The BYD Shark 6 is currently the best plug-in hybrid bakkie available in South Africa, but it's also for a rather specific kind of buyer. If you like having options at your disposal, this thing offers a lot of those. Our highlights include its distinctive styling, segment-topping power, spacious cabin, and overall tech focus. If you think all of those are secondary to off-road capability, you'd probably be happier with something else. And at just under a million, it isn't what we'd call 'affordable'.
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Design
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Performance
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Infotainment
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Features
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Value
The BYD Shark 6 was the country’s first plug-in hybrid bakkie when it launched last year. It immediately caught our attention with its unique offering, so we were pretty excited to jump in to see if it lived up to the hype. There are a few caveats, but after driving it around for a week, we’re happy to report that it did. But if you’re in the market for a new bakkie, your mileage may vary depending on what you’re looking for.
If the only thing you care about is off-road capability or towing a caravan around, you might get more joy from something else. But if you want something that ticks more boxes than other bakkies, this could be the one for you.
Where’s the fin?
The Shark 6’s name stems from BYD’s wider naming scheme and its affinity for creatures that live in (or near) the sea, hence Dolphin Surf and Sealion 5. We’re not sure how the Atto 8 fits in, but it could have something to do with BYD changing the names of its vehicles in different countries.
There’s no mistaking the Shark 6 as it approaches in your rear-view mirror. If the large ‘BYD’ logo wasn’t enough, the LED bar and C-shaped daytime running lights give it a squarish, muscular look. The elevated ride height and lengthy wheelbase also add to its imposing character. The 18in alloy wheels and larger-than-usual wheel arches make it clear that you can take the Shark 6 off-road. However, the road bias tyres that come standard tell a slightly different story.
Inside, everything from the orangy-red stitching and accents to the style of the orangy-red start/stop button seems to convey an air of performance and sportiness — not something you’re likely to see in many other bakkies, bar the Ranger Raptor.
The tech-focused, spacious cabin makes the Shark 6 feel closer to a high-end SUV than a workhorse bakkie when you’re sitting comfortably in one of the artificial leather seats while they blast hot or cold air at your lower back. Rear passengers haven’t been forgotten about completely. They might not get cooled and heated seats, but they do get plenty of space and a few USB (Type-A and Type-C) charge ports.
BYD’s signature rotating 15.6in infotainment display is the first clue that this vehicle is for more than just carting stuff around. That large screen is how you’ll interact with most of the features in the Shark 6. It’s pretty snappy and responsive, which we will always appreciate. If you’re spending this kind of money, there’s no excuse for a laggy, unresponsive touchscreen. Thankfully, it’s not all screen. A few physical controls stick around, including a tactile scroll wheel for entertainment volume and a dedicated button for switching between hybrid and EV mode.
Going the distance
EV mode engages the dual electric motors and is best for short trips and when you get stuck in traffic. The hybrid mode adds the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, producing a combined 321kW of power and 650Nm of torque, and is best for long-distance travel and for overtaking in a hurry. You can still overtake in EV mode (the instant torque means you’ll beat just about everything off the line — 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.7 seconds), but it will reduce your electric range considerably.
This being a plug-in hybrid means you don’t have to worry as much about being away from a charge point for extended periods. You’re looking at a claimed 85km (WLTP) of silent electric range from BYD’s 29kWh-Blade battery and a combined range of 670km (also WLTP).
When the battery’s state of charge (SOC) drops below a certain point, EV-only mode is unavailable while the engine moves you forward and charges the battery simultaneously. There’s also regenerative braking, but both of those can be rather slow. Thankfully, the Shark 6 also supports 55kW fast DC charging for a speedy top-up, and comes with the bits you need for charging at home. You supply the plug point.
Zooming about
Driving this thing around was as fun as we expected, and a little more comfy. There’s plenty of power on offer for you to overtake anything in your way (in a responsible manner, of course), and the double wishbone suspension in the front and rear makes doing so rather comfy. We didn’t encounter any mud or snow during our review period, but it handled the singular dirt road we did traverse without trouble.
The cushiony suspension isn’t the only thing that makes this a comfortable ride. When you’ve got enough charge, BYD’s Dual Mode platform intelligently manages electric and petrol-powered driving, resulting in lower noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels than we were expecting. This is also how the Shark 6 achieves its low fuel consumption. BYD claims it can drop to as low as 1.5L/100km, but our figure after a week was closer to 8.0L/100km. That said, if you made the concerted effort, we reckon you could reach a much lower figure, and even outdo BYD’s claimed maximum total range of 670km.
BYD Shark 6 verdict
We ended up enjoying our time in the BYD Shark 6 much more than we thought we would, not unlike our time with the Dolphin Surf. Its striking design sets it apart from other vehicles in the segment, so don’t be surprised if you start getting more looks from strangers, especially when you glide past them in silence.
We wouldn’t mind spending more time in the spacious, modern cabin — we spent more time than we care to admit going through all the settings pages and menus. It has more than enough power for almost every kind of prospective buyer, save for those looking to do serious haulage or ‘bundu bashing’. It could also save you some cash every month if you are switching from a traditional petrol or diesel guzzler.
However, further research regarding your personal setup is advised — if you don’t have somewhere to charge it overnight, and don’t live close to an EV charger, it might not be the best for you. Still, if you’re not too serious about off-roading and have close to a million rand to spend (R960,000 at the time of writing), this is technically the best plug-in hybrid bakkie available in the country. More are coming, but this one gives you bragging rights until they get here.
