Drove the BYD Shark6 recently, and we think that we were the first media in SA to take this powerful bakkie off-road. Being touted the most powerful output bakkie that has reached these shores, the Shark6 is undercutting models such as the Volkswagen Amarok 2.0BiTDI Style 4Motion (R966 500), Ford Ranger 2.0 BiTurbo Wildtrak 4×4 (R983 000), Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 4×4 GR-Sport (R999 000) and GWM P500 2.0T HEV Ultra Luxury 4×4 (R999 900).

The Shark6 putting out a veritable 321 kw and 650 Nm of torque, it is a double cab as well, probably one of the bigger ones around. Let’s talk about that engine that powers this baby. A 1.5 L turbo-charged petrol engine combined with a plug-in hybrid system that has a 29.6 kwh battery pack and electric motor on each axle. It has various modes for terrain and a diff lock as well.

Let’s talk about the speed first and how it performs on the road. Big and imposing with loads of presence, it has a quiet and smooth drive. It feels powerful, even in electric mode. Claiming a 0 to 100kmh in a rapid 5.7 secs, it really does blow your hair back on pull off. It wasn’t as fast on top-end as I expected and never really got beyond 200.

The lithium-iron phosphate battery pack offers an all-electric WLTP range of up to 85 km (down from the NEDC figure of 100 km), which pushes the combined range to a claimed 760 km. BYD says the battery’s state of charge will move from 30 to 80% in approximately 20 minutes when using a 55 kW DC fast charger. We didn’t top up that much.

The Shark 6 employs a ladder-frame chassis and is the Chinese brand’s very first attempt at a bakkie. It features independent suspension at each corner (rather than traditional leaf springs at the rear), while the battery pack is neatly integrated into the platform.

As we said we took this baby off-road, and as luck would have it, the first obstacle was the water, somewhat filled up by the recent good rains in Jozi. With a ground clearance of 230mm( more than most bakkies) it caused a nervous moment when it dropped into deep water.

The Shark 6 very assuredly powered out of the hole in a moment. Impressive was the immediated reaction, and then it went on to show how it traverses the reticulation, sand and steep sand, all with aplomb. The Shark 6 at 5457mm is very long, longer than most bakkies.

Some of the features that the Shark 6 has are as follows: keyless entry (and start), rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, faux leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats (with heating and ventilation), a 12-speaker “Dynaudio” sound system, LED headlamps and sequential rear indicators, a 360-degree camera system, parking sensors (front and rear), a head-up display, adaptive cruise control and a raft of driver-assistance functions.

So, the immediate question is that is it a player or a pretender? This one most definitely is a player, and at the price of R 959 900, is going to be causing headaches for the top three bakkie makers. It includes a BYD Auto SA’s 5-year/100 000 km warranty and a maintenance plan.

Summation.

The BYD Shark 6  is going to find a home in quite a few bakkie buyers garages, they are going full tilt to establish dealerships, and have a quality range to sell. We believe that they will be in the game.