different car.
  • Dolphin vs Dolphin Surf, Dolphin Mini and Dolphin G. Four "Dolphins", three different cars. The Dolphin Surf and Dolphin Mini are the small Seagull; the Dolphin G DM-i is a separate plug-in hybrid made for Europe.
  • Atto 3 vs Atto 3 Evo. Same name, but the 2026 Evo facelift has a redesigned interior, so many cabin parts for the 2022–2025 car don't fit.
  • Seal U in Australia. Early Australian cars were sold as the Seal U before the 2024 rename, so the same car can carry either name on Australian paperwork.

How to find out which BYD you drive

  1. Read the badge on the boot. It shows your market's name.
  2. Note the year. Names changed mid-life on the Seal U / Sealion 6 in Australia and the Atto 3 / Atto 3 Evo.
  3. Check for a DM-i badge. It means plug-in hybrid.
  4. Check the steering wheel side. Right-hand-drive cars (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand) often need different dashboard, console and floor parts from left-hand-drive cars.
  5. Imported from China? Your car carries the Chinese name. Use the table to find its export name.

What this means when you buy parts

Many BYD accessories are made in China and labelled with Chinese names, often in one version for left-hand drive and another for right-hand drive. Before you order, match your car's name, year and drive side, not just the name on the listing. At FunBYD, we sort every part by model, year and steering side, and each product page has a "Check it fits your car" box. Not sure? Email a photo of your car to support@funbyd.com and we'll check for you.

Shop by model: Atto 3 · Atto 2 · Dolphin Surf / Atto 1 · Dolphin · Seal · Seal 6 · Seal U / Sealion 6 · Sealion 5 · Sealion 7 · Sealion 8 · Shark 6

FAQ

Is the BYD Atto 3 the same as the Yuan Plus?

Yes. The Atto 3 is sold as the Yuan Plus in China and Brazil. The 2026 Atto 3 Evo is a facelift with a new interior.

Are the Seal U, Sealion 6 and Song Plus the same car?

Yes. It's the Seal U in the UK and Europe, the Sealion 6 in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand, and the Song Plus in China and Brazil.

Is the Dolphin Surf the same as the Atto 1, Seagull and Dolphin Mini?

Yes, all four are one car. It's smaller than the BYD Dolphin, which is a different model.

What is the BYD Sealion 7 called in China?

The Sealion 07 EV (海狮07 EV). Everywhere else it's the Sealion 7.

What is the BYD Sealion 8 called in China?

The Tang L DM-i. Some markets call it the Atto 8. It isn't the Chinese Sealion 08.

Why doesn't BYD use one name everywhere, like Tesla?

BYD's Chinese names come from two families (dynasties and sea animals) that don't translate well, some names clash with trademarks abroad, and BYD has renamed cars to separate hybrids from electric models. BYD said in 2025 it would simplify its names, but for now the same car can still have three or four names.

Sources

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