On October 11, several media outlets, including 21st Century Business Herald, reported that in response to rumors about the “discontinuation of the Song PLUS,” a representative from BYD confirmed that the Sea Lion 06 is the successor to the Song PLUS, and the discontinuation of Song PLUS is a normal product transition.
As the largest new energy vehicle manufacturer in China, BYD has established four major brands in the new energy market: BYD, Tengshi, Fangchengbao, and Yangwang. Among these, the BYD brand operates through the Ocean Network and the Dynasty Network, which are the two most important sales channels for the company.
The Dynasty series, launched in 2012, includes the Qin, Tang, Song, Yuan, Han, and Xia models. The Ocean Network series, launched by BYD at the end of 2021, introduced the Seal, Sea Lion, Sea Gull, Dolphin, and Song PLUS models. Notably, while the Song PLUS belongs to the Dynasty series, it has always been sold under the Ocean Network series. Early on, to fill the product lineup, the Song PLUS was included in the Ocean Network, quickly becoming the top-selling SUV in the Ocean Network. According to data, by May of this year, the cumulative sales of the Ocean Network had reached 4.85 million units, with the Song PLUS accounting for over 1.57 million units globally.
In late August 2023, BYD officially announced an update to its app, splitting it into two independent systems: the BYD Dynasty App and the BYD Ocean App. From the current product lineup, the Dynasty and Ocean series mainly target the market under 300,000 yuan, aiming to capture the mainstream family market share. The Dynasty series focuses on a more robust, business-oriented style, while the Ocean series targets a sporty, youthful market.
With the Sea Lion 06 taking over from the Song PLUS, the product naming within both the Dynasty and Ocean series will become clearer. The Song PLUS, launched by BYD in 2020, saw the fuel version released in September of that year, followed by the DM-i hybrid version in March the next year, becoming the first SUV to feature BYD’s DM-i Super Hybrid technology. In June 2023, the Song PLUS Champion Edition was launched, and the 2024 Song PLUS DM-i Champion Edition was released in June 2024. In July 2024, the 2025 Song PLUS DM-i hit the market. The Song PLUS officially entered the Kazakhstan market in February of this year, with the Song PLUS Intelligent Driving Edition launched in March.
Currently, the Song PLUS DM-i Intelligent Driving Edition is priced between 135,800 and 175,800 yuan, while the Song PLUS EV is priced between 149,800 and 175,800 yuan. Retail data shows that in 2023, the Song PLUS New Energy model sold 390,200 units, ranking second among BYD’s products, just behind the Qin PLUS New Energy’s 434,200 units. In 2024, Song PLUS New Energy sales reached 418,500 units, ranking third, behind the Qin PLUS New Energy’s 480,000 units and the Sea Gull’s 453,600 units.
As for the Sea Lion 06, it is a new SUV under BYD’s Ocean Network, launched in July this year. Six models are available, priced between 139,800 and 163,800 yuan. The Sea Lion 06 DM-i version uses the fifth-generation DM hybrid technology, starting at 139,800 yuan, while the Sea Lion 06 EV version is based on the e-platform 3.0 Evo, with a starting price of 143,800 yuan.
The Sea Lion 06 features the latest family design language inside and out, with dimensions of 4810mm in length, 1920mm in width, and 1675mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2820mm. It is positioned as a mid-size SUV. Inside, it comes with a 10.25-inch full LCD instrument display and a 15.6-inch floating central control screen. It is equipped with the advanced DiLink 100 intelligent cockpit system, a four-spoke steering wheel, and a gear shift mechanism. The vehicle is also equipped with the Tian Shen Zhi Yan-C and Yun Nian-C chassis.
In terms of power, the Sea Lion 06 offers both pure electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains. The pure electric version uses rear-wheel drive with 170 kW and 180 kW electric motors, both producing a peak torque of 330 Nm. It comes with 65.28 kWh and 78.72 kWh battery packs, providing a range of 520 km and 605 km, respectively. The plug-in hybrid version features a 1.5-liter hybrid engine, with the engine generating 74 kW and 126 Nm of torque. The electric motor produces 160 kW and 260 Nm of torque, and under the WLTC cycle, it offers a pure electric range of 93 km and 130 km, respectively, competing with models like the Leapmotor C11, Deep Blue S07, and Xpeng G6.
Official data reveals that by September this year, BYD’s passenger car sales had reached 3.2189 million units, a year-on-year increase of 17.63%. Of these, the Dynasty series sold 1.3668 million units, and the Ocean Network series sold 1.589 million units. Among the individual models, the Qin from the Dynasty series was the highest-seller, with 458,400 units, followed by the Yuan and Song, with 296,300 and 290,900 units, respectively. For the Ocean Network, the Sea Gull was the top seller, with 398,200 units, followed by the Seal and Song PLUS, with 354,800 and 334,800 units, respectively, while the Sea Lion sold 273,200 units.
