BYD gen-2 Seagull undercuts the car it replaces, starting at 65,900 CNY

BYD (HKEX: 1211) launched the second-generation Seagull on October 20, 2026, at 65,900 CNY to 99,900 CNY (c. $9,808 to $14,868) across five versions. The entry price is 4,000 CNY below the 69,900 CNY start of the 2026 Seagull it replaces, even though the new car is 425 mm longer and seats five instead of four. Time-limited trade-in prices run from 62,900 CNY to 96,900 CNY (c. $9,361 to $14,421).

The price ladder decides how much of the new hardware a buyer gets. The Huoli and Ziyou versions, at 65,900 CNY and 72,900 CNY (c. $10,850), carry the 320 km (199-mile) battery and no flash charging. Flash charging starts with the 420 km (261-mile) Zizai version at 75,900 CNY (c. $11,296), followed by the Feixiang at 82,900 CNY (c. $12,338). Autohome configuration listings show only the 99,900 CNY Zhiqu version with God's Eye B driver assistance and its roof-mounted LiDAR.

That top price is 9,000 CNY above the 90,900 CNY BYD asked for the cheapest LiDAR-equipped 2026 Seagull in May. At the bottom of the range, the new car undercuts its predecessor while moving up a size class: at 4,205 mm long on a 2,650 mm wheelbase, it grows from 3,780 mm and 2,500 mm and moves from China's A00 micro segment into A0. That puts it close to BYD's own Dolphin, at 4,280 mm on a 2,700 mm wheelbase.

Demand at home has been sliding: Seagull China retail sales fell to 9,517 in September, with most of BYD's Seagull wholesale volume going abroad, as we reported on October 16.

The second-generation Seagull comes in six exterior colors, including lime green and berry pink (BYD)

The rival BYD has to beat is Geely's Galaxy Xingyuan, which was China's best-selling model in 2025 with 465,775 retail sales. Its September retail sales rose to 44,275 from 39,651 in August, more than four and a half Xingyuans for every Seagull sold in China. Geely lists the Xingyuan at 64,800 CNY to 94,800 CNY (c. $9,644 to $14,109), so the new Seagull's base guide price sits 1,100 CNY above Geely's. Geely announced the Xingyuan's 1,000,000th unit on October 20, the day of the Seagull launch.

On paper the two cars are now close. The Xingyuan is 4,135 mm long on the same 2,650 mm wheelbase and is also rear-driven, so the new Seagull is 70 mm longer. Geely still offers more reach, with CLTC ranges of 310 km, 410 km and 480 km (193, 255 and 298 miles) against the Seagull's maximum of 420 km.

Every version now uses rear-wheel drive with multi-link rear suspension, replacing the outgoing car's front-drive layout and torsion beam. BYD quotes 95 kW and 130 Nm for the motor, up from 55 kW, and a 150 km/h (93 mph) top speed, though Autohome configuration listings show the two 320 km versions with an 85 kW motor. Range is 320 km or 420 km on the CLTC cycle, against 305 km and 405 km (190 and 252 miles) for the outgoing car, and BYD rates consumption as low as 9.0 kWh per 100 km.

Cargo space grows with the body. BYD quotes a 94-liter powered front trunk that opens with two taps, 380 liters in the rear and up to 1,380 liters with the rear seats folded, plus more than 30 storage spaces around the cabin.

The Seagull is now the smallest car with BYD's flash charging, which BYD says charges the battery enough in five minutes and nearly full in nine, adding three minutes at minus 30 degrees Celsius. On BYD's dedicated chargers that means 10% to 70% in five minutes. BYD's launch release says flash-charging versions come with 12 months of free flash charging.

Zhang Zhuo, general manager of BYD's Ocean sales division, said BYD had 12,165 flash charging stations running as of October 20 and plans 20,000 by the end of the year. BYD has a deal to bring them to more than 30,000 Sinopec energy stations, and it named PetroChina, China Resources, Shell and TELD as further partners.

Inside, the separate instrument cluster is gone. Driving data moves to the left third of the 15.6-inch center screen once the car is in drive, while Autohome configuration listings show a 12.8-inch screen on the two cheapest versions. Higher versions add power front seats with heating and ventilation, plus a massage function for the driver. Sentry mode, automatic emergency braking and a tire-blowout stability system that works from 60 km/h to 140 km/h (37 to 87 mph) are standard, with up to six airbags.

The gen-2 Seagull moves from four seats to five on a 2,650 mm wheelbase (BYD)

On the Zhiqu version, God's Eye B (DiPilot 300) provides city and highway navigation assistance as well as automated parking. BYD will cover accident losses caused by its city navigation assistance for one year and by its automated parking, under pledges it made for parking in July 2025 and for city navigation in May. Geely's most expensive Xingyuan lists the Qianli Haohan H3 system at 94,800 CNY.

The Seagull has carried BYD's small-car volume since its April 2023 launch, and BYD says cumulative sales have passed 1.55 million, making it the fastest pure-electric model to reach a million. Its China retail figure had already fallen below 10,000 a month when BYD invited media to the launch, and the gen-2 car is now arriving at dealers.

October will show only part of a month on sale. The test for the bigger, cheaper Seagull is whether it can lift China retail back above 10,000 a month and start closing a gap of 34,758 units to the Xingyuan, or whether the export line keeps doing most of the work.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 6.7192 CNY as of October 21, 2026.