BYD has put the big ute makers on notice.
The Chinese carmaker has revealed its Shark 6 plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute will start at $57,900 (before on-road costs).
That value-packed price tag is about $10,000 cheaper than the mid-tier Ford Ranger XLT fitted with the four-cylinder bi-turbo motor. It is also more than $5000 cheaper than a mid-tier Isuzu D-Max LS-U and Toyota HiLux SR5.
Head of BYD’s Australian importer Luke Todd said the Shark 6 is a game-changer.
“The Australian car industry has been changed forever,” he said.
“Australians love utes and they love their SUVs. What we’ve delivered is a rugged Aussie-ready ute, with the comfort of an SUV, that drives like a sports car on-road.”
The Shark 6 combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and dual electric motors that provide all-wheel drive grip and deliver 321kW and 650Nm.
This is paired with a circa-29.5kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. This can be replenished with a max 7kW AC charge or 55kW when hooked up to a DC fast charger.
BYD claims the Shark 6 can be driven up to 100km on pure electric power and drinks 2.0L/100km for a total driving range of 800km. If you have less than 20 per cent battery the engine will drink a claimed 7.9L/100km.
It is also the quickest accelerating ute on sale, zipping from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds.
It is built on a rugged ladder frame that underpins dual-cab utes and tough four-wheel drives but it ditches the more heavy-duty and agricultural leaf sprung live axle suspension for a double wishbone set-up with coil springs front and back.
The Shark 6 falls behind the pack with a 2500kg max braked towing capacity and it can only carry a 750kg payload, which means you can only carry a couple of hundred kilos in the with a full complement of five passengers on board.
The Shark 6 is packed with safety equipment including active driver aids covering all bases and seven airbags protecting all rows.
The single variant has a slick interior for a ute with a 15.6-inch central touchscreen that can be rotated to landscape or portrait layouts.
It is paired with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and in-built sat nav that comes with three years of free map updates.
A 10.25-inch digital driver display, a 12-speaker Dynaudio stereo, wireless device charger and over the air updates round out the tech highlights.
Front seat passengers are treated to synthetic leather wrapped power adjustable seats that are heated and ventilated. There is a leather-appointed steering wheel, too.
The Shark 6 also has a bit of Aussie flavour to it with a former Holden Commodore head engineer working on the ute’s development.
Todd expects the Shark 6 to appeal to broad range of drivers and it does away with the anxiety of an electric car.
“No-one is left behind with the BYD Shark 6. There is no need for all of the fuss people might have heard about EVs. With this vehicle, simply plug it into your normal wall socket overnight and you’re driving electric, but doing so without any range anxiety,” said Todd.
BYD has beat the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid to market and Ford’s petrol-electric ute is expected to be priced closer to the top of its range in the circa-$80,000 price band.
2025 BYD Shark ute pricing
All prices listed are before on-road costs
Variant | Price |
BYD Shark 6 | $57,900 |
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