BYD Shark 6 vs Chery Stockman vs Nissan Navara Pro 2026 Bench Test

When it comes to the Chery Stockman and Nissan Navara Pro, there's still plenty of unknown information, including, crucially, the price. However, with the BYD Shark 6 as the control in this experiment, we know the ballpark in which they need to land.

The Shark 6 range starts at $55,900 plus on-road costs (ORCs) for the cab-chassis, rising to $57,900 plus ORCs for the Premium, which has been on the market longest. However, here we're using the Performance, as its improved off-road and towing capabilities bring it closer to the established dual-cab ute set.

One area the newcomers could have an advantage is aftersales support. BYD's six-year/150,000km warranty is bettered by Chery's seven-year/unlimited-kilometre offering and Nissan's 10-year/300,000km benchmark. However, Nissan's warranty is conditional on servicing at an authorised dealer; otherwise, it reverts to five years/unlimited kilometres.

It's a similar story with roadside assistance. BYD offers 12 months of complimentary cover, Chery extends this to seven years – although cover is provided in 12-month blocks when serviced at an authorised Chery dealer – while Nissan offers up to 10 years, subject to the same servicing conditions as its warranty.

Long story short, both Chery and Nissan should be targeting $55,000-$65,000 (depending on variant) if they want to be competitive.

*all prices exclude on-road costs

To be completely upfront, Australian specifications for the Nissan Navara Pro are still some way from being finalised, so we've taken the features list from Mexico, where the vehicle is already on sale.

It's a different market with different requirements, and the mechanical specification also differs, so this information isn't necessarily valid for Australia. We're not pretending this is the final Australian equipment list, but it does at least provide an indication of what's available.

The news is pretty good, as you'd expect from vehicles sourced from China. In fact, all three are well equipped, at least in their highest-specification variants, with LED lighting, dual-zone climate control, powered, heated and ventilated seats, impressive sound systems, large infotainment screens with wireless smartphone mirroring, wireless charging and more.

Safe to say, while there may be some differences between the three models, all should offer a strong value proposition.

*Mexican market Platinum used

As the only vehicle currently on sale, only the BYD Shark 6 has an ANCAP safety rating. It earned five stars in 2025, with scores of 85 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 86 per cent for safety assist.

Both Chery and Nissan will be targeting five stars and boast extensive lists of active safety assistance systems, but their tasks will be made more difficult by the more stringent 2026 testing protocols.

There are multiple ways to approach the plug-in hybrid ute formula. Our three protagonists all use completely different powertrains, although the common thread is a heavy reliance on electrification for additional performance.

The BYD Shark 6 is almost a range-extender, with its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine primarily used to charge the battery rather than drive the wheels, although it can do both. With a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.5 seconds, it delivers remarkable acceleration for a dual-cab ute.

Diesel-electric is a common phrase when discussing trains, but the Chery Stockman breaks new ground for utes. It pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with electrical assistance, although Chery has confirmed a petrol plug-in hybrid Stockman producing 395kW/1000Nm will join the range later in 2027.

Finally, the Australian Navara Pro will use a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, with the 105kW/220Nm 1.5-litre version deemed insufficient for local requirements.

The Nissan also has a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission and, like the Stockman, a mechanical all-wheel drive system with locking differentials, rather than relying on the software-controlled system used by the BYD.

*Chinese market figure

Fuel economy claims for plug-in hybrids can be highly misleading, and electrified dual-cab utes muddy the waters further.

For instance, the BYD Shark 6 Performance has a claimed pure-electric range of 80km. In hybrid mode, with the battery more than 25 per cent charged, it claims fuel consumption of 1.3L/100km. However, with the battery below 25 per cent, that figure rises to 10.5L/100km.

As such, the efficiency of these utes depends greatly on the use case. How often are they charged? How far are they driven? Are they heavily loaded or towing?

The Chery Stockman has a larger 34kWh battery pack, providing up to 96km of electric range and helping it claim combined fuel consumption of 1.1L/100km. We'd also expect it to use less fuel when the battery charge is low, as diesel engines are inherently more efficient than petrol engines. An 80-litre fuel tank also gives the Stockman a considerable range advantage.

There's still plenty to be confirmed about the Nissan Navara Pro. While we know it will use a larger engine, we don't yet know its battery capacity, although we can make some educated guesses.

The Mexican-market Navara Pro uses a 20kWh battery and claims 75km of electric range on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), while Chinese documentation states a targeted electric range of up to 135km (NEDC).

Some very rudimentary maths suggests a battery capacity of around 36kWh, but take this with a grain of salt until Nissan confirms Australian specifications.

These are big rigs. All three are larger than a Ford Ranger in every dimension, although we'll have to wait and see whether that translates into greater interior space.

In terms of tray capacity, we're generally talking about a few centimetres here and there, although the Stockman has an advantage in overall tub capacity.

Once again, there's a need to make some assumptions here, although not with the BYD Shark 6.

One of the most important Performance upgrades was the increase in braked towing capacity from 2500kg to 3500kg, alongside a 900kg increase in gross combination mass (GCM).

Chery initially promised a one-tonne payload for the Stockman, before preliminary specifications revealed it to be 765kg. Development work is ongoing, however, so this may not be the final figure. A 2735kg kerb weight and 6500kg GCM also limit its payload potential when towing heavy loads.

While we've listed figures from Chinese-market documentation for the Nissan Navara Pro, these are likely to change. Australia apparently hasn't yet decided whether the vehicle will use a multi-link or leaf-sprung rear suspension.

The larger 2.0-litre engine will affect kerb weight, while the promised 1000kg payload will influence the gross vehicle mass (GVM). There's also currently no quoted GCM.

*Chinese market figures

The addition of a Crawl Mode in the BYD Shark 6 Performance improves its off-road ability, although its electronic brain can still occasionally become confused in low-traction situations.

This is where the mechanical systems of the Chery and Nissan should have an advantage, particularly the former, thanks to its increased ride height and standard all-terrain tyres.

Approach and departure angles are superior (and identical) for the Chery and Nissan. If Premcar produces a Warrior version of the Navara Pro, we can expect these figures to improve further.

*Chinese market figures

At the risk of sounding redundant, we currently don't know! However, hopefully this article has given you enough information to provide an indication of what's coming and get the cogs whirring.

The BYD Shark 6 has demonstrated just how popular a plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute can be, and the Performance adds crucial capability that further improves its credibility.

Chery has the advantage of a target to aim for, and its mechanical all-wheel drive system is likely to make it more capable off-road. Its diesel-electric powertrain also has the potential to be a class leader in efficiency.

That leaves the Navara Pro. Nissan clearly believes plug-in hybrid is the way forward, cancelling its Navara Warrior program to concentrate on bringing the Pro to market.

If it can combine a Chinese-market price and value proposition with locally engineered capability and the strength of its extensive dealer network, it could offer the best of both worlds.

2027 is shaping up to be a fascinating year.

2026 BYD Shark 6 Performance at a glance:
Price: $62,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol-electric
Output: 180kW/350Nm
Battery: 29.6kWh lithium-iron phosphate
Combined output: 184kW/600Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Fuel: 1.3L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 23g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: Five stars (ANCAP 2025)

2026 Chery Stockman at a glance:
Price: TBC
Available: February 2027
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel-electric
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Battery: 34kWh lithium-iron phosphate
Combined output: 350kW/800Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 1.1L/100km (WLTP combined)
CO2: 30g/km (WLTP combined)
Safety rating: TBC

2026 Nissan Navara Pro PHEV at a glance:
Price: TBC
Available: H2 2027
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol-electric
Output: 300kW/800Nm
Battery: TBC
Combined output: 300kW/800Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: TBC
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: TBC

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