A BYD Sealion 7 test vehicle has been spotted in Markham, Ontario. This is the first local sighting of this model, based on images that appeared on Chinese social media this week and have been shared among Canadian EV enthusiasts online.
The car showed up just weeks after a Sealion 7 was seen parked next to a Fangchengbao Ti7 at a hotel in Montreal, joining a previously spotted Sealion 6 with its badges covered near BYD’s Canadian headquarters in Markham.
The Sealion 7 test vehicle photographed in an underground parking garage in Markham, Ontario, September 2026 (Reddit/r-EVCanada)
This variety of vehicles is interesting. The Sealion 7 is currently only available for export and is already being sold by BYD (HKG: 1211) in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the Sealion 6 has only been available in the Chinese domestic market, and the Fangchengbao Ti7 has been limited to sales in China and exports to Southeast Asia.
Testing all three models simultaneously in Canada indicates that BYD hasn’t finalized its lineup yet. It’s possible that the selection offered here could differ from what they sell elsewhere. On the Reddit thread where the Markham photo circulated, Canadian EV buyers speculated about other models like the Atto 3, Dolphin, and Seal-none of which have been spotted yet despite being cleared for import by BYD.
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None of these three vehicles align with those already cleared for import by BYD. The automaker appears on Transport Canada’s Appendix G pre-clearance registry, which allows compliant foreign vehicles to skip individual reviews at the border for two plants: one in Shenzhen covering the Dolphin, Seal, Atto 3 and Seagull models; and another facility located in Xi’an.
This approval came before a freeze on new passenger vehicle applications set for 2025. This gives BYD an advantage over many other Chinese brands still waiting for clearance. However, sightings of the Sealion 7, Sealion 6, and Ti7 suggest these might be smaller-volume evaluation imports still undergoing case-by-case approval separate from existing clearances.
The regulatory environment improved after Ottawa and Beijing reached a trade agreement revealed in January 2026. This deal replaced Canada’s previous full surtax on Chinese-made EVs with a lower tariff of 6.1 percent under an annual import quota system. This quota permits up to 49,000 electrified vehicles into Canada during its first year-divided into two windows of approximately equal size running from March to August 2026 and again from September 2026 to February 2027-with permits allocated on a first-come-first-served basis through Global Affairs Canada.
Eligibility isn’t restricted solely to Chinese-branded manufacturers; it extends to any automaker producing electrified vehicles within China-this includes Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), Polestar, Volvo alongside brands like BYD as well as Geely and Chery. Notably, Tesla has already started importing Shanghai-built Model 3s under this same quota system.
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Interestingly enough, none of these imported vehicles must be priced below $35,000 during their first year; that affordability standard begins phasing in starting year two-from requiring ten percent of imports to meet this threshold up to fifty percent by year five-all while measuring against import price rather than retail sticker prices-which gives manufacturers flexibility when setting retail prices without breaching regulations. Additionally , vehicles produced domestically are not eligible for incentives under federal Electric Vehicle Affordability Program’s $5 ,000 rebate. This gap will impact how competitively priced whatever offerings BYD brings here will ultimately end up being.
Distribution plans appear more advanced than decisions regarding specific models. Farid Ahmad , CEO of Dealer Solutions Mergers & Acquisitions -the firm developing BYD’s retail presence -has indicated his team is “in active talks with three separate locations.” Reports confirmed by Globe And Mail & Bloomberg point towards aiming roughly twenty dealerships within its inaugural year starting primarily within Greater Toronto Area before branching outwards towards Vancouver , Montreal&Calgary. In August2018, BYD’s Canadianwebsite addeda“comingsoon” banner alongwith eleven job postings signaling hiring activity aheadof any public launch date.
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What’s lacking at this point are official updates regarding pricing details or confirmation about launch dates along with specific model names. This situation was highlighted backin May2018when therewas misinformation circulating around-a fake account pretendingtobe BYDexecutive claimedthatthey’dopen twenty dealerships acrossfour citieslate intheyearand introducea Seagullatthepricepointof$25 ,000-that information was rebyoneoutletonlyto later retractit once exposed as fraudulent.
BYD then issued astatement clarifyingthatno announcements, havingbeen approvedorconfirmedplansforpassengervehicles launchingwithin Canada were made. The broader framework concerningdealershipbuildingalongwithpreparations remains intactbutthose particular figures weren’t verified, norexists confirmedcanadianpricingforanymodelsofarasofnow.
These sightings also match how BYDhassuccessfully enteredothermarkets. For example, in Australia, thecompany beganoperationsin2022yet didn’tintroducetheir Dolphin hatchbackuntilapproximatelyayearlater-gradually rolling outmodelsinstead launchingallatonce. If Canada followsananalogouspattern, we may findthe currentroad-testedvehicles serve betterindicatingwhat BYDis evaluatingratherthanwhichwillactuallyreachdealerlotsfirst-orwhatisits orderofarrival.
Altogether, this portrays aclear imageofacompetent companylayinggroundwork while securingofficialclearanceforonegroupmodels; assemblingdealer networks citybycity; hiringprocess underway-all while testinganotherdistinctsetvehiclesunveiledonthe Canadianroads. Sinceit’sstillunknownifthe Sealion7, sealion6or Ti7willultimatelyappearinlocalshowrooms-orifyet we’llseeaninitialintroductionfromalreadycleared Atto3, Dolphin&Seal-it leaves plentyquestionswaitingto beansweredonlythroughofficialconfirmationgoing forward.
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