BYD Shark 6 vs Mahindra XUV500

What's the difference?

The Shark 6 breaks new ground with its PHEV technology and impresses with not only its whisper-quiet and rapid acceleration but also engaging chassis dynamics, build quality, fuel economy and generous standard equipment for a compelling price. However, its modest payload and tow ratings may be deal-breakers for some tradies and recreational buyers with bigger loads to haul.

This petrol-powered and well-priced XUV500 W6 might mark Mahindra's most convincing effort at cracking Australia's congested SUV market, but we're still not completely convinced.

That said, it's certainly cheap, the ownership credentials stack up and it's a very comfortable way to transport seven people.

Our test vehicle rides on a 3260mm wheelbase and is 5457mm long, 1971mm wide and 1925mm high, so it’s in the same ballpark as a Ford Ranger 4x4 dual cab ute.

The Shark 6 features traditional body-on-frame truck chassis design, double-wishbone coil-spring front and rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes.

It also has a compact 11.0-metre turning circle and its off-road credentials include 230mm of unladen ground clearance, 700mm wading depth and 31 degrees approach/17 degrees ramp-over/19.3 degrees departure angles. A large metal bash-plate protects the underside.

Looks are subjective of course and even though there’s too much external black plastic for our liking, we reckon it still passes the pub test on styling with its chunky and purposeful appearance.

The bold grille and headlight design appears to draw inspiration from full-size US pick-ups, but with a ‘technical’ look consistent with its high-tech powertrain.

The predominantly grey interior has a high-quality finish and looks good. It also appears to draw inspiration from rivals, in this case the Ranger Raptor with its contrasting bright red air-vent/cupholder surrounds and exposed stitching along numerous seams.

There's no getting away from the fact the XUV500 is not the sleekest, prettiest SUV in the pack. But it's not ugly, either. More that it looks like it's doing its best with a design philosophy hatched a generation or two ago.

Its best angle by far is when viewed straight on, where the piano-black grille, dual bonnet bulges and complicated (read: a little weird) headlight clusters all add some road presence to Mahindra's only SUV.

A side-on viewing, however, is less satisfying, where a combination of strangely placed and super-sharp body creases (including one over the rear wheelarch, which adds a Harbour Bridge-style crescent to the otherwise-straight window line) and serious rear overhang give the XUV500 an inescapable awkwardness.

Inside, expect a vast collection of rock-hard (though nicely patterned) plastics, with the ambiance rescued somewhat by the clean-looking and vertical central control unit, which is home to the media screen and air-con controls. 

Ready for some hashtag real talk? There are better-looking and better-feeling seven-seat SUVs out there. But there aren't many that start at $25,990 drive-away. And I think that's Mahindra's point.

With its hefty 2710kg kerb weight and 3500kg GVM, the Shark 6 has a 790kg payload rating which is less than some turbo-diesel rivals.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer which is 1000kg less than the category benchmark. And BYD does not publish a GCM (Gross Combination Mass) rating, so we don’t know how much weight the Shark 6 can legally carry and tow at the same time.

The load tub is almost square with its 1520mm length and 1500mm width. And with 1224mm between the rear-wheel housings, it can carry either Aussie or Euro pallets. Its 517mm depth results in 1.2 cubic metres of total load volume.

There are six load-anchorage points but those located in the sidewalls at the front and centre of the tub are too high for securing low-profile loads. Anchorage points located near floor-level are preferable, as they can secure loads of all heights.

The tub’s internal surfaces are protected by a spray-in liner and there’s bright internal lighting and a hydraulic strut to ease tailgate operation.

Seating for the driver and front passenger is spacious and comfortable. The rear bench seat shares similar qualities, given I’m 186cm tall and when seated behind the driver’s seat in my position I still have ample kneeroom.

Rear seat passengers also enjoy sufficient headroom, even for tall people seated in the least popular central position who also have a nice flat floor given the absence of a transmission tunnel. However, shoulder room for adults sitting three-abreast is tight and best limited to short drives.

Cabin storage for front seat occupants includes a large-bottle holder and bin in each front door, overhead glasses holder plus a dash storage shelf and glove box on the passenger side.

The centre console has two small-bottle/cupholders in the centre and a lidded box at the back.

Rear passengers also get a large-bottle holder and bin in each door, plus pockets on the rear of both front seat backrests and a fold-down centre armrest with two small-bottle/cup-holders.

The bench seat’s base cushion can be raised and stored vertically if more internal luggage space is required, but there’s no under-floor storage.

Pretty damn practical, actually, regardless of whether you want to carry people or cargo. Carrying both at the same time, however, is tricky.

But let's start with people. There is a huge amount of room in the third row of the XUV500, a space with enough head and legroom to put plenty of its competition to shame.

Thanks to second-row seat backs that fold flat, before the the entire seat lifts up and pushes forward, climbing into seats six and seven isn't too big a drama, either. 

We rarely say this about seven-seat cars, but at 175cm, I'd feel plenty comfortable back there on a longer drive. There are two air vents in the third row, too, along with bottle storage and side-seat storage for thin items.

All XUV500's are fitted with a 70-litre fuel tank. 

The space in the middle row is ample as well, and you'll find three ISOFIX attachment points, one for each of the three seats. There's also a door pocket in each rear door and storage nets on the rear of the two front seats. A pull-down divider that separates the back seat is home to two cupholders, matching the two for front seat riders. 

The only downside to all this people-lugging happiness is that, with the third row of seats in place, there is absolutely no room for luggage. Mahindra doesn't quote a litre storage figure when seven are seated (mostly because it would probably be embarrassing to write "one litre"), but trust us, you'll be lucky to squeeze a soft backpack in the boot with all seats in place.

Things improve considerably when you drop the third row of seats, though, which unlocks 702 litres of storage, and that number climbs to 1512 litres with the second and third row folded down.

Make no mistake, this Mahindra kills the competition on price. The entry-level W6 version will cost you a lean $25,990, while the fruited-up W8 version will set you back $29,990. You can even have an AWD W8 for $32,990. The best part? All of those are drive-away prices.

Go for the W6, and you can expect 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth seats, air-con with vents (powered by a second compressor) in the second and third row, cornering headlights with DRLs, front and rear fog lights, cruise control, rear parking sensors and a 6.0-inch multimedia screen linked with a six-speaker stereo.

Spring for the W8, and you'll add leather seats, a reversing camera, tyre-pressure monitoring and a bigger, 7.0-inch screen with standard sat-nav.

The Shark 6’s hybrid drivetrain with permanent all-wheel drive includes two electric motors, with the front motor producing up to 170kW/310Nm driving the front wheels. The rear motor produces up to 150kW/340Nm and drives the rears.

These motors are teamed with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing up to 135kW/260Nm, which serves dual roles as a generator to maintain charge in the 29.58kWh lithium-ion battery (in addition to regenerative braking) and to assist with driving the front wheels as required. It can also perform both roles simultaneously.

The combined output of electric motors/petrol engine is up to 321kW and 650Nm. There are also three selectable drive modes comprising Eco, Normal and Sport, plus different terrain settings to optimise performance in Mud/Sand/Snow/Mountain.

The plug-in battery can be charged using either the AC (7.0kW) or DC (55kW) ports. Cables for both were supplied with our test vehicle and stored in a carry bag behind the rear seat.

There's a diesel engine currently available, but the clock is ticking - Mahindra expects it to be phased out within six months. But the big news here is the new petrol engine, a turbocharged 2.2-litre unit good for 103kW/320Nm. It's paired exclusively with an Aisin-developed six-speed automatic transmission, and will send it's power to the front or all four wheels.

Mahindra doesn't quote official performance figures, but those engine outputs hardly scream excitement, do they?

BYD claims combined average fuel consumption for the petrol engine as low as 2.0L/100km with 25-100 per cent SoC (State of Charge) which spikes to 7.9L/100km when SoC drops below 25 per cent (see Driving).

BYD also claims an NEDC battery-only driving range of up to 100km (with 25-100 per cent SoC) and up to 800km when combined with the petrol engine in hybrid mode.

We covered 522km during our test which was a mix of city, suburban and regional roads plus some highway driving, of which about one fifth of that distance was hauling a near-maximum payload.

At the completion of our test, the Shark 6’s onboard computer claimed average petrol consumption of 6.6L/100km with 204km of range remaining, which suggests a real-world driving range of at least 700km is credible from its 60-litre petrol tank.

Local numbers are yet to be confirmed, but after an admittedly vigorous local test, the on-board computers was reading 13+ litres per 100km. All XUV500's are fitted with a 70-litre fuel tank.  

The seating is comfortable and supportive and the driving experience is enhanced by the head up display, large left footrest and thick-rimmed leather wheel.

It’s quiet to drive and the ride quality is outstanding, with refined and disciplined suspension tuning combined with responsive steering and braking. It all adds up to handling agility on winding mountain roads that belies the fact it’s a high-riding 2.7-tonne ute.

Rapid acceleration from standing starts (BYD claims 0-100km/h in just 5.7sec) is also effective in masking its bulk, as instant torque from the dual electric motors gets it rushing towards triple-digit speeds with unrelenting ease, regardless of gradient.

We did most of our test in the ‘Normal’ (default) drive mode, as it provides a happy medium between the heightened response of ‘Sport’ and the slightly subdued ‘Eco’ modes.

To test its GVM rating, we loaded 650kg into the load tub which with driver equalled a 750kg payload that was only about 40kg less than its legal limit. The independent rear suspension compressed about 60mm, but there was no bottoming-out detected as it competently hauled this load on our test route.

Although the ‘Energy Manager’ on the touchscreen allows drivers to pre-set a minimum SoC between 25-70 per cent, we didn’t enter any setting as we wanted to see how the hybrid system performed without these inputs.

Fact is, it did not allow the SoC to drop below 20 per cent, even during highway driving when there was minimal charging assistance available from regenerative braking.

As displayed live on the energy manager, the petrol engine maintained the battery charge needed to feed the electric motors while also providing intermittent drive to the front wheels as required.

At times the little 1.5-litre turbo engine sounded like it was working very hard doing this, but it did prove effective in performing these dual roles.

The hybrid system also produces minimal engine-braking (even with maximum regenerative braking) which is an important consideration if you regularly carry and/or tow heavy loads, particularly in hilly terrain.

With a traditional turbo-diesel and multi-speed transmission, a low gear can be manually selected to allow the engine on overrun to assist the brakes in restraining loads on steep descents. However, with its single-speed transmission and small petrol engine, the Shark 6 must rely on brakes alone.

About as old school as rocking a pair of button-up tracksuit pants with a Run-DMC cassette stuffed into your Walkman.

On a straight and unchallenging road, there's stuff to like about the petrol-powered XUV500. The engine, while gruff under heavy acceleration, doesn't feel too wheezy when you're not asking a great deal of it, and nor is the cabin overly loud at suburban speeds. It's a comfortable space for driver and passengers, too, and the gearbox performed seamlessly on our short test drive.

But that's about where the good news ends. There's an unshakeable agricultural feel to the way this Mahindra SUV goes about its business, and nowhere is that more obvious than through the steering wheel, which has only a vague and difficult relationship with the the front tyres, making it seriously tricky to approach twisting roads with anything approaching confidence.

The steering is slow and cumbersome - light when you first begin turning the wheel, with a ton of weight appearing by surprise midway through the cornering process - and it has a tendency to fight back should the front wheels find a bump or corrugation in the road, too. 

The body lolls about when challenged, too, and the tyres are quick to give up their grip on tighter corners. All of which would give it a certain retro charm if it wasn't so very new, and I must admit I was cackling maniacally on some of the more twisting roads.

But it's simply not a car I could live with.

Expect dual front, front-side and curtain airbags (though the latter don't extend to the third row of seats), along with rear parking sensors and ESP. Stepping up to the W8 trim adds a reversing camera with dynamic guidelines. The XUV500 was awarded a four-star (out of five) ANCAP assessment when tested in 2012.

The Shark 6 is covered by BYD's six-year/150,000km warranty and an eight-year/160,000km battery warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/20,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-pricing for the first six scheduled services totals $2945 or an average of $490 per year.

All XUV500s are covered by a five year/100,000km warranty (though the final two years apply only to the drivetrain), along with five years of complimentary roadside assistance.

The XUV500 is also covered by Mahindra's capped-price servicing program for the first three years of ownership, and will require servicing every six months or 10,000km.