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.
The Toyota Fortuner has been around since 2015 with very few significant changes in the years between then and now.
And that’s telling because the HiLux-based Fortuner has never managed to make the mark in its market segment that Toyota would so dearly like it to.
With a new Fortuner possibly due in the not-too-distant future – with Toyota’s mild-hybrid 48V V-Active system onboard perhaps? – it’s worth revisiting the seven-seat Fortuner to see how the current ageing 4WD wagon stands up against its fresher rivals.
Read on.
The BYD Shark 6 Performance is an impressive top-shelf plug-in hybrid electric ute.
It offers plenty in terms of quality, comfort and all-round driveability, and it’s well built with a real premium look and feel about it.
Nothing has changed there.
The bonus is that, with tweaks and software updates, this Shark 6 can do more off-road than you might expect of it, and certainly slightly more than its standard stablemate. But it still performs best when it’s used well within its parameters – that is, light-to moderate off-roading.
Consider the point well and truly belaboured.
The Toyota Fortuner is a family friendly wagon and a very capable 4WD, but it’s looking and feeling decidedly old, especially when cross-shopped against the current highly competitive 4WD wagon market in which vehicles are increasingly stylish, sophisticated and packed with driver-assist tech (that isn't clunky) and standard features (that are extensive).
The Fortuner is practical and easy to live with as a daily driver, and in GXL spec it makes a lot of sense as a functional not flashy off-road tourer, but it’s far from the best family 4WD wagon around.
Until a next-generation Fortuner possibly arrives, there are plenty of Toyota fans who’d happily settle for a current Fortuner – if they haven’t already.