For orders for the BYD shark 6 Opening on October 29 – the same day its sub-$60,000 starting price is announced – the Chinese 4×4 dual-cab car will be unlike any other car on sale in Australia to date.
The Shark 6 will be the first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) to be released locally, beating the Ford Ranger PHEV and GWM Cannon Alpha Hi-4T PHEV to the market.
Speak with AutoExpertCEO of BYD’s local distributor EVDirect, David Smitherman, indicated that the Shark 6 will not only appeal to traditional buyers, but also reach a broader audience.
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“So we surveyed more than 1,000 people to ask them who they are and what they want from a vehicle,” Mr. Smitherman said.
“We really see people looking for adventure… [and] acts people. We see it too, especially with the V2L [vehicle-to-load]…people who use it for their daily ride.
“So we think we’ll definitely have broad cross-referencing from Aussies.”
Mr Smitherman said the Shark 6 will be BYD’s most significant new model launch to date in Australia, where EVDirect expects the groundbreaking harvestman to be the best-selling vehicle by 2025.
“We strive to be successful. We want to replicate the success we have seen with the Sealion 6, which is producing an average of around 1,000 vehicles per month,” he said.
“So we have high expectations, but again, we are a newcomer. This is our first ute.
“We have a lot of work to do, a lot of awareness, a lot of education, but the interest is very high.”
While BYD has yet to reveal exact local pricing for the Shark 6, the company has now confirmed that the price will be under $60,000.
So it will at least undercut that of the Ford Ranger XLT Bi-Turbo Double Cab ($63,640 pre-road) and Toyota HiLux SR5 with V-Active Technology ($63,260 pre-road).
From launch, only one premium version of the range-topping Shark 6 will be offered, with four exterior paint colors and one black interior color.
Under the hood are a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine, two electric motors and a 30 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The total system power is a very generous 321 kW and 650 Nm of torque.
According to NEDC testing, the ute can travel up to 100km on electric power alone, but with a payload of 790kg and a braked towing capacity of 2500kg it won’t match Australia’s most popular cars.
First deliveries to local customers of the Shark 6 are expected to begin in December 2024 or January 2025.
MORE: Everything BYD Shark 6
