BYD joins wagon resurgence from Chinese brands

Wagons have been enjoying a resurgence thanks to the Chinese car industry, and BYD is the latest brand from the country to jump into the longroof space.

Images shared on social media, including by Tycho de Feijter on X (formerly Twitter), show a camouflaged BYD wagon on a flatbed truck in China.

The front-end styling looks similar to the Seal 06 DM-i sedan, which was launched last year in China with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and which will reportedly gain electric power this year.

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While the body design is different to the sedan aft of the B-pillar, this wagon version similarly features prominent shoulders. There’s a relatively upright roofline, though a sloped tailgate stops the BYD wagon from looking too boxy.

The front-wheel drive Seal 06 DM-i sedan measures 4830mm long, 1875mm wide and 1495mm tall on a 2790mm wheelbase, or 90mm shorter and 35mm narrower than a Toyota Camry on a 35mm shorter wheelbase.

It features a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine mated to either a 10.08kWh or 15.87kWh battery, with CLTC electric-only range of either 80km or 120km.

The engine produces 74kW of power and 126Nm of torque, and is mated with either a 120kW/210Nm or 160kW/260Nm electric motor.

BYD is expanding its Seal-branded lineup, represented in Australia only by the eponymous Seal electric sedan.

Last year, it revealed another Europe-friendly model: the Seal 06 GT, a sporty-looking electric hatch.

This joins the Seal 05 DM-i, Seal 06 DM-i and Seal 07 DM-i plug-in hybrid sedans sold in China.

Long popular in Europe but these days far from ubiquitous in markets like Australia and the US, the wagon body style has attracted the eye of multiple Chinese brands of late.

Earlier this month, Zeekr revealed a wagon version of its 007 sedan called the 007 GT.

This follows the debuts of the Nio ET5 Touring in 2023 and the Neta S Hunting Edition in 2024. In the case of the Zeekr and Nio, these new wagons are understood to have been developed with the European market in mind.

While BYD has offered various SUVs and people movers before, it has never sold a traditional station wagon.

Its premium Denza brand recently revealed a rakish wagon version of its Z9 called the Z9 GT which will be offered in Europe.

MORE: China is helping keep station wagons alive