BYD’s new Shark 6 ute only launched in Australia a couple of days ago, but the Chinese brand is already preparing to address concerns surrounding its towing capacity.
The first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute in Australia will hit the market with a braked towing capacity of 2500kg – 1000kg less than segment leaders such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
While BYD is confident that the Shark 6 has enough weapons to lure in buyers, that doesn’t mean the carmaker is resting on its laurels.
“Very soon we’re going to have another version of the ute which can support stronger towing,” general manager of BYD’s Asia Pacific sales division, Liu Xueliang, told Australian media at the launch of the Shark 6.
“We cannot disclose the specific date, but it’s on the way. It can tow up to 3.5 tonnes.”
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
When pressed for a more concrete timeline, a local representative for BYD Australia clarified the towing upgrade is expected in “2026 at the earliest. Testing starts soon though.”
Ute buyers haven’t been put off by the inferior towing capacity of the Shark 6 – BYD said it had received 1400 orders for the BYD Shark 6 within the first 12 hours, with the weight of demand crashing the brand’s website for more than three hours.
In addition to tweaking the current car, BYD is also looking to expand its ute offering both overseas and in Australia.
“The BYD Shark 6 is the first ute we’re launching in Australia, but it definitely won’t be the last one,” said Mr Liu.
“We will see how the Shark 6 is performing in the market and what feedback our customers are providing us. Then we will continue optimising and providing more products.
“Everything that BYD develops is based on market feedback, when we detect demand in the market we will expand on that [an off-road focused ute].”
The BYD Shark 6 is available to order now, with a starting price of $57,900 before on-road costs.
MORE: Everything BYD Shark 6
