The BYD Shark 6 attracted loads of headlines – and clients – when it turned the primary plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute to reach in Australia earlier this 12 months.
Earlier than its launch, BYD generated a lot of curiosity by drip-feeding data and pictures, then saying a pointy worth, which put the ball firmly within the courts of GWM and Ford with their respective rivals.
However that was greater than six months in the past and since then there’s been loads of reward and criticism of the Shark from each house owners and the trade alike. And now GWM and Ford have additionally launched their Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ranger PHEV utes respectively, giving the Shark the competitors it knew was coming.
Even so, the Shark stays Australia’s most inexpensive PHEV ute, serving to it obtain some commendable gross sales figures. It discovered 10,424 new houses within the first half of 2025, making it BYD’s best-selling mannequin regionally (by some 6000 items) thanks largely to non-public patrons.
Compared, Ford has delivered 118 examples of the Ranger PHEV in its first three months on sale (totally enterprise patrons), whereas the Cannon Alpha PHEV has chalked up 213 deliveries in its first two months.
Why such a giant distinction? All of them supply related powertrains on paper, and whereas the Shark 6 is the most affordable, it isn’t that should extra inexpensive than the Cannon Alpha PHEV.
Maybe it’s as a result of the BYD badge is in excessive demand in the meanwhile, because the Chinese language model continues to achieve power in Australia. Check drives may also verify it gives distinctive construct high quality, whereas its powerful exterior could make a Ranger feel and appear small.
However does it reside as much as the hype? And is it actually the PHEV ute to purchase? With all of the pre- and post-launch pleasure now subsided, and loads of examples now out and about on the street, right here we’re testing the one model of the groundbreaking ute accessible in Australia – the BYD Shark 6 Premium.
How a lot does the BYD Shark 6 value?
The BYD Shark 6 Premium is priced at $57,900 earlier than on-road prices, making it Australia’s most cost-effective plug-in ute.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2025 BYD Shark 6 Premium | $57,900 |
Its closest match is the Cannon Alpha Lux PHEV, which is priced at $59,990 earlier than on-roads. There’s additionally the top-spec Cannon Alpha Extremely PHEV priced at $66,990 earlier than on-roads.
Each are nonetheless significantly cheaper than the four-variant Ford Ranger PHEV lineup, which begins at $71,990 earlier than on-roads for the bottom XLT and extends to an eye-watering $86,990 earlier than on-roads for the flagship Stormtrak.
There may also be extra competitors within the coming years, with choices just like the JAC Hunter PHEV arriving in early 2026 at a probably cheaper worth.
To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability instrument
What’s the BYD Shark 6 like on the within?
That is the place the Shark has its PHEV rivals beat, simply.
The massive screens and flat panels in our photos might look boring, however the BYD’s inside feels rather more upmarket and substantial than its rivals in actuality. There’s extra space to work with in right here, given the automobile’s beneficiant dimensions, which makes it really feel extra palatial than a Ranger.
In the meantime, all of it feels just a little sturdier than the Cannon Alpha, which remains to be well-presented in its personal proper, in addition to plusher than the extra utilitarian Ranger. That is evident within the Shark’s key contact factors, just like the steering wheel.
It’s a big tiller with a thick rim that contains a plush leather-based end with orange stitching that makes it really feel sturdy but premium – GWM’s can really feel just a little spindly as compared. It additionally contains a split-spoke design, with the decrease parts housing drive mode scroll wheels.
The horizontal spokes are dwelling to clicky bodily buttons that additionally look the half, as they’re all completed in shiny metallic gray plastic. They’re nonetheless liable to smudges, however nowhere close to as dangerous as piano black plastic may be.
Extra of those sturdy fittings are discovered on the centre console, the place there’s a big gear selector and a totally over-the-top array of buttons that appear to be plane controls. There are extra metallic orange accents right here, and every thing feels rock-solid regardless of trying considerably chintzy.
The black plastics right here even have a satin end, once more avoiding piano black fingerprint magnets. Additional, the pretend leather-based end on the close by ‘handles’ and armrest feels appropriately gentle, and the huge centre console helps make every thing really feel extra open.
Headlining the entrance of the cabin is a 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It has a excessive decision and a handy guide a rough response, which is an effective factor since most key cabin capabilities are locked away in right here, together with local weather management.
Like different BYDs, the display can bodily rotate between panorama and portrait orientations, however this isn’t rather more than a gimmick. You too can swipe with three fingers to mess with local weather management on the fly, with vertical swipes adjusting temperature and horizontal ones controlling fan pace.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are additionally wi-fi and take up your entire display when used. That is when these gestures are handy, as they prevent from having to exit out of your telephone’s interface.
In entrance of the steering wheel is a ten.25-inch digital instrument cluster. It’s just a little fundamental, however there’s heaps of knowledge accessible inside its numerous sub-menus, that are navigable utilizing the buttons on the steering wheel.
Our solely grievance is that the varied icons are too cluttered, making it exhausting to know the place to look. This has been the case with different BYDs too, and we expect this smaller ‘iPad’ might do with some tweaks to its graphics and fonts to make it just a little extra visually attention-grabbing.
There’s a minimum of just a little little bit of persona with the varied terrain-specific backgrounds, that are tied to off-road drive modes. Nonetheless, each screens really feel higher built-in into the dashboard of the Cannon Alpha, even when BYD’s software program is smarter.
In any other case, the entrance of the cabin is exceptionally snug. The seats are completed in clean leather-based, with loads of attention-grabbing cut-outs and shapes accentuating the supportive bolsters. Extra of that orange stitching additionally seems right here.
Eight-way energy adjustment is commonplace for the driving force’s seat which, when mixed with an satisfactory vary of steering wheel adjustability, makes it simple to discover a snug place. 4-way lumbar assist can also be included.
Heating and air flow for the entrance seats is commonplace, however there’s no heating for the steering wheel. The spacious cabin permits for a number of storage choices, together with a sizeable centre console field, a cut-out above the passenger-side glovebox, and bottle holders within the doorways.
You’ll additionally discover a 12V outlet, USB-A port, and USB-C port in that central field. Topping it off is an NFC-enabled pad and a ventilated wi-fi telephone charger, each completed in rubber to cease issues sliding round.
As is the case up entrance, the full-length facet steps make it simple to climb into the again seat. Predictably, there’s oodles of area again right here, because of the comparatively lengthy cabin and excessive, squared-off roof.
Extra of that clean leather-based is draped over the rear seats, and the entire space has a distinctly premium really feel because of the black headliner and plush carpet. There’s additionally a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, whereas the seatbacks can fold forwards to disclose some extra space for storing, which is good for issues like charging cables.
Not like just about each different mid-size ute, we reckon these seatbacks are barely too far reclined of their commonplace place, a gripe later confirmed by passengers who sat again right here. That mentioned, the ground is totally flat, with no driveline tunnel to take care of – a advantage of not having a mechanical driveshaft.
Aside from that, you get twin rear-facing air vents (and not using a separate management panel), in addition to a 230V energy outlet, USB-A port, and USB-C port. These are all discovered beneath a shallow, phone-sized slot on the again of the centre console.
Regardless of the Shark’s beneficiant proportions, its thick tray partitions and tailgate make the bathtub really feel a bit small in comparison with the competitors. Thoughts you, a full-size spare remains to be mounted beneath the bathtub, in contrast to the clumsy association within the Cannon Alpha PHEV.
Even so, the bathtub is sort of equivalent in dimension to the Cannon Alpha’s when it’s not compromised by a spare wheel. Curiously, the Ranger PHEV has a bath that’s longer and wider by roughly 100mm, however the BYD wins on depth by almost 20mm because of the Ford’s battery bulge.
Underneath a flap on the driving force’s facet are three extra 230V vehicle-to-load energy shops, which output 6.6kW of energy, which is similar to the Ranger PHEV’s 6.9kW and up on the GWM’s 3.3kW.
It’s unlucky that there’s no tonneau cowl as commonplace, although two totally different Ironman rolling covers can be found as equipment ($2549 for the guide choice, and $3357 for the electrical unit). There’s additionally a helpful electrical button to drop the tailgate, however you’ll have to shut it your self.
| Dimensions | BYD Shark 6 |
|---|---|
| Size | 5457mm |
| Width | 1971mm |
| Top | 1925mm |
| Wheelbase | 3260mm |
| Tub quantity | 1200L |
| Tub size | 1520mm |
| Tub width | 1500mm |
| Tub depth | 517mm |
To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability instrument
What’s beneath the bonnet?
Powering the Shark is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which produces 135kW of energy and 260Nm of torque by itself. It’s mated with two electrical motors, one up entrance and one on the rear, bumping complete outputs to 321kW and 650Nm.
| Specs | BYD Shark 6 |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L 4cyl turbo-petrol |
| Engine energy | 135kW |
| Engine torque | 260Nm |
| Peak electrical motor energy (entrance/rear) | 170kW/150kW |
| Peak electrical motor torque (entrance/rear) | 310Nm/340Nm |
| Peak system energy | 321kW |
| Peak system torque | 650Nm |
| Drive kind | e-AWD |
| Transmission | Single pace, discount gear |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 5.7s |
| Battery | 29.58kWh BYD Blade LFP |
| Gasoline tank | 60L |
| Gasoline economic system (claimed) | 2.0L/100km (state of cost 25-100 per cent), 7.9L/100km (SoC <25 per cent) |
| Gasoline economic system (as examined) | 6.3L/100km |
| Vitality consumption (claimed) | 21.2kWh/100km |
| Vitality consumption (as examined) | 9.2kWh/100km |
| Gasoline requirement | 91-octane unleaded petrol |
| CO2 emissions | 46g/km |
| Electrical driving vary (NEDC) | 100km (SoC 25-100 per cent) |
| Emissions commonplace | Euro 5 |
| Kerb weight | 2710kg |
| Payload | 790kg |
| Braked towing capability | 2500kg |
| Gross automobile mass (GVM) | 3500kg |
| Max. AC charging pace | 7kW |
| Max. DC charging pace | 55kW |
The important thing distinction from the Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ranger PHEV is that the BYD Shark 6 has no mechanical connection between the entrance and rear axles. That is primarily as a result of BYD opted to mount the Shark’s battery beneath the cabin, as an alternative of beneath the bathtub like within the different two, leaving no area for a driveshaft.
The result’s a ute that lacks a conventional gearbox and rear differential, which implies the Shark has no low-range gearing and no locking differentials, that are important for hardcore off-roading. On this context, it appears the Ranger PHEV is the winner of the three, because it has a low-range switch case and a rear diff lock, plus a bigger tub, and nonetheless retains its full-size spare neatly tucked away.
After all, the trade-off is a smaller battery, which implies the Ranger can’t match the PHEV capabilities of its Chinese language rivals. The Shark 6 gives a claimed electric-only vary of 100km, which we have been capable of get near throughout our testing.
In primarily freeway driving, our gas economic system determine was in the correct ballpark, particularly as battery cost was low for many of our week with the automobile. This additionally meant our vitality consumption was significantly decreased.
To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability instrument
How does the BYD Shark 6 drive?
The Shark 6 has been labelled a ‘life-style ute’ by many, and that begins to appear applicable once you get behind the wheel.
Consider us after we say that isn’t a foul factor, since you’ll most likely be impressed by how properly the Shark drives, because of some key drawcards for individuals who intend to make use of the Shark as their each day driver.
For one, the journey is silky clean, particularly by ute requirements. Not like the Ranger with its leaf-sprung rear suspension, the Shark has coil springs in any respect 4 corners, and impartial wheel management at each ends together with double decrease management arms for every nook, which makes it really feel rather more like an SUV than a bouncy business truck.
It’s capable of iron out all method of street imperfections with out a lot hassle, even when there’s nonetheless some chatter over minor bumps. It’s surprisingly snug, and it additionally does a great job of holding street and wind noise from penetrating the cabin when the pace picks up.
The steering can also be well-weighted and direct, providing agility and stability in equal measure. Whereas there’s nonetheless physique roll round turns, the well-sorted coil springs imply that at no level does the Shark really feel unwieldy or overly floaty.
The result’s a ute that’s simple to reside with, whatever the circumstances your commute throws at it. It additionally stays composed on filth roads, and powers by way of bigger bumps and dips with ease.
Contributing to that is the Shark’s heft kerb weight. At almost three tonnes, it will possibly really feel heavy on the street, making the automobile really feel rather more substantial than most diesel utes, and extra like a completely laden diesel ute.
This heft doesn’t appear to tug the Shark down although. It’s correctly fast when the battery’s charged and every thing’s working because it ought to, taking off with the type of haste you don’t count on from a regular ute.
In truth, this speedy acceleration appears pointless, and BYD’s proud 5.7-second 0-100km/h declare – in a section the place hardly some other ute producers quote acceleration instances – suggests the model has put just a little an excessive amount of give attention to headline-grabbing numbers that may ‘wow’ potential patrons. And it’s price mentioning the Shark’s torque figures are nonetheless down on its rivals.
Leaping off the accelerator pedal doesn’t instantly lower energy both. Much like our expertise with the Sealion 7 electrical SUV, the Shark displays throttle hold, the place it continues to speed up for a couple of second after you raise off following exhausting acceleration.
This may be disconcerting at first, particularly for those who aren’t anticipating it. After all you’ll be able to nonetheless brake as regular, so it isn’t the top of the world, however there’s a way that you just don’t fairly have full management.
When the battery is low, the low-displacement petrol engine turns into fairly loud and feels strained. The Shark will nonetheless do its finest to take care of speedy acceleration, however it received’t really feel anyplace close to as easy – because of this our vitality consumption was a lot decrease than BYD’s declare, although it’s commendable that gas economic system didn’t undergo an excessive amount of.
To recuperate cost on the transfer, there are two regenerative braking depth ranges to select from: Customary and Excessive. These are adjusted within the automobile settings menu, however in typical BYD style there’s no one-pedal driving mode, making these regen ranges really feel just a little weak by electrical automobile requirements.
Trusted Evaluations, Smarter Decisions, Higher Costs
The place professional automobile evaluations meet professional automobile shopping for – CarExpert offers you trusted recommendation, personalised service and actual financial savings in your subsequent new automobile.
Supporting this are cut up EV (electrical) and HEV (hybrid) modes. In EV mode the engine is switched off, permitting the Shark to hum alongside quietly on purely electrical energy – except climbing a steep grade, accelerating exhausting, or driving at excessive speeds, when it’s going to reintroduce the engine.
HEV mode, in the meantime, engages the engine to each energy the wheels and cost the battery, or disengages the electrical motors totally. It could nonetheless be difficult to recuperate any vital cost, however the Shark will usually keep sufficient cost to maintain some electrical energy in reserve.
This stage of cost remains to be too low for our liking, at roughly six per cent, a minimum of within the instance we drove. At that stage the automobile’s efficiency shall be dulled, taking the sting off the Shark’s devoted Sport mode.
On that notice, you’ll be able to flick between Eco, Regular, and Sport modes in each EV and HEV settings. There’s additionally a hidden ‘MAX EV’ drive mode, which is engaged by urgent and holding the EV/HEV button. It maximises the powertrain’s electrical capabilities (with barely decreased energy outputs) till cost drops and the engine is required once more.
These drive modes are chosen utilizing the curler on the steering wheel’s bottom-left spoke. Exterior of that, the Shark gives a complete listing of normal security gear, together with adaptive cruise management with lane centring, which all appears to be well-calibrated.
We skilled solely minor hiccups, primarily with the driving force monitoring system being barely too delicate, and the passive lane-keep system often interfering on slim roads.
The adaptive cruise operate does a great job of matching visitors and following lanes, and we weren’t left irritated by some other security system.
After all, the elephant within the room is the Shark’s off-road functionality. The take a look at automobile you see on this evaluation is the very same automobile that we used to retest the ute’s post-update off-road performance, which was documented in a video on the CarExpert YouTube channel (beneath).
It appears the shortage of low-range gearing and locking differentials nonetheless holds the Shark again for any critical off-road work. The Cannon Alpha PHEV is rather more succesful, and I’ve skilled the robust off-road chops of the Ranger PHEV too.
That mentioned, it’s totally doable that an replace to handle how the Shark distributes its energy might treatment many of those points, or a minimum of enhance the scenario and make it extra aggressive.
We advise this as a result of the Ranger PHEV can scale steep hills in its devoted EV-only mode, which may’t be used along with low-range gearing, and likewise as a result of as you’ll be able to see in our video the Shark wasn’t combating traction or wheelspin.
BYD improved the Shark’s sub-standard towing efficiency in comparison with early checks, and it’s now a lot smarter in the way in which it distributes and manages its energy movement to take care of cost with out relying solely on the small petrol engine.
The result’s a ute that also drives easily and comfortably on-road, however can even now comfortably deal with towing in on a regular basis, low-demand environments with out utterly draining its battery.
| Off-road dimensions | BYD Shark 6 |
|---|---|
| Observe entrance and rear | 1660mm |
| Floor clearance | 230mm |
| Method angle | 31º |
| Departure angle | 19.3º |
| Ramp breakover angle | 17º |
| Wading depth | 700mm |
To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability instrument
What do you get?
The BYD Shark 6 is barely accessible in a single range-topping trim.
2025 BYD Shark 6 Premium gear highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Full-size spare wheel
- Mounted facet steps
- Aluminium roof rack
- Shark fin antenna
- Spray-on tub liner
- Adaptive LED headlights
- LED tail lights
- Entrance and rear fog lights
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Heated, folding facet mirrors
- Puddle lights
- Sound-proof entrance glass
- Rear privateness glass
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
- Heated and ventilated entrance seats
- Black fake leather-based upholstery with orange accent stitching
- 8-way energy adjustable driver’s seat with 4-way lumbar
- 4-way energy adjustable entrance passenger seat
- Mud, Sand, Snow, Mountain terrain modes
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Head-up show
- Voice assistant
- FM and DAB+ radio
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- Music streaming
- 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system
- Twin-zone local weather management
- 2x USB-C ports
- 2x USB-A ports
- 50W wi-fi charger
- 12V socket
- 10A family socket
- Push-button begin
- Keyless entry
- NFC card
To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability instrument
Is the BYD Shark 6 protected?
The BYD Shark 6 has a five-star ANCAP security ranking primarily based on testing carried out in 2025.
| Class | BYD Shark 6 |
|---|---|
| Grownup occupant safety | 85 per cent |
| Little one occupant safety | 87 per cent |
| Susceptible street consumer safety | 74 per cent |
| Security help | 86 per cent |
Customary security gear contains:
- 7 airbags, together with:
- Entrance
- Entrance facet
- Facet curtain
- Far-side
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Rear collision warning
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Entrance and rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane preserve help
- Adaptive cruise management
- Clever Pace Restrict Management
- Hill descent management
- Trailer stability management
- Driver fatigue monitoring
- Little one presence detection
- Encompass-view digital camera
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability instrument
How a lot does the BYD Shark 6 value to run?
The BYD Shark 6 is roofed by a six-year, 150,000km automobile guarantee and an eight-year, 160,000km high-voltage battery guarantee. Servicing intervals are 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.
| Servicing and Guarantee | BYD Shark 6 |
|---|---|
| Automobile guarantee | 6 years, 150,000km |
| Battery guarantee | 8 years, 160,000km |
| Roadside help | 12 months complimentary |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 11 years |
| Common annual service worth over 11 years | $552.45 |
| Complete capped-price service value | $6077 |
BYD’s service pricing, correct as of August 13, 2025, is detailed beneath:
| Service | Worth |
|---|---|
| 1yr, 20,000km | $408 |
| 2yrs, 40,000km | $456 |
| 3yrs, 60,000km | $351 |
| 4yrs, 80,000km | $923 |
| 5yrs, 100,000km | $351 |
| 6yrs, 120,000km | $456 |
| 7yrs, 140,000km | $351 |
| 8yrs, 160,000km | $1423 |
| 9yrs, 180,000km | $351 |
| 10yrs, 200,000km | $656 |
| 11yrs, 220,000km | $351 |
Over 5 years, the Shark’s service prices complete $2489 and common out at $497.8 yearly. That is greater than the Ranger PHEV over the identical interval, which has its first 5 companies capped at $399 every, however lower than the Cannon Alpha PHEV which totals $3070 over 5 years, for a mean of $614 every year.
The Shark additionally has the longest service intervals of the three, because the Ranger and Cannon Alpha require upkeep each 15,000km and 10,000km respectively, however when it comes to time intervals all three plug-in utes nonetheless should be serviced each 12 months.
For additional reference, Ranger V6 diesels supply 4 years of capped-price servicing, with every go to costing $379. However from 2026, the primary 5 companies will every value $399, matching the Ranger PHEV.
To see how the BYD Shark 6 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability instrument
CarExpert’s Tackle the BYD Shark 6 Premium
With the updates which were rolled out, along with eager pricing and a protracted commonplace tech and gear listing, it’s simple to see why the Shark is flying off showroom flooring.
Although the detrimental connotations of ‘life-style ute’ should linger, the Shark makes lots of sense as a each day driver. It’s snug and clean on the street, its security tech is unobtrusive, and it may be extremely environment friendly when pushed sensibly within the right modes.
It’s additionally giant, which appears to be all the craze in the meanwhile, and there’s nonetheless a giant tub out the again for weekend Bunnings runs, plus improved towing capability even when doesn’t match the category leaders.
Then there’s the value, which has solely develop into extra spectacular since its two rivals launched. The very fact you get this stage of technical sophistication and gear at a worth that’s greater than $12,000 decrease than a ‘base-spec’ Ranger XLT PHEV is astounding.
There’s truly little or no compromise right here, for those who aren’t planning on making the Shark your leisure rock crawler.
Sure, the Shark’s off-road functionality nonetheless wants work, particularly when its two native rivals can do it a lot better, and when a kind of two is inside touching distance on worth – even when its spare wheel takes up tray area.
However there are different shortcomings. The Shark’s throttle hangs up after accelerating, and its regenerative braking isn’t robust sufficient. There’s additionally the very fact the 1.5-litre petrol engine is underpowered for a automobile this dimension, which shall be an issue for those who’ve used all of your battery energy at an in a single day campsite.
Pretty much as good as a PHEV system may be, it’s nonetheless important to have stable combustion energy at its core for backup. The Cannon Alpha and Ranger additionally do higher right here, as they pack bigger 2.0-litre and a couple of.3-litre engines respectively.
If none of that worries you, the Shark is a stable dual-cab ute and a good selection for those who’re trying to save a buck.
CarExpert can prevent 1000’s on a brand new BYD Shark 6. Click on right here to get a fantastic deal.
Click on the pictures for the complete gallery
