BYD Shark 6 will challenge for top four sales spot

The new BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid is about to upset the status quo in the 4x4 ute segment.

That’s the word from company executives, who say the all-new 321kW pick-up truck will vie for a top four spot in the 4x4 ute sales race once it has its pricing announced and opens for orders on October 29, 2024.

Pricing is not yet known but it’s expected to start at around $60,000, not including on-road costs.

The CEO of the Australian distributor of BYD, David Smitherman, has forecast at least 1000-sales per month for the first PHEV ute to launch in the Aussie new car market.

That makes it instantly competitive in the 4x4 ute segment with the likes of the Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT-50 and aged 70 Series Toyota LandCruiser, which are all averaging 1000-sales plus per month to the end of September 2024.

It will also put the groundbreaking Chinese ute clearly ahead of its GWM and LDV compatriots as well as the ageing Nissan Navara.

However, whether Smitherman’s forecast for the Shark 6’s sales are accurate won’t become apparent for some months as first deliveries for the hotly-anticipated won’t start until December or January.

Smitherman looked to BYD’s other PHEV model, the Sealion 6 SUV, for guidance on how many examples per month the Shark 6 could sell.

“What we are seeing with Sealion 6, we’d be looking at that sort of number, which 1000 units plus (per month),” he predicted.

“I’d be looking to emulate that but it won’t be easy and we are not at all thinking  this will be an easy task.”

Smitherman was speaking to carsales at the Australia-first media drive of the Shark 6.

Our first drive impressions are on the site now – head over to the car reviews landing page to find out what we think.

A cornerstone of the BYD’s appeal will be a strong value equation, with pricing expected to start at around $60,000 before on-road costs, allied with a long equipment list.

The pricing along with warranty and servicing is about all that’s left to be revealed on October 29.

Smitherman explicitly rejected media reports based on a NSW government agency website that listed the Shark at $68,000 plus on-road costs.

“I can’t confirm that number [actual Shark 6 pricing] but I can say we will be below that [reported] number and very competitive.

“I would be expecting it to excite the market,” he added.

Intentionally, BYD is going on-sale in Australia with only one model, the dual-motor 4x4 Premium variant.

That’s in contrast to the many and varied offerings most ute makers have in their line-ups including cab chassis and single cabs as well as the popular dual cabs.

“All [variants are] on the drawing board for sure, but at this point this is our first ute we bring to market and we want to make sure we put all our focus into one variant,” he said.

He confirmed BYD had even cooled its jets on a second cheaper Shark 6 dual-cab ute for now. It had been expected in 2025.

“We originally had plans for multiple models but we want to have a very simple proposition in the marketplace and my view is less is more,” said Smitherman.

“So we can put one model out there with significant spec and simplicity and I think that is really going to work well for us.

“We don’t want to have a business model that’s super complicated,” he explained.

So without further ado let’s check out the fundamentals of the BYD Shark 6 Premium Aussies will be able to order from October 29.

Like its orthodox diesel opposition, the BYD Shark 6 is underpinned by a ladder frame chassis.

Howeverm a 29.58kWh lithium-ion LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery pack is a supporting chassis member. BYD claims class-leading body rigidity.

The battery is part of a revolutionary powertrain for the ute category that includes a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor at each axle and a turbo-petrol motor up-front.

Combined outputs are 321kW/650Nm in sport mode only. Outputs are reduced in the lesser modes, with the rear axle shut down in the energy-saving eco setting.

The powertrain can run as an EV, a series hybrid or a parallel hybrid and the driver can switch between EV and hybrid modes depending on the state of battery charge.

With its 5.7 seconds 0-100km/h time, BYD claims the Shark 6 out-accelerates the mighty Ford Ranger Raptor.

It’s also claiming an 80km range on electricity and a combined 800km range. The fuel tank fits 60 litres and 95 RON petrol is required.

The official fuel consumption claims are 2.0L/100km with more than 25 per cent battery charge and 7.9L/100km with less than 25 per cent when the engine has to do a lot more work driving the wheels.

But the battery is never completely depleted because the engine spends a lot of its energy recharging it rather than driving the wheels. That’s something it rarely does below 70km/h.

The Shark 6 Premium can plug in and recharge at a rate up to 7kW (AC), meaning it can refill from 30-80 per cent in approximately two hours.

It has a maximum DC fast charging rate of 55kW, meaning 30-80 per cent in 25 minutes.

The BYD Shark 6 has been tuned as an on-road off-roader. It wants to be a nice drive on bitumen.

That helps explain why it has double wishbone independent suspension rather than the usual live axle at the rear. The latter usually offers more wheel articulation keeping the tyre in contact with the ground longer.

The Shark 6’s 4x4 system shuttles torque 100 per cent to either end of the vehicle. It  has no low range gearing or differential locks either.

Traction control, which relies on shutting down the electric motors  as well as clamping the all-round ventilated disc brakes, is the primary aid for techy off-road work.

The front electric motor also reverses polarity to slow the Shark 6 and act as a hill descent control.

The ground clearance is 200mm the wading depth 700mm, approach angle 31 degrees, ramp-over 17 degrees and departure angle 19 degrees. It has a 13.5m turning circle and BYD says it can climb 60 degree hills.

With 2500kyg braked towing and a 790kg maximum payload, the Shark 6 is well shy of the 3500kg and tonne-plus numbers many diesel utes produce.

However, with a 2500kg van on the back, the BYD still mages a respectable 540kg payload.

Key numbers worth noting here are the Shark 6’s 2710kg kerb weight, 3500kg gross vehicle mass and 5750kg gross combined mass.

The Shark 6 has yet to post an ANCAP safety score but a maximum five star result is quietly being predicted inside BYD.

Driver assist systems include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive and intelligent cruise control, lane departure warning and prevention and emergency lane keeping assist.

Front and rear cross traffic alert and brake are included which will be helpful given its huge 5.5-metre length, while blind spot detection, door opening warning, trailer stability control, traffic sign recognition and high beam assist are also part of the package.

Other standard safety gear includes seven airbags including a centre-front bag, 360 degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, dual ISOFIX and top tethers for child seats.

The Shark 6 includes a giant 15.6-inch version of BYD’s rotating touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-inch head up display.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard along with Bluetooth, a 50W vented wireless smartphone charge pad, satellite navigation, AM/FM and digital radio bands and front and rear USB-A and USB-C ports.

Audio is pumped out via a Dynaudio 12-speaker stereo system.

Even unlocking the Shark 6 Premium is a technical tour de force. It can be accessed by NFC (Near Field Communication) card, phone, the BYD app, remote key, mechanical key and doorhandle switch.

It will also come with ‘Hi BYD’ voice control, a bunch of apps including Spotify and Amazon Music, over the air update capability and a smartphone app that offers features remote vehicle operations and supervision, such as turning the climate control on or locking the doors remotely.

Perhaps the coolest tech is the Shark 6’s vehicle to load (V2L) capability. Up to 6kW is can be tapped from the high-voltage battery pack via three plugs in the tray and one in the cabin. Potential uses will be on construction sites, camping or simply when needing to recharge devices or laptops quickly. The V2L is essentially an inbuilt generator.

The Shark 6 also allows over the air updates.

The Shark 6 has the look and feel of a premium vehicle. Black is the only interior trim colour, but it is nicely stitched and presented.

There is real leather trim for the steering wheel and imitation leather for the seats. The front seats also have power assist, heating and ventilation.

Dual-zone climate control with rear vents is also included.

The basic styling of the BYD Shark 6 is big and bluff. Key dimensions are 5457mm long, 1971mm wide and 1921mm high with a wheelbase of 3260mm.

The Shark is more than 200mm longer than the Ford Ranger.

Its face is meant to convey a Shark’s open mouth, while more conventional ute exterior design elements include 18-inch alloys, side steps, roof rails and LED headlights.

The tub has a spray-in liner, hooks, lights, soft open-and-close tailgate, a pop-out step and a full-size spare tyre tucked underneath.

Four exterior colours will be available.

Local off-road experts Ironman 4x4 have been working to develop a host of accessories for the Shark 6 including ADR-compatible alloy bullbars. Later there will be a suspension lift kit.

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