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A new front in the ongoing ute wars has opened, with fresh reporting that Toyota and BYD will soon have plug-in hybrid ute options sitting beneath the HiLux and Shark 6.
The monocoque, or car-based, ute offerings are taking shape in South America, where manufacturers clearly keen to expand beyond the saturated dual-cab market are plotting their next move.
That begins with the Mako, expected to be called the BYD Shark 5 in international markets, which will reportedly nab a different plug-in hybrid powertrain to its Shark 6 older brother.
In Brazil, the Mako is a plug-in hybrid producing an expected 175kW, and promising a circa-100km EV-only driving range, along with a choice of two- or all-wheel drive.
But the Mako is the ocean's fastest shark, and it seems global markets will be sticking true to the name, upping the power to more like 200kW. The powertrain in question will reportedly be borrowed from the Sealion 6 SUV, pairing a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor.
Unconfirmed reports of Toyota's smaller ute offering are now emerging from the same region. The ute, based on the Corolla Cross and currently codenamed Project 150D, will reportedly score its own plug-in hybrid system.
In huge news for the brand, reports out of Brazil point to the 150D adopting the powertrain from the Toyota Prius, which pairs a 2.0-litre petrol engine with two electric motors.
Total system output would be around 166kW, while the e-CVT is joined by a second electric motor to enable eFour all-wheel drive.
According to reports, the smaller Toyota ute will launch in South America in the first half of 2027, while the BYD Mako is expected to launch in the final quarter of 2026, giving the Chinese brand a headstart from a global sales perspective.
Australian launch timing is at this point unclear, but both Toyota and BYD have said the door is open to ute models below the Shark 6 and HiLux, so watch this space.
