2026 BYD Shark 6 cab-chassis revealed: Top-selling PHEV ute about to expand its line-up as it chases Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux
BYD is set to roll out a new chassis-cab version of its strong-selling 2026 BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute.
The bare-bones variant of the dual-cab BYD Shark 6 has been inadvertently confirmed by a Department of Infrastructure filing.
It announced the new variant of the plug-in hybrid ute has been approved for sale, suggesting its arrival Down Under is imminent.
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When it lands the BYD Shark 6 cab-chassis will carry over its 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder that alone produces 135kW and is combined with an electric motor, plus a 29.6kWh battery.
Set to produce the same 321kW and 650Nm of torque as the current ute, the new variant should have an electric-only range of more than 100km under the NEDC test cycle.
When it lands, the Shark 6 cab-chassis will boast an improved payload that rises from the current ute’s 790kg to around 935kg.
That almost matches the one-tonne-plus carrying might of a Ford Ranger.
But that figure should be taken with a pinch of salt as the actual figure will fall once a tray is fitted.
The arrival of the BYD Shark 6 in Australia has seen the Chinese car-making giant sell a remarkable 15,181 utes in its first 10 months of this year.
That makes it the nation’s fourth best-selling ute behind the Ford Ranger (43,924), Toyota HiLux (38,168) and the Isuzu D-Max (17,905).
There’s no word how much cheaper the cab-chassis is compared to the $57,900 (before on-road costs) charged for the pick-up.
The bare bones ute will be still significantly more affordable than the Ford Ranger PHEV ($71,990 plus on-roads) and new arrivals like the GWM Cannon Alpha ($61,490 plus ORCs), neither of which come as a cab chassis.
As well as the cab-chassis, a more powerful Shark 6 that ups toeing capability from 2500kg to 3500kg is inbound as well.
Enabling it to produce more power than the current ute, the 1.5-litre turbo will be swapped out for a larger more powerful 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid powertrain.
A Ford Ranger Raptor-chasing version of the Shark 6 is also tipped to be in the pipeline that is set for a 2026 arrival.
