BYD Shark 6 vs LDV Terron 9

What's the difference?

The BYD Shark 6 Performance is the top-shelf variant in the Shark 6 line-up and, as such, it has a larger 2.0-litre petrol engine, an improved off-road system (or so BYD reckons), and 3.5 tonnes towing capacity (up from the Premium's 2.5 tonnes).

This Chinese-built plug-in hybrid electric ute also has more power and torque than the standard Shark 6, with maximum outputs totalling 350kW (up 29kW from the standard Shark 6) and 700Nm (up 50Nm).

And, if speed’s your specific cup of tea, it might delight you to know that the Performance can do the 0 to 100km/h sprint in a claimed 5.5 seconds.

So, with an updated Crawl mode claimed to simulate traditional low-range gearing, is this Shark better off-road than the Premium version?

Read on.

Need a dual-cab ute? You’re in luck. Not only does Australia have access to a huge variety of makes and models in the dual-cab space, there is also a huge range of prices and equipment levels.

The sweet spot for Aussie buyers, though, seems to be the dual-cab layout with four-wheel drive and enough convenience and safety gear to make the vehicle a viable family car as well as a work truck when necessary. Which is precisely where the Chinese brands including GWM, BYD and LDV have targeted their current ranges.

There’s been a lot of chat about such vehicles lately, but rather than let the formula stagnate, LDV has ushered in the Terron 9, a dual-cab that, size-wise, falls roughly between the familiar makes and models and the full-sized American-made stuff. This is a crucial point, too, as the Terron 9’s extra size might be a hint on where the dual-cab market is going generally. Certainly, every other class of car and ute is creeping up in size, why not dual-cabs too?

Like the other Chinese brands, of course, the Terron 9’s appeal will largely be based on value for money, so it’s worth picking the car apart to find out how it stands in that regard. But this is 2025, so the Terron 9 is also going to have to produce the goods in terms of driving ability and safety, that modern dual-cab buyers are looking for.