BYD Shark ute won’t cost $80,000

Aussies keen on the new 2024 BYD Shark shouldn’t panic, because the $80,000-plus price tag announced for the much-anticipated 4x4 dual-cab plug-in hybrid ute at its global launch in Mexico this week won’t be replicated in Australia.

But hopes that its stated 2500kg braked towing capacity might be increased to become closer to the class-standard 3500kg in Australia appear forlorn, at least when the vehicle first launches here.

And that launch date is still looking likely to be in late 2024, according to the CEO of local BYD importer EVDirect, David Smitherman.

“I’m pushing like heck for 2024,” he told carsales. “Nothing is locked in until you are through ADR [Australian Design Rules]. There is always a process.”

Speaking to carsales ahead of last night’s official launch of the BYD Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid medium SUV, Smitherman was definite that BYD’s first ute – and Australia’s first plug-in hybrid ute – would be much more affordable than the price announced in Mexico.

The cheaper Shark GL will cost the equivalent of $80,500 in Mexico, while the GS will be the equivalent of $85,500. That’s up in Ford Ranger Raptor territory and far from blowing the Ranger and Toyota HiLux “out of the water”, as EVDirect majority shareholder and managing director Luke Todd promised in 2023.

“I can assure you if you look at the rest of our range we are super-competitive [on price],” Smitherman said.

“So my objective is to make sure we have a very competitive spec and price difference [for the ute].

“It’s in our best interests to be competitive. Why would we bring a vehicle to market that’s not competitive?

“Our objective is to grow market share and to do that you have to have a really strong offering on pricing and product and our team is working really hard on it.”

Smitherman told carsales that he and his team were aware that the Shark’s stated towing limit and 875kg payload capacity were below the class-leaders and had discussed them with the factory.

“I don’t know my specification yet for the market, but I can assure you we are pushing to get the right spec for Australia and pushing hard for that,” he said.

“But our local spec has not been finalised. We’ve asked for payload, we’ve asked for towing.

“Ultimately what we have done is said ‘this is what we need in the marketplace’ and we’ll see what happens.”

But Smitherman’s hopes for a braked towing capacity boost were effectively shut down by Liu Xueliang, BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division general manager, who was in Melbourne for the Sealion 6 reveal.

“For the BYD Shark first generation we probably won’t be able to achieve 3.5 [tonne],” he told Australian media via a translator. “We will always keep upgrading them and creating new models as well.

“Eventually there will be many new models and upgraded models to satisfy the 3.5-tonne [braked towing capacity].”

Meanwhile, Smitherman also indicated the two 1.5-litre petrol engine-based powertrains revealed for the Shark in Mexico were “probably a good guide” for what would come here.

“Local specification is still to be determined but it looks terrific,” he added. “Feedback from Mexico has been really positive and we know there is a big segment in Australia to grab hold of.”

Smitherman confirmed the two dual-cabs revealed at the global launch were just the start of the Shark model rollout.

“There’s a journey right? We start with what we got and we keep pushing,” he said.

Previously, Todd has confirmed that single-cab and cab/chassis workhorse versions of the Shark were also in the pipeline.

A battery-electric BYD ute is also under development.