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.
Although BYD hasn’t detailed exact local pricing for its forthcoming Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute just yet, the company has now confirmed it will priced below $60,000.
At this asking price it sees it undercut the likes of the Ford Ranger XLT Bi-Turbo dual-cab ($63,640 before on-roads), and Toyota HiLux SR5 with V-Active Technology ($63,260 before on-roads).
MORE: Everything BYD Shark 6
