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BYD is expanding its Shark 6 ute range in Australia.
BYD's new cab-chassis variant of the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute has been shown in a Department of Infrastructure filing, which has confirmed it has been approved for sale.
According to the filing, it has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 135kW, along with an electric motor. This means it is likely to be the same hybrid set-up as the Shark 6, which is already available in Australia.
That current set-up produces 321kW and 650Nm, with its 29.6kWh battery, offering an electric-only driving range of 100km using the NEDC testing system.
On paper, the cab-chassis variant has an improved payload, up to 935kg from the pick-up's 790kg. That payload figure excludes the weight of any fitted tray, which will push the carrying capacity back down.
The Shark 6 has been a productive seller in Australia, offered exclusively with a plug-in hybrid pick-up. Starting from $57,900, before on-road costs, it has managed more than 15,000 sales in Australia in just its first year on sale.
It is cheaper than a comparative Ford Ranger, starting from $71,990, and GWM’s Cannon Alpha at $61,490.
This cab-chassis variant of the Shark 6 is likely to come in cheaper than the dual-cab pick-up variant introduced this year.
It would be the only cab-chassis plug-in hybrid on the market, with most other brands offering plug-ins in only dual-cab pick-up variants.
It is likely to be priced cheaper than the current dual-cab pick-up variants.
The news comes after BYD quashed rumours of a ‘Baby Shark’ joining the range as a smaller model to the full-on Shark 6 pick-up.
This latest edition cab-chassis ute is the one of several models BYD is launching in the coming months.
The brand is aiming to sell 1.6 million vehicles outside China next year, with Australian sales an important component of that.
Its Sealion 8 plug-in hybrid SUV is targeted for a 2025 launch, while the all-electric Atto 1 compact SUV will join early next year.
