BYD’s new ute spotted in the wild as sub-Shark 6 car-based ute nears production as new rival to 2026 KGM Musso EV and Geely Riddara RD6

A new ute from BYD has been spotted again, and it’s not some variation of the best-selling Shark 6.

Instead, this new offering from BYD will be based on a monocoque chassis with more modest capabilities than its larger ladder frame Shark 6 sibling.

The brand hasn’t been forthcoming on details of this new tray-backed offering, but judging by the spy images from China it will be a more lifestyle and urban-focused vehicle.

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In interesting additional details unearthed by CarNewsChina based on Ministry of Industry and Information Technology filings, BYD has earmarked new production capacity for a ‘plug-in hybrid pick-up’ at its Zhengzhou production facility, marking the first time BYD has been approved to produce such vehicles for domestic sale.

This is because while the Shark 6 has been a smash hit in export-markets, it is yet to be sold locally in China.

The car-based BYD ute has been spotted multiple times before, and is expected to launch both in China, but also South America in 2026. In both cases, the styling appears to share much of its design language with the brand’s “Dynasty” line-up of vehicles, specifically the car we know in Australia as the Sealion 5.

Current spy images show an SUV-style body all up until the C-Pillar, which gives way to a relatively compact tray. It also shows significant rear suspension compression, suggesting it is undergoing load testing.

2026 BYD monocoque ute spy shot (credit: 战神之音)

Unlike previous images, it also shows a Sealion 5-style grille that was previously more heavily camouflaged. It also shows an integrated rear sports bar piece which syncs-up with the SUV-style roofline.

The tailgate has upright-style headlights, while the rear axle appears further back than it does on the Sealion 5, suggesting an extended wheelbase over its presumably SUV platform-relations.

It matches previous European patent filings, which show a unibody pick-up with near-identical styling to the Sealion 5 up front, Sealion 6-style alloy wheels, and a rear light profile which more resembles the Shark 6, with a family similarity suggesting it could be part of a broader Shark ute line-up.

BYD global executives have previously poured cold water on the idea of a smaller sibling to sit underneath the Shark 6 in Australia, with the brand’s Asia Pacific General Manager Liu Xueliange telling CarsGuide BYD has “no plan” for the smaller model.

However, with the overwhelming success of the Shark 6 in the intervening six months since those comments were made, it would be unsurprising if the brand isn’t looking hard at the possibility of expanding on the Shark’s success Down Under.

2026 BYD monocoque ute render (credit: Thanos Pappas)

If so it would be one of the first to dip back into the unibody ute market, which is currently only served by the KGM Musso EV.

Overseas, there is a bigger scene for such non ladder-frame offerings, with the likes of the Hyundai Santa Cruz and top-selling Ford Maverick also potentially being good fits for the Australian market.

Locally passenger car based utes once used to be strong sellers thanks to the locally-assembled Ford and Holden utes, but even smaller tray-backed models enjoy cult classic status, like the Subaru Brumby and Proton Jumbuck.

It would be characteristic of BYD to ignite interest in an unlikely segment of the market, as it has done with affordable EVs, plug-in hybrid utes, and now small cars like the BYD Atto 1. Watch this space.