It would be unfair to think of the BYD Shark 6 dual-cab ute as just another Ranger or Triton alternative. It’s a different type of vehicle, and – depending on how it’s marketed – should find a different type of buyer.
The Chinese-made double-cab pickup truck has been confirmed to start at just $57,900 plus on-road costs, which is about the equivalent of a mid-spec Ranger XLS. But it has a whole heap of differences compared to a diesel ute like that.
My brief drive – primarily off-road in a pre-production prototype – highlighted the strong attributes of this new ute, but it remains to be seen if some customers will be able to cop its deficiencies compared with rival vehicles.
Those shortcomings include a lower-than-most braked towing capacity of 2,500kg, and a payload of 790kg. Indeed, for serious work-truck buyers, that may rule it out of contention straight away.
But with a cutting-edge plug-in hybrid petrol-electric powertrain, the Shark 6 sets a different trajectory in the market. It is powered by BYD’s ‘DMO’ dual-mode off-road PHEV system, with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine teamed to a 29.5kWh LFP battery pack, with power available to be sent to all four wheels via a single-speed transmission.
Primarily it drives as an EV, and there’s up to 100km of EV driving range (WLTP), but the engine can kick into life to assist the batteries, and it can also send power to the front axle if needed. The rear axle is purely electric.
The running costs angle is a really convincing one, with the official fuel use figure for the Shark being just 2.0L/100km with the battery between 25-100% full. When the battery’s state of charge is depleted below 25%, BYD claims an official fuel use figure of 7.9L/100km. That’s less than plenty of the diesel utes, and no other dual-cab in the segment is as fast as this one either, with a 0-100km/h time of just 5.7 seconds – that’s faster than a Ranger Raptor by 0.7sec!
I didn’t get as much time on the road as I would have hoped for at the launch event, but off-road it was pretty impressive in terms of the capability. Without a conventional ‘pumpkin’ diff housing there’s decent central ground clearance, but ute fans might think the Shark’s 200mm unladen ground clearance number is a bit low – and they’d be right.
It’s a larger ute than many of the rivals, at 5457mm long (on a 3260mm wheelbase), 1971mm wide and 1925mm tall, and it has a sizable turning circle of 13.5m. Its approach angle is 31 degrees, while it has a break-over angle of 17 deg, and departure angle of 19.3 deg.
But those boxy dimensions make for a very user-friendly tray area, with a standard tub liner and a 10-amp vehicle-to-load capacity with three weather-shielded 230-volt plugs to power tools using the battery system.
The tub dimensions are 1520mm long, 1500mm wide and 517mm deep, with a claimed 1,200L of cargo capacity.
Intriguingly, BYD has teamed up with Aussie aftermarket specialist Ironman 4×4 for a range of accessories including frontal protection bars, bull bars, lighting systems, canopies and more, and there will be a selection of wheel/tyre packages, as well as a lift kit and suspension upgrades offered, too.
There is no denying that the Shark 6 comes across as exceptional value for money – with standard inclusions like a rotating 15.6-inch touchscreen with sat nav as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital driver info screen, fake leather interior trim with heated and ventilated front seats with electric adjustment, wireless phone charging and a 12-speaker sound system.
Beyond that, the safety credentials appear very convincing on paper, with the full gamut of technology including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, a speed sign recognition and warning system, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and a standard-fit surround-view camera system, with parking sensors front and rear, too.
Interior space is exceptional – better than most mid-size utes. At 182cm/6’0”, I could sit in behind my own driving position with space to spare, and all the amenities are covered, with pockets and cupholders aplenty.
BYD will offer its existing six-year/150,000km warranty plan for the Shark, while the battery pack is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty.
Whether the brand’s first ute will meet the needs of the majority of buyers remains unclear, but for a customer that is looking for a dual-cab with exceptional space, safety and efficiency, it is already ahead of the pack.
