Hyundai Santa Fe vs BYD Shark 6

What's the difference?

So I asked at the beginning if the Hyundai Santa Fe FWD petrol offered enough for families looking for a large seven-seat SUV and the answer is: YES!

It's practical, has people-mover space and storage and is downright comfortable to drive. There's so much to like here.

BYD’s Shark 6 continues to break new ground with its work-focused Dynamic PHEV cab-chassis, which impresses with its quiet operation, spirited acceleration, excellent handling, single-digit fuel economy and generous standard equipment at a competitive price. However, its tow rating is one tonne less than PHEV ute rivals which could be a deal breaker for some.

It's boxy and bold and you certainly won't mistake it for anything else on the road. That's both good and bad.

The front works beautifully; pairing a chunky and square aesthetic with cool H-shaped LED headlights (a running motif throughout the car). The front and sides look like the chiseled face of a Greek hero or the latest Romantasy crush, but the rear is just awkward. It's essentially just a big blank body panel and the only interesting thing about the back are the H-shaped tail lights.

Head inside and the interior is exactly the same as the base FWD hybrid variant - you get an interesting black and grey tartan fabric upholstery across the seats, and enough soft touchpoints scattered throughout to stop you looking too hard at the heavy use of plastics.

The dashboard shares similar chunky proportions with the exterior and you can see lots of H shapes in the air vents and panelling, so it flows pretty well inside.

The highlight is 100 per cent the large curved panel on the dash that houses the dual 12.3-inch displays. They look high-end and instantly lift the cabin from feeling 'basic'.

Joinery is flush, nothing rattles and there's an overwhelming sense of high-build quality inside. It's a cabin you'll be able to spend a lot of time in.

The Shark 6 projects a bold grille and headlight treatment that appears to draw inspiration from full-size US pick-ups, but with an LED-enhanced ‘technical’ look consistent with its hybrid drivetrain.

Like its stablemates, the cab-chassis version rides on a 3260mm wheelbase with generous length/width/height dimensions similar to a Ford Ranger.

The interior with its synthetic leather seating has a high-quality look and feel, with brightly contrasting red air-vent/cupholder surrounds and exposed red stitching along numerous seams throughout the cabin adding to its visual appeal.

I've said it before but I'll say it again. The cabin offers similar, if not the same, level of practicality of a people mover with passenger space and storage solutions.

In fact, Hyundai may have shot their other three-row SUV, the Palisade, in the foot here because I'm not sure why you'd now bother forking out an extra $13,800 on the base Elite grade over out test model. Not when each row will be comfortable for an adult and feature decent amenities.

With seats that don't sit too high and a 177mm ground clearance, the Santa Fe is an easy SUV to get in and out of, even for kids.

The front- and middle-row seats are the most comfortable when it comes to padding and under-thigh support. The powered drivers seat also offers adjustable lumbar support on top of the heat functions that both front seats get.

Storage is top-notch with lots of cubbies to choose from up front with dual gloveboxes, one that can fit a manual and one that will hold smaller items like a wallet, wet wipes etc.

The middle console is huge and has a removable shelf but is also shared with the middle row as the bottom pulls out into a storage drawer for them. This means you can cut out the middle man (AKA the parent) and have a handy place to put any roadie snacks.

The centre console features two phone cradles and a large shelf underneath that easily holds a handbag or Saturday night's takeaway.

There are a total of 12 cupholders (2/6/4) and four drink holders (one in each door storage bin) plus a sunglasses holder and map pockets on the back of the front seats. So, definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to individual storage.

The technology is easy to use and high-quality with display screens that feature crisp graphics and a responsive multimedia touchscreen. The system features wireless phone mirroring for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Bluetooth connectivity.

Charging options are good throughout the car with six USB-C ports (2/2/2), and a 12-volt socket and wireless charging pad up front.

Rounding out the cabin is the large boot which offers 642L when the third row is stowed, and up to 1963L when just the front seats are in use.

The loading space is level but you still get a handy under-floor compartment for small items. And the full-size spare tyre and powered tailgate are always practical to have!

With its hefty 2600kg kerb weight (without tray) and 3500kg GVM, the Shark 6 Dynamic has a 900kg payload rating which, after deducting the weight of the aluminium tray (150kg) and towbar assembly (50kg) as fitted to our test vehicle, lowers the remaining payload to 700kg.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer which is 1000kg or one tonne less than the category benchmark and all PHEV ute rivals. And with its 5750kg GCM rating (or how much weight it can legally carry and tow at the same time), towing its maximum trailer weight would leave 650kg of vehicle payload capacity which drops to 450kg after deducting the combined weight of the tray/towbar.

And that 450kg of payload could easily be used up by the weight of four large tradies before you could think about loading their gear, so it’s important to be aware of these weight ratings if you’re planning to tow heavy trailers.

The optional aluminium tray is designed in partnership and manufactured by Aussie aftermarket off-road equipment specialist, Ironman. According to our tape measure, its internal dimensions are 1680mm length and 1810mm width with 260mm-deep drop-sides.

It has a sturdy tubular aluminium front bulkhead topped by vertical load retainers on each side plus external rope rails and eight internal load anchorage points.

The driver's side lockable storage box tucked up behind the rear wheel is integral with the cab-chassis structure and therefore separate from the tray, which allows any tray or service body to be mounted above it without compromising the propulsion battery's charge port and trio of V2L three-pin sockets mounted inside. The matching passenger-side storage box differs only in being part of the tray structure and therefore removable.

Seating is spacious and comfortable for the driver and front passenger while the rear bench seat is equally accommodating, given I’m 186cm and when seated behind the driver’s seat set in my position I still have ample knee and headroom.

Head clearance is also sufficient when seated in the central position, which is enhanced with a flat floor to avoid having to straddle a transmission tunnel. However, shoulder room for a trio of adults is tight, so travelling with three in the rear seat is best limited to short drives.

Cabin storage for front seat occupants includes a bottle holder and bin in each front door, an overhead glasses holder plus a glove box and dash storage shelf on the passenger side. The centre console has wireless phone charging and two USB ports up front, a pair of cupholders in the centre and a lidded box at the back containing a 12V accessory socket.

Rear passengers also get a bottle holder and bin in each door, plus pockets on the rear of both front seat backrests and a fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders. The rear of the centre console offers adjustable air-vents, two more USB ports and another 230V V2L three-pin plug socket to power numerous domestic appliances inside the cabin.

The bench seat’s base cushion can be raised and stored vertically if more internal luggage space is required but there’s no under-floor storage.

Our test vehicle, finished in optional Outback Orange, is available only in ‘Dynamic’ model grade which combines an internal combustion engine with two electric motors, a plug-in rechargeable lithium-ion propulsion battery, single-speed transmission and permanent all-wheel drive for a list price of $55,900, before on-road costs.

It represents the entry level in the three-model Shark 6 range which now includes the original ‘Premium’ pick-up ($57,900 + ORCs) and new ‘Performance’ pick-up ($62,000 +ORCs).

The Dynamic’s pricing also occupies the middle ground when compared with base model plug-in hybrid ute rivals including the Ford Ranger XL PHEV ($61,000), GWM Cannon Alpha Lux Hi4-T PHEV ($57,490) and JAC Hunter Pro PHEV ($49,998).

Our example is fitted with BYD's optional heavy-duty aluminium tray which adds another $5000 (for the tray) plus $1155 for factory fitment.

The work-focused Dynamic’s standard equipment list misses out on several luxuries shared by its higher priced ute siblings like a head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, rear privacy glass, front seat heating/cooling and 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen.

However, for a cab-chassis workhorse model, it still offers a generous serving of standard features that combine luxury with practicality including:

• 18-inch alloys with 265/65 R18 Giti tyres and full-size spare
• Roof rails
• Side steps
• Heated door mirrors
• LED lighting
• 360-degree camera view
• Front/rear parking sensors
• Fog lights
• Keyless entry/start
• Synthetic leather-appointed seating
• Eight-way power adjustable front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.8-inch multimedia touchscreen (Apple/Android/DAB)
• 11-speaker premium audio
• Dual-zone climate control
• Wireless phone-charging
• 230V V2L (Vehicle to Load) with 6.6kW output
• USB-A/USB-C ports and more

Our Santa Fe is the front-wheel-drive base variant, which features an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces up to 206kW of power and 422Nm of torque.

Our model has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg, which is up from its hybrid siblings which can only tow up to 1650kg.

The hybrid drivetrain provides permanent all-wheel drive courtesy of its two electric motors, with the front motor producing up to 170kW/310Nm driving the front wheels and the rear motor providing up to 150kW/340Nm driving the rears.

These motors are teamed with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing up to 135kW/260Nm, which serves dual roles as a generator to maintain charge in the 29.58kWh ‘Blade’ lithium-ion battery and to assist with driving the front wheels as required. It can also perform both roles simultaneously.

Charging of the propulsion battery is assisted by regenerative braking served in a choice of standard or high strength, along with three energy management settings from pure EV mode to full Hybrid (HEV) mode.

The combined official output is up to 321kW/650Nm. There are also three drive modes comprising Eco/Normal/Sport plus different all-terrain settings to optimise performance in Mud/Sand/Snow/Mountain.

The plug-in propulsion battery can be charged using either the AC Type 2 (7.0kW) port or DC CCS/2 (55kW) port.

Our test vehicle features a traditional body-on-frame chassis design, combined with double-wishbone front and rear suspension which enhances ride and handling. There’s also rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes.

The turning circle is a compact 11 metres, combined with off-road credentials including 230mm of unladen ground clearance with 31 degrees approach/17 degrees ramp-over/19.3 degrees departure angles.

Its standard wading depth is capped at 530mm (compared to the ute's 700mm) to allow for the lower height of the electrical components located in the driver's side storage box.

The base petrol Santa Fe has an official combined fuel cycle usage of 9.3L/100km and 67L fuel tank, giving it a theoretical driving range of 740km, which isn’t as good as its hybrid siblings but still sufficient for the odd road trip.

After doing lots of open-roading this week and a good three days of city dwelling, my real-world usage has popped out at 8.7L/100km, which is a solid result for such a large SUV.

BYD claims combined average fuel consumption for the petrol engine as low as 2.0L/100km with 25-100 per cent SoC (State of Charge) which spikes to 7.9L/100km when SoC drops below 25 per cent.

It also claims a battery-only driving range of up to 100km and up to 800km when the dual motors and battery are assisting the petrol engine in hybrid mode. However, these figures are based on NEDC certification, which is renowned for its optimism compared to more realistic WLTP ratings.

We covered 352km during our test comprising a mix of city, suburban and regional roads plus some highway driving, of which about one third was hauling a near-maximum payload.

This included an initial 67km in pure EV mode, which depleted the battery’s charge from 92 per cent (when we collected the vehicle) to 34 per cent. It then automatically switched to HEV (hybrid) mode for the remainder of the test during which the engine charged the battery to its 70 per cent limit (for engine charging) set by BYD.

At the completion of testing the onboard computer claimed average petrol consumption of 8.1L/100km and a remaining hybrid range of 282km, suggesting a real-world driving range (including some heavy load hauling) of around 650km from the 60-litre petrol tank.

The petrol engine definitely has more pep to it than the hybrid variants I've sampled. The power is responsive and you still feel like there’s heaps leftover when you have to overtake or get up a hill without any annoying engine whines.

The steering isn’t too heavy, despite the size of this car but turning off the lane-keeping aid will keep the on-road experience feeling smooth. Otherwise, you sort of ping-pong in your lane as the aid readjusts strongly.

All Santa Fes feel way more nimble than they have any right to in corners. You do get some roll, but our test model is sure-footed, even in heavy wet weather. 

The eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission is smooth enough and you don’t get any annoying lags when you accelerate from a full stop, which is unusual for such a unit.

Ride comfort is pretty high as well, with suspension that feels forgiving over the worst of the bumps and a cabin that remains quiet, even at higher speeds. 

You have really great visibility in this model because of how big the windows are and the taller driving position helps as well. None of the pillars hindered my vision either from my driving position.

The Santa Fe well and truly fills out a car space and it was easy to see it in a car park because the butt hangs out a bit, but it’s still easy to park with its very clear 360-degree camera system and parking sensors at the front, side and rear. So while it is big, it doesn't feel big to park.

Overall, the petrol Santa Fe is an simple SUV to drive and will be a forgiving choice for lots of different driving styles.

Large handles on the A- (and B-) pillars assist climbing aboard, where most drivers will find a comfortable and supportive seating position enhanced by a large left footrest and thick-rimmed leather-wrapped steering wheel.

It’s not only quiet to drive but feels refined and solidly built. It also has excellent ride quality and agile handling thanks to the disciplined tuning of its double-wishbone suspension and nicely weighted steering which belie the fact you’re riding high in a 2.7-tonne all-terrain ute.

Near-instant torque from the dual electric motors also helps to mask its bulk which combined with permanent all-wheel drive allows triple-digit speeds to be reached in less than six seconds.

We did most of our test in the ‘Normal’ (default) drive mode, as it provides a happy medium between the heightened response of ‘Sport’ and the slightly subdued ‘Eco’ modes.

To test its GVM rating, we loaded 650kg into the load tub which with driver and about half a tank of petrol was lineball with its payload limit. The rear suspension compressed almost 60mm with the upper rear suspension arms close to nudging their rubber bump-stops, but there was no hard bottoming-out detected on our test route.

As displayed live on the energy management screen, the petrol engine maintained the minimum battery charge needed to feed the electric motors while also providing drive to the front wheels as required. At times the 1.5-litre engine sounded like it was working very hard doing this, but it did prove effective in performing these dual roles.

The heavily-loaded test vehicle also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set-climb, which was no surprise given we had up to 650Nm of torque to work with.

However, the hybrid system with its single-speed transmission produces minimal engine-braking (even with the maximum regenerative brake setting) which is an important consideration if you regularly carry and/or tow heavy loads, particularly in hilly terrain.

The BYD Shark 6 boasts a maximum five-star ANCAP rating (awarded in 2025) and comes standard with a suite of passive and active safety features including:

• Multiple airbags including front/rear side-curtains
• AEB including cyclist/pedestrian detection
• Lane-keeping
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front/rear parking sensors
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Blind-spot monitoring
• 360-degree camera view
• Two top-tether/ISOFIX child-seat anchorages and more

The Santa Fe comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which isn’t as good as some of its rivals, especially with Nissan now offering a 10-year warranty on its models, albeit conditional.

The pre-paid servicing plans are competitive, though, and the five-year plan averages just $481 per service.

Servicing intervals could get a bit annoying if you do a lot of kays every year as they're at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.

The Santa Fe petrol is a simple gal and enjoys 91RON unleaded petrol and is even E10 suitable.

Comes standard with a six-year/150,000km vehicle warranty (Ford has recently topped this with seven years/unlimited km if Ford dealer serviced) and separate eight-year/160,000km propulsion battery warranty. There’s also 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance from the date of purchase.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/20,000km, whichever occurs first. Capped pricing for the first six scheduled services totals $2945 or an average of $491.00 annually. BYD has an evolving national network of around 120-150 dealerships spanning all states and territories, including many regional areas.