BYD Song Plus DM-i — model-year timeline & key facts
Published · Researched 2026-09-21
Compiled from the BYD Song Plus DM-i deep-research dossier; researched 2026-09-21. UNVERIFIED flags from the source research are preserved verbatim.
Key facts
| Powertrain | PHEV (1.5L + e-motor) |
|---|---|
| Power | 197 (e-motor); system combined UNVERIFIED |
| Range | ~98-135 real EV km; 1000+ total |
| Battery | 18.3 / 26.6 (LFP) |
| 0–100 km/h | 8.5 UNVERIFIED |
| Fast charge | ~40 UNVERIFIED |
| New price US | not sold in US |
| New price EU | ~42990 UNVERIFIED (as Seal U DM-i) |
| New price CN | 135800-175800 UNVERIFIED |
| Used price signal | AU Sealion 6 new at 48990-52990 AUD; no deep used market yet |
| Value call | PHEV for HEV money — the value call only works if you actually plug it in; otherwise buy the RAV4 |
| Sweet-spot year | 2025 |
| Years to avoid | 2021 (first-year DM-i, pre-facelift, oldest software, early fuel-system complaint cohort) |
| Reliability flag | amber — DM-i system proven at scale; disputed CN complaint-tracker fuel-system claims need watching |
| Biggest risk | Real-world economy collapses if you never plug it in — plus export-market parts waits |
| Community verdict | Buy it if you'll plug it in daily; otherwise the brochure numbers are fiction |
Model-year timeline 2021–2026
| Year | Generation / changes / reliability / used prices |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Song Plus DM-i launched Mar 2021 — one of first DM-i cars; 1st-gen DM-i (1.5L NA 81 kW + 145 kW motor, ~18.3 kWh Blade, 110 km EV) |
| 2022 | Volume year; BYD ended ICE production; DM-i proving itself at scale; cheap servicing in China |
| 2023 | Champion Edition facelift Jun 2023 (restyled front/rear, BYD logo); export begins as Seal U (EU, Sept 2023); disputed complaint-aggregator claim: 1,182 fuel-system complaints in one month (methodology unverified) |
| 2024 | Glory Edition Feb 2024 (¥129,800 start, −¥20k, 71 km entry); DM 5.0 arrives Jul 25 2024 as '2025 model' (1.5L 74 kW + 160 kW motor, 18.3/26.6 kWh, ~3.9L low-charge, ~1,500 km combined); Seal U DM-i (EU), Sealion 6 (AU/NZ/PH/TH mid-2024) |
| 2025 | DM 5.0 volume sellers in China; export lineups settle; God's Eye C/DiPilot ADAS on higher trims |
| 2026 | No major update surfaced — carryover UNVERIFIED (Jan 2026 long-range push went to Song Pro DM-i instead) |
Sweet-spot year: 2025
Years to skip: 2021 (first-year DM-i, pre-facelift, oldest software, early fuel-system complaint cohort)