BYD Shark 6 gets five-star ANCAP safety

The BYD Shark 6 has been awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, following local crash testing of the first plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute on sale in Australia.

Producing strong results in most categories, the Shark 6 performed best in the child occupant protection portion of testing where it scored 87 per cent - although with mixed results - with ANCAP saying it provided good levels of protection for both 10-year-old and six-year-old dummies in the frontal offset and side impact tests. 

The plug-in ute’s child presence detection system (CPD) – which uses in-cabin sensors to identify movement in an unattended vehicle – was originally commended for its ability to escalate its intervention, including turning on the air conditioning to cool the cabin, however, ANCAP amended the results shortly after publication.

"The alert sensitivity of this CPD system however does not meet ANCAP's functional requirements and the Shark 6 scored zero points for this area of assessment," said ANCAP in a media release.

The ute was also awarded an adult occupant protection score of 85 per cent, while an 8.0-point penalty was applied due to its size, weight and front-end design, which ANCAP says poses a higher risk to occupants of oncoming vehicles. 

The driver’s chest was found to be an area of concern during frontal offset crash testing, while lower scores for the neck and chest protection of both front and rear occupants were found in the full-width frontal test. 

ANCAP says other critical body regions for both the driver and rear passenger were good.  

In terms of safety assist systems, the Shark 6’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) produced promising results, with ‘Good’ performance noted in its response to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

And while the ute showed ‘Marginal’?performance in reverse AEB testing, those involving cyclists were successful in avoiding or mitigating collisions at all test speeds, including during turning manoeuvres.  

The Shark 6 also issues alerts when a bicycle is approaching from behind to prevent cyclist ‘dooring’.

In the vulnerable road user protection portion of testing, the Shark 6 scored a lesser 74 per cent, with physical impact tests again revealing mixed results.  

ANCAP says while head protection of struck pedestrians was ‘Good’ or ‘Adequate’ over most of the ute’s front surfaces, less impressive were results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars, the base of the windscreen, and the front and rear edges of the bonnet.

Even so, ANCAP chief Carla Hoorweg said the Shark 6 is further evidence that new manufacturers are prioritising safety as they enter the market to align with consumer demands. 

“Following the recently rated GWM Cannon Alpha hybrid ute, we expect to see an increase in electrified options in the utility space. And so far, they’re meeting the mark,” said Hoorweg. 

“For fleets looking to electrify their light commercial ute range, the Shark 6 presents a new five-star plug-in hybrid option.”

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