BYD Shark PHEV ute on track for late 2024 Aussie arrival with price tag to shock Ranger and Hilux

The BYD Shark is odds-on to hit Aussie dealerships late in 2024 and looks set to come with a razor sharp price tag aimed at shaking up the booming ute segment.

BYD’s Australian importer EVDirect has also requested engineering upgrades to the dual-cab ute that will use plug-in hybrid drivetrains – and, eventually, a full battery electric system – to take on the established players in a segment that accounts for one in five new vehicle sales locally.

Key to the requested changes to the boldly-styled five-seater that was unveiled in Mexico this week are upgrades to the payload and towing capacity.

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With most utes capable of towing 3500kg EVDirect is keen to step up the 2500kg for the Shark that was announced at the international reveal in Mexico this week.

And for a category known for its one-tonners the Shark’s 835kg quoted payload is down on the best numbers offered by key dual-cab rivals such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton.

The CEO of local importer EVDirect, David Smitherman, said it was key BYD presents vehicles that meet Australian customer requirements.

”We’re pushing to get the right spec for Australia,” said Smitherman. “We’ve asked for payload (improvements), we’ve asked for towing (capacity improvements).”

However, Smitherman’s boss and EVDirect managing director Luke Todd suggested those upgrades would not make it to the Shark by the time it hits local dealerships later in the year, instead saying the emphasis was on ensuring the car was built to Australian roads and tastes.

“Shark is being built around Australia,” said Todd of the bold newcomer.

“We’ve got some Sharks here at the moment doing some testing and it’s being Australianised the most out of all of them (the various BYD models).”

That localisation involves not only testing the cars over some of the most punishing roads in the world but also tuning suspension and steering to local tastes.

For now, the drivetrain line-up includes two plug-in hybrid options, both of which use a 1.5-litre petrol-fed turbo engine mated to an electric motor and four-wheel drive system. A 29.5kWh battery is claimed to provide up to 100km of EV-only driving range.

The peak output of the Shark PHEV is claimed at 321kW, which would make it the most powerful in its class, easily outdoing the 292kW Ford Ranger Raptor.

“We’re always pushing to be the best in class with every product,” said Smitherman.

But, of course, it’s where it’s positioned with a competitive and fast evolving market that could have a big impact on its popularity.

While pricing for the Shark is yet to be announced, Smitherman is adamant the ute challenger will be “competitive” – and much sharper than the circa-$80,000 pricing that has been confirmed for the Mexican market.

“If you look at the rest of our range we’re super competitive,” he said, while refusing to outline exactly where the Shark would slot into a diverse market segment. “My objective is to make sure we have a very competitive spec and price level.

“It’s in our best interest to be competitive. Our objective is to grow market share and to do that you’ve got to have a really strong offering.”

Smitherman is not fazed by lacking the one thing 4×4 ute buyers have demanded during the dual-cab boom of the last two decades: a diesel engine.

“The market is changing,” he said.

He’s also becoming more positive about the prospects of the Shark’s arrival in Australia in 2024.

“I’m pushing like heck for 2024,” he said. “Nothing is locked in until you are through ADR (Australian Design Rules).”