BYD's 2026 Seagull debuts with integrated LiDAR
- BYD unveiled the 2026 Seagull at the Beijing auto show on April 25, adding an optional roof-mounted LiDAR sensor and extending the small hatchback’s top claimed driving range. - The top Seagull variant now reaches 505 kilometers on China’s CLTC cycle, up from 405 kilometers, while filings show motor output rising to 60 kilowatts from 55. - The update puts LiDAR into BYD’s cheapest model as Auto China 2026 opens with 1,451 vehicles and 181 premieres. (autoshow.org.cn)
BYD used the Beijing auto show to unveil a 2026 Seagull with optional LiDAR and a longer claimed range. (carnewschina.com) The Seagull is BYD’s entry-level electric hatchback in China, and the updated car adds a roof-mounted LiDAR unit tied to BYD’s “God’s Eye B” driver-assistance system. (carnewschina.com) CarNewsChina reported the top version’s claimed range rises to 505 kilometers on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle, from 405 kilometers before. The same report said the new motor’s maximum power increases to 60 kilowatts. (carnewschina.com) LiDAR is a laser-based sensor that helps a car map nearby objects, and it has usually appeared on pricier vehicles rather than budget city cars. A January filing cited by CnEVPost showed BYD was preparing to bring that hardware to the Seagull, its lowest-priced model. (cnevpost.com) CnEVPost said the current Seagull in China starts at RMB 69,800, about $10,000, and sold 529,537 units in 2025. It also reported the model passed 1 million units produced on June 30, 2025. (cnevpost.com) The Beijing show opened on April 24 and runs through May 3 across two venues in the capital. Organizers say the event spans 380,000 square meters and includes 1,451 vehicles, 181 premieres and 71 concept cars. (autoshow.org.cn) That backdrop helps explain the Seagull update: Chinese brands are packing more driver-assistance hardware and more range into smaller, cheaper electric cars as competition intensifies. CarNewsChina said the Seagull has been under pressure from Geely’s Xingyuan and newer rivals including Arcfox T1 and Leapmotor A10. (carnewschina.com) BYD did not publish full detailed specifications for the 2026 Seagull at the show, according to CarNewsChina. For now, the headline is simple: a car that started as a bargain urban EV is moving upmarket on sensors and range. (carnewschina.com)
