BYD Shark attack! China’s plug-in hybrid ute set to maul the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux – and it’s coming to Australia!

May 15, 2024May 15, 2024 John Mahoney 12611 Views BYD, ford, HiLux, PHEV, ranger, Shark, Toyota

The 2024 BYD Shark has been launched at an event in Mexico City, with full details released on how the Chinese car giant plans to beat the likes of the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-MAX.

The big news is that BYD isn’t bothering with a diesel version, preferring to introduce aa plug-in hybrid powertrains that blend a 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder engine with an electric motor driving the rear axle.

Both are compatible with its Xiaoyun plug-in hybrid system, which packages a 29.5kWh battery and an electric motor that could provide for an all-electric driving range of up to 100km.

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Maximum power for the lower-output engine is 143kW, while the high-output 1.5-litre turbo kicks out around 170kW.

Combined, the most powerful BYD Shark pumps out 321kW, which is enough to haul it from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds – significantly quicker than the Ford Ranger Raptor that currently leads the class with its 0-100km/h sprint of 6.1 seconds.

Better still, it blends that with impressive fuel efficiency that will see it average 7.5L/100km without plugging in, and a more impressive 1.5L/100km if you charge it and use the full 100km EV range. Both are recorded on the more lenient Chinese NEDC test cycle.

Total range is claimed to be up to 840km.

When it comes to charging, the Shark’s Blade battery can be topped up at a DC rate of 40kW – with a 30 to 80 per cent recharge taking 20 minutes.

Featuring brash American styling, clearly inspired by larger, full-size trucks and the latest mid-size Ford Ranger, the Shark gets large BYD lettering across its grille and imposing vertical stacked headlamps that are linked by a full-width LED light bar.

The show cars all featured prominent bash-plates, while at the rear there’s a sports bar, roof rails and a pair of vertical taillights that match the Shark’s front lamps and are also interlinked with a large LED lightbar.

Created to be a global model, it seems the BYD Shark has one eye on the growing mid-size market in the US, which explains why it is among the widest in its class.

Measuring 545mm long, 1971mm wide and standing 1924mm tall, the Shark has an impressive 3260mm wheelbase, which is said to help it class-best cabin space. The rear bench is also angled at 27-degrees for enhanced comfort.

The company claims the Shark will drive more like a luxury SUV than a regular ute, with its independent front suspension and a double wishbone rear set-up for enhanced comfort.

It’s not all good news. When it comes to payload, the plug-in BYD ute can only manage to carry 835kg – that’s a long way off the one-tonne payload delivered by its rivals. Towing is another weak point, because the Shark can only haul 2500kg, which sees it trail rivals like the Ford Ranger, which can tow up to 3500kg.

One handy feature Ford and Toyota don’t offer is the Shark’s vehicle-to-load capability, which can turn the BYD ute turn into a mobile power station that can power lighting, tools and even heat a jacuzzi.

Within the cabin, the BYD Shark gets a centre console that’s said to be inspired by an aircraft. Brightening up the cabin, there are lots of orange highlights, while the Shark comes with the same rotating 10.25-inch infotainment system that offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

New for the Shark is a more advanced ‘Hey BYD’ voice control that has greater functionality and can now lower the windows hands-free, change the temperature, and access Spotify. You can also play games on the move, including Karaoke.

The BYD will be offered in three colours Palace White, Atlantis Grey and Marmara Black.

Off-road, BYD offers a terrain-response system with three driving modes – Mud, Sand and Snow – that pre-arms the all-wheel drive, stability control and traction control for the conditions.

In Mexico, where the BYD Shark was unveiled, the new pick-up was launched in two variants – the base Shark GL that was priced from MX$899,980 ($A80,500), while the flagship Shark GS costs MX$969,800 ($A85,500) – mirroring the $90k price of the Ford Ranger Raptor in Australia.