Extensive testing, tuning and development of the Shark 6 ute was conducted by BYD on Australian soil, making it uniquely suited to local conditions, according to the company.
The 2025 BYD Shark 6 ute – the brand’s first pick-up and the first plug-in hybrid option in its class – has been influenced by Australian roads and consumer behaviour.
That is according to David Smitherman, CEO of BYD’s Australian importer EVDirect, who revealed the extent of the local market’s involvement in the Shark 6’s development.
“For quite some time, we’ve been advocating for this vehicle,” he said.
“The vehicle’s been tested all around Australia, there’s been plenty of Shark sightings about.
“Importantly, hot-weather testing, cold-weather testing, sand testing – the vehicle’s been right around Australia.
MORE: BYD lays out ambitions for 2025 Shark 6 ute: ‘We’re here to certainly chase market share’
“[There is a] significant [Australian influence], technical engineering input as well, feedback on the early prototypes around the features, position of the vehicle around towing, around suspension.”
Despite this, the Shark 6 features a 790kg payload rating and a 2500kg braked towing capacity – short of the segment standards of near-one-tonne, and 3500kg respectively.
The Shark is also not the only ute designed and developed with Australia in mind, as the Ford Ranger and upcoming Kia Tasman – among other dual-cabs – have also undergone extensive local testing and tuning.
However, the Shark is expected to undercut many of its rivals and will be priced from under $60,000 before on-road costs, with BYD to confirm the final RRP at the model’s official launch later this month.
MORE: 2025 BYD Shark 6 to cost less than $60,000, undercutting key Toyota, Ford, Isuzu rivals
Expectations for Shark sales in Australia are high, given the price and unique plug-in hybrid powertrain, and it is tipped to move to become BYD’s top seller locally.
The Shark is currently on sale in only one other region, South America, and will not be launched in BYD’s home market of China due to restrictions imposed on pick-ups in many major cities.
Given the Australian appetite for utes, however, with the combined 4×4 pick-up segment outpacing even the mid-size family SUV category to be the largest in the country, this market has a chance of becoming the world’s largest for the Shark 6.
Smitherman conceded that the South American region is larger by overall volume, but still thinks it is “possible” that “we could be the largest market”.
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