GWM takes down BYD Shark 6

GWM has abandoned media launch orthodoxy and gone straight for the jugular, explaining in detail why its new Cannon Alpha PHEV is a better vehicle than the BYD Shark 6.

Rather than ignore the opposition or only refer to it rarely or in veiled terms, GWM’s recent media presentation in Melbourne introducing the new petrol-electric dual-cab 4x4 ute targeted the Shark repeatedly.

Senior GWM Australia and New Zealand executives led by Chief Operating Officer John Kett then backed up their critique in a subsequent question and answer session with journalists.

“I’ve never heard another brand mentioned as much as that,” admitted Kett after sitting through the presentation.

“There’s a new player on the block we have to respect. And we do respect BYD.

“They have set the tone and broken through and done something no-one else has done before, so I think us mentioning them is more out of respect.”

The BYD is the first plug-in hybrid ute to go on sale in Australia and has been greeted with strong sales stimulated at least in part by an FBT exemption that ended on April 1.

The Cannon Alpha is its first direct opponent, while the Ford Ranger PHEV will join the fight within months.

The essence of GWM’s argument is the Cannon Alpha is better off-road than the BYD, is a more capable tower and has a longer electric and overall range.

Despite being slightly more expensive than the Shark, GWM also argues the Cannon Alpha is better value because of its superior capabilities and long equipment list.

The BYD Shark 6 comes in a single model in Australia and is priced at $57,900 plus on-road costs (ORCs), which also undercuts orthodox utes such as the Ford Ranger.

The Cannon Alpha comes in two grades, the $59,660 Lux and $66,990 Ultra (both plus ORCs). Those prices were recently reduced thanks to negotiations with the factory in China.

“We are quite rightly going to be compared to Shark in that segment and Shark was first to market,” said GWM Australia market chief, Steve Maciver.

“Every review or piece of news that comes up about Cannon Alpha there’s a reference to Shark and we feel hand on heart, looking you in the eye, we do have a better vehicle.

“BYD has done a great job launching that car and got some good volume out of it very, very quickly, but we feel now is our time.

“We have the car to absolutely take the fight to not only the BYD Shark but the Ford Ranger PHEV as well.”

Getting into the nitty gritty behind GWM’s argument, the Cannon Alpha PHEV comes with a nine-speed automatic transmission, high- and low-range 4x4 and mechanical locking diffs.

The Shark relies on the instant torque of its e-motors and traction control to tackle off-road obstacles.

The Cannon Alpha PHEV claims a maximum 3500kg braked towing capability, while the Shark 6 claims 2500kg.

The Cannon Alpha claims a 115km EV range and 1060km combined range. The Shark 6 claims 100km and 800km.

All these claims are made on the optimistic ADR81/02-NEDC standard. GWM is also claiming a better fuel consumption rate – 1.7L/100km versus 2.0L/100km – but this is on the highly hypothetical PHEV test cycle, which proves very challenging to attain in real-world use.

“There is one of two ways you can go about developing a [a PHEV 4x4 ute] and bringing that vehicle to market,” said Maciver.

“BYD has gone down their route and that’s their decision and we have gone down our route.

“We’re very, very much embedded in the fact that we believe a ute regardless of the powertrain has to deliver on some core USPs [Unique Selling Propositions] and deliverables for an Australian consumer.”

Maciver said 3.5 tonne towing was a core ingredient for a 4x4 ute, something GWM learned the hard way when it launched the Cannon ute with 3.0-tonne towing.

“We listened to that feedback from the media and the public and we developed 3.5 tonne,” he said. “It would be remiss of us not to bring 3.5 tonne regardless of what the powertrain is with this new model and we have done that.

“We also know that four-wheel driving is a huge part of Australian life. Not everyone does it every day but the majority of people who are buying 4x4 utes – again many of them never go off-road – it’s the promise and the opportunity to do so.

“So again, it would be remiss of us not to bring the right technology we already have available to us in that segment.”

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au