BYD plug-in hybrid ute likely to undercut big name rivals: International prices for 2025 BYD Shark points to a sub-$60,000 starting point to rattle Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max

BYD’s first foray into the popular ute market has made some waves.

The plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute has recently been revealed and is likely to land in showrooms towards the end of 2024.

The Chinese brand has revealed the price in Mexico, where the Shark made its global debut.

It is priced from the equivalent of A$81,140 for the base version dubbed GL and $87,435 for the higher grade GS.

We don’t know what the price will be in Australia but in Mexico the BYD Seal comes at a $20,000 premium compared to the Australian model and the smaller Dolphin hatchback is $10,000 cheaper here than in Mexico.

This would put the BYD Shark’s starting point somewhere in the mid-$50,000 range before on-road costs in Australia if the company follows the same pricing, which would be cheaper than mid-tier versions of the Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and Ford Ranger.

At that price the Shark becomes a very tasty proposition.

It uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor on the rear axle to deliver all-wheel-drive grip and make 320kW and 650Nm.

That makes it more powerful than a Ram 1500 powered by a Hemi V8.

BYD claims it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds, which makes it faster than the Ford Ranger Raptor.

It uses a 30kWh battery to feed the electric motor and provides a driving range up to 100km in pure EV mode.

A total driving range - via the more generous NEDC testing cycle - is about 845km.

Charging isn’t super speedy with the Shark able to replenish its batteries from 30-80 per cent in 20 minutes via a fast DC charger. That means it can accept a max charge rate of 45kW.

It isn’t all good news, though.

The Shark falls behind Aussie favourites with its 2500kg max towing capacity and a payload of 835kg. The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux and others can tow up to 3500kg and have a payload of about one tonne.

While full specs are yet to be revealed, we do know the Shark is fitted with a 10.25-inch driver display, joined by a 12.8-inch central touchscreen that can be oriented in landscape or portrait.

“It's called Dual Motor Intelligence. And it's not a hybrid as you know them," BYD importer Luke Todd has told CarsGuide.

"For Australia, in my opinion, I'm so happy that we ended up bringing this one first and not the pure electric, which will come probably a year or so later."