2027 BYD M9 PHEV priced up against Kia Carnival in Australia

The BYD M9, a plug-in hybrid people mover, will arrive here this year with a base price of $61,990 before on-road costs.

That's for the base eight-seat Dynamic, with the seven-seat Premium priced at $72,990 plus on-roads.

For context, the Kia Carnival Hybrid is priced from $56,310 plus ORCs in base S trim, topping out at $76,840 plus ORCs for the top-spec GT-Line.

It also significantly undercuts the electric D9 from BYD's premium Denza brand, priced from $85,990 before on-road costs.

The M9 is due here from the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2026, with the Premium arriving first.

Both M9 variants are front-wheel drive and use BYD’s DM-i 5.0 Super Hybrid powertrain, featuring a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated with an electric motor.

The entry-level eight-seat Dynamic uses a 20.39kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, and though full specifications have yet to be announced, recently published certification documents confirm output of 191.4kW.

The seven-seat Premium upgrades to a 36.6kWh LFP battery, and features total system outputs of 218kW and 315Nm. Total WLTP electric-only range for the Premium is 145km, with total combined range of 850km.

DC charge rates have yet to be released, though Chinese specifications confirm 41kW and 73kW figures for the two different powertrains.

Standard equipment in the Premium includes heated and ventilated front seats, as well as second-row captain’s chairs with heating, ventilation, and a “near zero-gravity seating position”.

There's also an integrated refrigerator/hotbox, capable of cooling between -6°C and 6°C or heating between 35°C and 50°C.

All M9s feature vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, allowing you to power small electrical appliances, while safety equipment includes a surround-view camera, a “comprehensive suite” of active safety and driver assist technology, and up to nine airbags.

There's also a Sentry Mode to monitor for intruders when the M9 is parked.

The M9 measures 5145mm long, 1970mm wide and 1805mm tall, on a 3045mm wheelbase.

That makes it 10mm shorter, 25mm narrower and 30mm taller than the Carnival on a 45mm shorter wheelbase.

Certification documents confirm a payload figure of 654kg for both variants.

Claimed boot space behind the third row is 470 litres, and BYD says the M9 has a braked towing capacity of 1500kg.

The M9 will follow the GAC M8 as the second PHEV people mover on the Australian market.

BYD is Australia's second-best selling auto brand year-to-date, and the M9 will take on Australia's best-selling people mover: the Kia Carnival.

There’s been a flurry of Chinese brands entering the people mover market in Australia, but almost all of them – including BYD's own premium Denza brand, with the electric D9 – have been chasing more luxurious models like the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. That's because in their homeland, these people movers are seen as prestige or halo models, and often come loaded with technology and luxury features.

Few have bothered to take on the Kia Carnival directly, which dominates the people mover market: more than three in four people movers sold in Australia this year have been Carnivals.

With BYD having overtaken Kia in Australia and offering PHEV power in contrast with the Carnival's diesel or hybrid options, it remains to be seen whether the M9 will pose the greatest threat yet to the current generation of Kia's people mover.

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