Dual cab 4x4 DOMINATION! 2025 BYD Shark ute review
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00:00This is a game-changing ute, whether you like it or not, it's the BYD Shark 6.
00:05It's plug-in hybrid, it's petrol-powered, it has coil springs and it has a lower towing
00:10capacity than lots of the other utes out there, but it's also very different to all the other
00:14utes out there, and it sets a new standard for this market segment.
00:19So I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about it in this review, including
00:22a guide on the pricing for it.
00:24Let's get to it.
00:25This one is very, very cool.
00:30The exact price of the BYD Shark 6 is not yet confirmed at the time I'm filming this.
00:38It's early October 2024.
00:40At the end of October 2024 the price will be announced and it's going to be sub $68,000,
00:46which is unbelievable value for money considering what you are getting in this vehicle.
00:51It's a big truck, and you're getting plenty of truck for the cash.
00:54You've got LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels.
00:58There's also roof rails, there's a sports bar at the back, you get a tub liner, and
01:02you're also going to get a really nice fake leather interior trim, but with a big touchscreen
01:07media system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, sat-nav and it rotates as well if that matters
01:12to you or not.
01:14There's dual-zone climate control, heated and cooled seats, and plenty of other really
01:18fantastic features for the money.
01:20I can't see this being bettered by anyone, well, not by any of the mainstream brands
01:25anyway.
01:26But let's talk about some alternatives, because there are some you might want to consider.
01:32At this point in time there are no direct rivals to this vehicle, no other plug-in hybrid
01:37ute exists in the Australian market, and there will be some coming.
01:41The Ford Ranger is going to have a plug-in hybrid soon, but you can expect it to be a
01:45fair bit more expensive, but the Ranger in itself is a very, very good ute, and there's
01:50a bunch of different versions available for that model line-up if you are okay with choosing
01:54diesel.
01:55But hey, if you want petrol, well, you might want to go and have a look at the Volkswagen
01:59Amarok, there's a top-spec petrol version which is more of a lifestyle version of that
02:04ute, and it's an absolute cracker of a thing, and it's very refined, has a nice interior,
02:10although it's not quite as usable an interior as the Ranger in my opinion, but it could
02:14be well outside of your budget if you're thinking $60,000.
02:17Well, if you are thinking on the budget side of things, what about the GWM Canon Alpha
02:22Ultra?
02:23It's available with diesel or hybrid, and it starts at around $65,000 for the hybrid
02:30version drive-away, so yes, it does have a pretty punchy engine, and it's got usable
02:35off-road tech as well, and yes, like I said, it is a hybrid, but it's not so much about
02:40the efficiency side of things, it's more about power and performance, but would you choose
02:44any of those?
02:45Or is the pricing on this just too convincing?
02:50If it looks substantial, that's because it is.
02:52It's just over 5.4 metres in length, almost 2 metres wide, and just over 1.9 metres tall.
03:00It also has a very long wheelbase, this vehicle, about 3.26 metres in length of wheelbase,
03:06which is very, very substantial for a dual-cab ute like this, and that helps it look pretty
03:13intimidating in terms of its stance.
03:15Now, the rear, I think it looks really good as well.
03:18This nice big LED bar that runs across the tailgate is obviously pretty cool, and you've
03:23got a sports bar, you've got roof rails, so the practicality elements might be pretty
03:27handy for you, and to open the tailgate, press this twice, and there we go, a nice soft drop
03:33tailgate, which is very handy, and the size of the tray is excellent.
03:37You'll see the dimensions on your screen now, and that is a very, very user-friendly level
03:43of space.
03:44There's also lights in the tub, which is very, very cool, there's a little switch just there
03:48for that, and on this side, there's a power point, well, actually, there's three power
03:52points, so you can use the battery pack of the vehicle to power accessories, whether
03:57at the campsite or the worksite, it could be a really handy device for you to make use
04:03of.
04:04I reckon this is really, really smart in terms of the tech and the space on offer in the
04:08tray.
04:09And underneath the tub, of course, you're getting a full-size spare wheel, which is
04:11a nice bonus.
04:15Okay, the interior of this vehicle does feel more plush than lots of the other work-focused
04:20trucks out there, and a lot of that comes down to the finishes, the design, and some
04:25of the features.
04:26Obviously, you've got a digital instrument cluster here, it's a very good size, it has
04:30a bit of adjustability in terms of the displays, and on this side here, you've got a massive
04:36touchscreen media system.
04:37Yes, it can rotate if you want it to, I don't know why you would, but you can have it up
04:42that way if you want to look at the map in a portrait layout for whatever reason, or
04:47just interact with the controls in that layout for whatever reason.
04:51But personally, I prefer the landscape design, and it does have similar features to lots
04:58of the other BYDs out there.
05:00So, you've got dual-zone climate control, and just like all the other vehicles that
05:03BYD offers, there are no physical dials or buttons to play with things for the most part,
05:10You do have a fan control system here, which is touch-sensitive.
05:14You've also got your direction for your vents, and there's plenty of other features through
05:20here that you can use.
05:22There's a car menu, so you can jump into some of the things that you might want to adjust.
05:27Your cruise control, your parking assistance, your safety assistance.
05:31There's also other menus that you can keep an eye on, including all of the different
05:35settings that you can change with this vehicle, and there's also an energy screen with plenty
05:40of information on it.
05:41And one thing that you might want to keep in mind is that you can set a target here
05:46using this system, so it will basically use the petrol engine to regenerate as much energy
05:52as it can to get to that target of 70% if that's what you need, otherwise it'll just
05:57run EV.
05:58And look, there is a few different other menus that you can look at if you're really into
06:02finding out how this system all plays its game, then you can go in there and learn as
06:07much as you probably will ever want to learn.
06:10I think that this is a pretty easy screen to get your head around.
06:14For the most part, most people will just be using it with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto,
06:18and I think that in that regard, it will be perfectly fine too.
06:21Now, let's have a look down below.
06:23You've got these beautiful looking vents with nice orange finishing around.
06:28Orange is the theme in here, right?
06:29Bit WildTrack, isn't it?
06:31You've also got orange stitching on the steering wheel, again, up on the upper vents as well,
06:36and over there is your driver monitoring camera system as well.
06:40There's a head-up display which is pretty handy, and down here is your control section
06:45for the driving controls, yep, a pretty cool looking shifter.
06:49You've also got a volume dial which is great, you can turn on the fan or turn it off if
06:53you want to using that button, and your start button is the middle one down here.
06:57You can lower the tailgate from inside as well, and there's a few other features in
07:01here like if you want to switch between EV and hybrid, that's how you do so.
07:06You've also got a hill descent control function up here, you can turn off your parking sensors
07:10if you're off-roading, and all of that is pretty handy to get at a quick touch.
07:15There's cup holders between the seats, you've also got a pretty decent sized centre console
07:19bin with USB and USB-C ports, and you've got some decent storage up on the dashboard too,
07:24a little shelf there.
07:26There's a glovebox with a vest in it, and bottle holders in the doors, pretty big cubbies
07:31in the doors, and the interior design I think looks pretty good, I have to say.
07:36The orange trim continues onto those fake leather seats.
07:39You've got a sunglasses holder up here as well, lights, there's illuminated vanity mirrors,
07:46and yes, it is a pretty nice design in here in my opinion.
07:51And you've also got electric seat adjustment, and that's pretty handy, and plenty of other
07:55electric features as you would expect, but let's jump in the back seat and see what the
07:59space is like.
08:00Okay, so this seat is set for my driving position, I'm 182cm or 6ft, and this is where you can
08:06tell that you've got a very long wheelbase.
08:09Lots of legroom in the back, much more than some of the other dual cabs in this segment.
08:13You can slide your feet in underneath and it's pretty comfortable, and in terms of headroom,
08:17it's actually pretty good as well.
08:19There's lots of space for a big adult or three across the back if you need to, because it
08:24does have a very wide bench, you've got ISOFIX points in the window seats, top tether points
08:29as well, but this is a pre-production car, so it doesn't have the Australian spec ones
08:33yet, so I can't really show you that.
08:35There's also a pair of cup holders in this flip-down armrest, there's mat pockets on
08:41the seat backs, you've got decent sized bottle holders in the doors, there's directional
08:45air vents, and you also get a pair of USB ports, and yet another power point down there,
08:51so it is super practical, super comfortable, and super impressive.
08:57I have to say, I'm really, really impressed with the interior space in here.
09:04Under the bonnet of the BYD Shark is a 1.5 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine, and
09:10it works as a generator or to assist a pair of electric motors, so there's one at the
09:14front, one at the back.
09:16All told, there's a combined output of 320 kilowatts for this vehicle, and that means
09:22a 0-100 time of 5.7 seconds, and yes, that's faster than a Ford Ranger Raptor, but just
09:28like the Ranger Raptor, it has some compromises.
09:31It has a lower payload than lots of the other utes out there, you'll see the number on your
09:34screen now.
09:35It also has lower towing capacity than lots of these big utes have, so does that rule
09:40it out for you?
09:41Let me know what you think in the comments.
09:46On that side is your petrol filler cap, and on the other side is where you will plug in
09:51to charge.
09:52So, let's have a look at the charging port here.
09:54You've got AC charging, you'll see the maximum rate on your screen now, and how long it should
09:59take to complete a charge, then there's also DC charging at a rate of up to 55 kilowatts,
10:05which should mean a 30-80% charge in about 20 minutes.
10:10So look, I don't know whether that's game-changing in terms of DC charging, but at least you've
10:14got plenty of battery capacity with this vehicle.
10:17It's a 29.5 kilowatt-hour BYD blade battery, so it's the LFP chemistry, and it offers a
10:24decent amount of EV driving range capability without having to use the petrol engine at
10:29all.
10:30So, this is a pre-production vehicle and I haven't had a lot of time on the road in it,
10:39but we have been doing quite a bit of off-road driving, and not super-duper serious off-roading,
10:43but the sort of stuff that you will probably do if you buy a ute like this.
10:47And I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with the way that it behaves itself.
10:51It does have quite a stiff feeling to it.
10:54I think that's because it's got extra structural bracing to help keep everything in control
11:00in terms of the battery pack, and compared to some of the other utes in this segment
11:04which do feel a little bit more flexy over undulations and big bumps, it might be a bit
11:10surprising to you how stiff this vehicle feels.
11:13Even a very short drive that we had on a sealed road, I noticed that it was a bit shuddery,
11:18and more shuddery than I was probably expecting, but hey, who knows what will happen with that
11:22when I get a chance to drive it in real situations, in real-world driving.
11:28But I've got to say, I'm impressed with so many elements of this drive experience.
11:32The ride is good, like it's got full independent suspension all around, and it's not a live
11:38beam rear axle like some of the other coil-sprung vehicles like a Navara or a Gladiator.
11:44It's actually fully independent, and so you're not going to touch down the diff housing underneath,
11:49and that's really, really handy.
11:51And in terms of capability, it's also got pretty decent angles for the approach, departure,
11:57and also the breakover angle.
11:59Even though it's got sidesteps as standard, it is still very, very handy in terms of the
12:04off-road elements of things.
12:08And like I said, there are a few different drive modes that you can choose from.
12:11I've been basically just driving in mountain mode, which I think is a nice balance between,
12:17well, turning off the safety systems so that they don't interrupt your drive experience,
12:21but also having a decent amount of throttle response.
12:24There's also the things that you would expect, like a hill descent control system, and we
12:28got to sample that a little bit earlier on today.
12:30And I think that, for the most part, it's pretty good, but some of the other vehicles
12:34in this segment maybe have a bit more of a hardcore edge to them in terms of the off-road
12:39capability and focus.
12:40But I honestly don't think it really matters for the majority of people.
12:44And there's also going to be a vast array of aftermarket options for you to modify this
12:49vehicle if you want to.
12:50In fact, BYD is teaming up with Ironman 4x4 in Australia to offer a range of different
12:56accessories for this vehicle.
12:58So you'll be able to spec it out with different wheels, tyres, different suspension eventually,
13:03and there'll also be bull bars and protection bars and lights and all that sort of stuff.
13:07So it's going to be available with a range of accessories as well.
13:11So if you are the sort of person who wants to mod their vehicle, it could still be right
13:15for you.
13:19Now obviously, it does have a pretty amazing 0-100 time.
13:23I'm going to put it into sport mode.
13:25It's a gravel surface.
13:26It's not going to be a scientific 0-100, but let's see what we can do here.
13:36Well it's involving, that's for sure.
13:38Far out.
13:39That was pretty scrabbly at the front axle, but hey, it uses the front axle, then it'll
13:45push some power to the rear if it needs to, and the engine will assist everything as well.
13:49And wow, it's quick.
13:51There's no doubt about that.
13:52On a gravel surface uphill, that was fast, and I'm pretty impressed with that.
13:57And I drove it on the road, as I said earlier, on an uphill section, also in sport mode,
14:03and it's also very fast on the road.
14:05So stay tuned, and I'll bring you much more detail in terms of the drive experience at
14:09a later date, when I get a chance to spend a bit more time in this vehicle, in terms
14:14of on-road driving and living with it as well.
14:17And tell me if there's anything in particular that you want to know about it in the comments
14:20section below, and I'll aim to cover that for you in that review.
14:27Okay, so what about fuel efficiency?
14:30Plug-in hybrids like this always have a really impressive claimed number, and yes, in this
14:36instance it's very impressive as well.
14:38You'll see the figure on your screen now, but there's also a hybrid figure that you
14:42need to keep in mind.
14:43So if the car is running in hybrid mode, you can see on screen what it should be able to
14:47achieve in that instance.
14:50And I think that, honestly, that's still pretty impressive, considering some of the other
14:54vehicles in this segment that are diesel use more than that.
14:58So that's pretty cool to see, but also you need to keep in mind that it does have a pretty
15:03decent-sized petrol tank as well, and you could be able to get more than 800km of driving
15:09range, including battery electric and petrol.
15:12So if you think that's enough for you, I'd love to know.
15:16At this point in time, there is no ANCAP rating for the BYD Shark, but the brand is confident,
15:23it says, that it will achieve a 5-star score because it's got all the spec and tech to
15:28do so.
15:29Things like autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, there's
15:32lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, a surround-view camera system, front and rear
15:36parking sensors, all of that stuff that helps it achieve that kind of score, as well as
15:42some stuff that you might be a little bit annoyed by.
15:44There's a driver-monitoring camera system and a speed sign recognition system, but they
15:48are not as annoying as in some other vehicles in this segment or in other segments, so that's
15:54pretty good to see.
15:55And it's got plenty of airbags inside as well, dual front, front side, front centre and curtain
15:59coverage for both rows too.
16:03BYD is offering a 6-year 150,000km warranty for the vehicle itself, just make sure you
16:09read the terms and conditions, and there's also an 8-year 160,000km warranty for the
16:14battery pack.
16:15Now, servicing intervals are going to be lengthy, 12 months and 20,000km, which could be great
16:19for you if you're running a business, and it could mean that you'll be able to have
16:23less downtime or down days because your car's in getting serviced, like a Toyota or something
16:28like that.
16:29And also, you will need to keep in mind that you don't get roadside assist topped up each
16:33time you service, but you will get the first year for free.
16:35But I think the real ownership advantage here will be running costs, because if you can
16:40run it as an EV when you need to, and a petrol at other times, well, it could be far more
16:45efficient than having to fill up a diesel tank every single week.
16:52I didn't get as much time on-road as I probably would have hoped for this review, but I have
16:56to say it's pretty accomplished off-road, and I am very impressed based on my first
17:01experience with it.
17:03But, hey, what do you think about it?
17:04Would you go for a plug-in hybrid ute?
17:06Do you think the Australian market is ready for a vehicle like this?
17:10If not, what would you choose instead?
17:11Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear from you.
17:13If you haven't already, please like, subscribe and ring that bell, and I'll see you when
17:16I see you.