BYD Song Plus in 2026: Latest Updates and New Features

The BYD Song Plus entering late 2026 is defined by two upgrades rather than one: the fifth-generation DM hybrid system that BYD fitted to the Song Plus DM-i from 25 July 2024 — making it one of the brand's first SUVs with DM 5.0 — and the smart-driving editions added on 10 February 2025, which brought the DiPilot 100 ("God's Eye C") assistance suite to the model in China. In export markets, the visible change is grade structure: BYD Australia now lists large-battery "Extended" Sealion 6 variants with a 26.6 kWh Blade battery and a rated 140 km of electric range, while BYD's European Seal U DM-i pages quote more than 70 km of electric driving on the WLTP cycle and up to 1,080 km of combined range. No single global "2026 edition" exists — specifications still differ by market — so this analysis separates what has verifiably changed from what buyers must confirm per destination.

Update timeline: what happened and when

BYD updates the Song family in stages rather than with annual replacements, so the useful way to track the model is by dated milestones. The table below lists the changes that matter to international buyers, with the source basis for each.

Because BYD refreshes grades and equipment without renaming the model, the practical rule for buyers is simple: date and market beat model year. A specification sheet is only valid for the market and build month it was issued for.

Fifth-generation DM: what actually changed in the powertrain

The July 2024 update moved the Song Plus DM-i from BYD's fourth-generation hybrid architecture to the fifth-generation DM system that had debuted earlier in 2024 on the Qin L and Seal 06 sedans. The architecture is unchanged in principle — a 1.5-litre engine that mostly serves as a generator, an electric drive motor, and a Blade LFP battery — but DM 5.0 raises the electric-drive share, extends the EV range on offer, and reduces the rated fuel consumption when the battery is depleted.

For the Song Plus specifically, the market-visible results are the grade structure and range claims. BYD's Australian specification lists 18.3 kWh and 26.6 kWh battery options across front- and all-wheel-drive grades, with rated electric range from 81 km to 140 km and rated combined range up to 1,092 km for the front-drive Essential grade. The European Seal U DM-i pages quote "70 km+" of electric range on the WLTP cycle, up to 1,080 km of combined range, and around 6.4 L/100 km of depleted-battery fuel consumption. Chinese-market listings for the updated car centre on 75 km, 112 km, and 160 km electric-range grades. The numbers differ because the markets and test cycles differ — NEDC-based Chinese ratings run longer than WLTP figures for the same hardware — and they should never be converted as if equivalent.

What DM 5.0 means in daily use

Three practical consequences follow from the update. First, a larger share of daily driving happens on electricity: the 26.6 kWh grades cover most commutes without starting the engine. Second, long-distance behaviour improves, because the engine operates in its most efficient band as a generator and the rated combined range exceeds 1,000 km in every market so far. Third, the driver experience stays conservative in a good sense — there is no transmission-style stepped shifting, and the system defaults to predictable, linear throttle behaviour that fleets tend to value for driver training and tyre wear.

Smart-driving editions: God's Eye C reaches the Song Plus

The more consequential 2025 change was software and sensing rather than electrification. On 10 February 2025 BYD announced that its "God's Eye" driver-assistance system would spread across 21 models, with the mass-market tier called God's Eye C, or DiPilot 100. The Song Plus DM-i smart-driving edition is part of that rollout in China.

DiPilot 100 is a camera-and-radar architecture: BYD's own presentation materials describe 12 cameras, 5 millimetre-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, with no lidar. The feature set advertised for the Chinese smart-driving editions includes highway navigate-on-autopilot (NOA), automatic lane changes, and automated parking. For international buyers the critical caveat is geographic: these functions are marketed for the China market, export specifications have historically carried different assistance hardware and software enablement, and regulatory approval for NOA-style features varies by country. When sourcing a Song Plus for a destination market, ask the supplier for the assistance feature list of that specific build — not the Chinese launch materials.

Export-market status: how the Sealion 6 and Seal U differ

The export picture as of September 2026 shows a model in a mature, regularly refreshed state rather than a generation change. In Australia, where the car is sold as the Sealion 6, BYD's published grade list spans Essential, Dynamic Extended, Premium, and Premium Extended: the front-drive grades produce 160 kW and 300 Nm with 8.5-8.9-second 0-100 km/h claims, the AWD grades reach 238-253 kW with 5.5-5.9-second claims, and every grade keeps the 4,775 mm body on a 2,765 mm wheelbase with a 425-litre boot. In Europe, the same hardware sells as the Seal U DM-i with WLTP-based claims, and the fully electric Seal U — the Song Plus EV's European counterpart — offers an 87.0 kWh battery rated up to 500 km WLTP.

For an importer, the analysis is straightforward. The battery-size split inside one nameplate is now the main specification decision: 18.3 kWh grades buy a lower entry price and adequate electric coverage for short urban duty cycles, while 26.6 kWh "Extended" grades roughly double rated electric range and suit markets where charging is unreliable. Body style, safety platform (the European range carries a five-star Euro NCAP rating), and infotainment architecture are consistent across the range.

What has not changed

Equally important for buyers is the short list of things the updates did not touch. The Song Plus remains a five-seat SUV — there is no seven-seat Song Plus variant, that role belongs to the larger Tang. The PHEV and EV versions continue as separate product lines rather than a single series platform. The naming split also persists: Song Plus in China, Seal U and Sealion 6 in export regions, with parts catalogues keyed to the local name. And test-cycle differences continue to make cross-market range comparisons unreliable — a 160 km Chinese rating and a 70 km+ European rating do not describe different cars so much as different measurement rules.

How to verify the current specification before you order

Given staged updates, a four-step verification routine protects the purchase. First, pull the specification page from BYD's site for the destination market — the grade list, battery size, and rated ranges published there govern what is actually delivered. Second, ask the supplier for the build date and confirm that the quoted grade still matches current production, since equipment changes mid-generation. Third, request the active driver-assistance feature list for that market's build in writing. Fourth, confirm parts support: the local model name (Song Plus, Seal U, or Sealion 6) determines how the parts catalogue indexes the car at the destination. Buyers working through a sourcing platform should treat these four items as contract-level details, not assumptions.

Frequently asked questions

Has the BYD Song Plus been redesigned for 2026?

No full redesign has been announced in the sources reviewed for this analysis. The model has evolved through the July 2024 fifth-generation DM powertrain update, the February 2025 smart-driving editions in China, and continuing grade changes in export markets. Confirm the current status with BYD's local market site when ordering.

What is God's Eye C on the Song Plus?

It is BYD's mass-market driver-assistance package, DiPilot 100: a camera-plus-radar suite with 12 cameras, 5 millimetre-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, offering highway navigate-on-autopilot, automatic lane changes, and automated parking on China-market smart-driving editions.

Do export versions get the same driver-assistance features?

Not automatically. Export builds have historically differed in assistance hardware and enabled functions, and advanced features require local regulatory approval. Always request the feature list for the specific market build.

What is the difference between the 2024 and 2025 Song Plus DM-i?

The 2024 change brought the fifth-generation DM system with longer rated electric range and lower rated consumption. The 2025 change added the God's Eye smart-driving suite in China. Specification sheets for your market remain the deciding reference.

How far does the Song Plus DM-i go on electricity alone?

Rated figures span roughly 70 km (Europe, WLTP) to 160 km (China market grades), with Australian grades at 81-140 km. Real-world electric range sits below the rated number and depends on speed, load, and climate control.

Is a bigger update coming to the Song family?

BYD keeps refreshing the Song family — the smaller Song Pro DM-i was updated in January 2026 — but specific future plans for the Song Plus should be confirmed against current BYD announcements rather than rumour.

Bottom line

The Song Plus story so far this decade is one of steady, verifiable upgrades: a fifth-generation hybrid system from July 2024, an assistance-software push from February 2025, and export grades that now split clearly by battery size. For 2026 buyers the news is good — the hardware is mature — but the burden of verification has grown, because features and ratings differ by market more than at any point in the model's life. AutoCN maintains a BYD model center for international buyers, and the information center tracks launch and policy news relevant to sourcing decisions.