This PHEV pickup from BYD is apparently set to make its debut in Malaysia as early as next year.
Oh look at what we have here, a fleet of BYD Shark 6 pickups spotted right here in Malaysia. And yes, before you ask, this PHEV pickup has actually been confirmed to soon be arriving over here!
Spotted at Plaza Arkadia where BYD Malaysia is throwing its upcoming Tech Discovery event, the Shark 6 has already been teased to be the star this upcoming show. Given the number of units that has been spotted too, it does also seem that the Chinese automaker might just be offering much more than just static previews.
First making its international appearance in Mexico last year, the Shark 6 will likely serve as the first BYD in Malaysia to feature a tailpipe. This PHEV pickup will incidentally be the first of its kind over here, with the only other pickup with a plug to be the fully electric JAC T9 EV.
Now in discussing more about the truck itself, this BYD arguably has dimensions that are more analogous to a whale than a shark’s, with the automaker themselves even claiming for this pickup to feature the largest body size in its class. Measuring in at a whopping 5,457 mm long, 1,971 mm wide, and 1,925 mm tall, the Shark is actually a massive 132 mm longer, 71 mm wider and 110 mm taller than the current (and already rather ginormous) Toyota Hilux, with a 175 mm longer wheelbase to boot at 3,260 mm.
Transitioning towards a discussion on how its massive body is styled meanwhile, the Shark 6 has arguably taken quite a lot of its design cues from Ford’s F-150 series. Something that is made unmistakably clear from the lighting signature from its full-width LED bar up front that looks more Blue Oval than BYD, in addition to the Lightning-esque full-width rear light bar running right across its tailgate.
There is nevertheless a hint of its YangWang U8 distant sibling from its bulbous yet boxy front fender bulge, which admittedly does quite the job too in bringing out the tough and rugged look that BYD is aiming with this Shark 6. This macho aesthetic further continued through the inclusion of a chunky aluminium-style skid plate at the front to match the chunky grille, with side steps between its dual-tone alloys and a sports bar in its bed adding that little bit more punchy pizzazz to its slab-sided profile.
When it comes time to drive said 18-inch wheels now, the Shark 6 rides on BYD’s DMO Super Hybrid Off-road Platform. And as the Hybrid term suggests, under the hood of this PHEV pickup is 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder and an electric drive motor mounted on each axle.
BYD currently quotes for the front motor to output 228 horsepower, while the rear motor delivers an additional 201 horsepower. This in turn gives the Shark 6 more than 430 hp and a century sprint time of just 5.7 seconds, before eventually running out topping out at 160 km/h. Also, while the electric motors do most of the propulsion work, the Shark 6’s engine can also be clutched in to directly drive the wheels at speeds above 70 km/h.
In terms of range, the Shark 6 can apparently eke out an NEDC-rated 100 km of fully electric driving from its 30 kWh LFP Blade battery pack. BYD is also further claiming that this PHEV pickup is capable of achieving 840 km on a single full tank and charge with a quoted fuel consumption figure of 7.5 l/100 km, while the aforementioned battery is able to DC fast charge from 30% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes too.
Another rather unique highlight under the skin of this Shark is for it to feature independent front and rear suspension, which will all but likely mean for it to offer a more car-like ride and handling characteristic over the live rear axle setup currently found in all its other established pickup counterparts (but the Navara). And somewhat astounding as well is this PHEV pickup to apparently still able to carry close to double the Hilux’s limit in its 1,450 litre bed at 825 kg, with it also touting a decently impressive towing capability of 2,500 kg.
Moving along inside, the chunky yet car-like cabin of the Shark is headlined by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and the usual BYD rotatable central infotainment measuring 12.8-inches. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration is also to be found within too, along with a 12-inch head-up display and a 360º camera that does the Land Rover thing of offering glimpse of the terrain beneath the vehicle.
Finally in terms of the obligatory Chinese car tech gimmick, the feature this time round with the Shark is a karaoke function that apparently enables owners to sing along with an optional handheld microphone. Perhaps more pertinent to buyers however is for this BYD to still feature the usual plethora of active safety tech that includes adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking, with a smartphone digital key likely making that little bit easier to live with too.
As for the all important question of pricing, it currently remains a mystery as to how much this BYD will cost when it eventually makes landfall over here. Prices from other markets nevertheless might just see the Shark 6 be the most expensive pickup on the market over here, with it supposed to arrive in Thailand wearing a sticker of around RM 220,000.
And on the topic of Thailand, it is worth highlighting that our neighbours to the north was supposed to see this pickup make its ASEAN debut over there earlier this year. A surprisingly low initial pre-order appetite however saw local distributors pull this PHEV pickup from the market before it even officially launched, making it a rare BYD miss in what has been a company that seems to just go from strength to strength.
