BYD is gearing up to launch the Shark 6 ute in Australia on October 29, and the Chinese brand claims the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) dual-cab is its most important local launch to date.
In the lead up to its release, numerous pre-production Shark 6 vehicles have been scattered around Australia for testing and benchmarking. We’ve actually seen a number of camouflaged prototypes.
The CEO of BYD’s local distributor EVDirect, David Smitherman, told CarExpert the Shark 6 has been tested locally for over a year.
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“[The Shark 6 has] been tested here in Australia for well over a year in hot weather, cold weather, and it’s really been built up to meet Australian standards with great engineering feedback,” said Mr Smitherman.
“What we’ve done is we’ve had Australian engineers and [an] external engineering company have a look at the vehicle and give the feedback directly to BYD on the vehicle.
“That feedback has been received well, with enhancements made in a number of areas.
“Engineers from BYD came out and have been extensively testing the vehicle throughout Australia.
“BYD has 110,000 engineers, more than any other OEM, and they’ve had a very clear and deliberate focus of bringing engineers to Australia to check the vehicle and compare it to competitors.”
When asked exactly which areas of the BYD Shark 6 have been enhanced, Mr Smitherman said the ute’s suspension was looked at more closely, though the engineers also assessed the vehicle more generally “across the board”.
Orders for the BYD Shark 6 are set to open on October 29 ahead of first customer deliveries from December or January.
At launch, a singular range-topping Premium variant will be offered with four exterior paint colour choices and one black interior colour option.
Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors, and a 30kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Total system outputs are 321kW of power and 650Nm of torque.
At this stage EVDirect hasn’t confirmed pricing for the Shark 6, although figures published on a government website showed pricing for the ‘2025 Z Utility Shark Base 4×4’ will be $68,000 before on-road costs.
Although the listing stated ‘Base’, it’s possible this is reflective of the Premium variant being released locally.
If it is, the BYD Shark 6 Premium will be priced in line with the mid-range Ford Ranger XLT 4×4 V6 ($68,840 before on-roads) and the Toyota HiLux Rogue with V-Active Technology ($71,530 before on-roads).
MORE: Everything BYD Shark 6
