The future of bakkies in South Africa: BYD Shark 6
Hungry for Adventure
A few months ago we had the pleasure of testing the BYD Dolphin Surf which was the perfect entry level vehicle to introduce us to the brand.
The BYD Shark 6 however is very different to the other vehicles which we have driven so far: Dolphin, Dolphin Surf, ATTO 2, ATTO 3, Seal 7. Firstly it's the first bakkie / pick-up truck from BYD, and besides the ATTO 2 which we only drove at the launch, it's the first hybrid that we tested from them. Like the Seal, Sealion, Dolphin, ad Dolphin Surf, the Shark 6 forms part of the Ocean Series from BYD.
Combining a 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine with BYD's signature Blade Battery, in this case which is 29.58kWh, and the Super Off-road Hybrid System functionality, the DMO (Dual Mode Off-road) with the AWD (All Wheel Drive) capabilities, it is no wonder there are claims of maximum torque of 650Nm and a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 5.7 seconds.
With thats said, let's take a look what the BYD Shark 6 is all about:
The BYD Shark 6 currently only has one model in South Africa which is the Premium with the Performance said to be launching officially soon.
We tested the BYD Shark 6 Premium.
Exterior
The BYD Shark 6 is available in 4 exterior colours:
- Atlantis Gray
- Sky Black
- Grey Green
- Snowy White
The model we tested was the BYD Shark 6 Premium in Snowy White.
The BYD Shark 6 is fitted with:
- 18-inch Alloy Wheels with a full size spare wheel
Standard exterior features and lighting include:
- Aluminium roof rack
- Shark fin antenna
- Rain sensing wiper
- Electrically heated and adjustable exterior mirrors
- Electrically retractable exterior mirrors
- Heating and defrosting exterior mirrors
- Exterior mirror footlights
- Auto-dimming interior mirror
- Auto windows with anti-trap
- Soundproof glass - front door
- Privacy glass - rear door
- Privacy glass - rear windscreen
- Rear windscreen with electric heating and defrosting
- LED headlight
- Manual headlight height adjustment
- Follow me home headlight
- LED daytime running light
- LED tail-light light
- Fog light - Front
- Fog light - Rear
- Sequential rear indicators
- LED high mount brake light
Optional extra include:
- Towing hook
- Trailer power interface (13 pin)
BYD Shark 6 Gear Selector and Controls
Photo Credits Ziyaad Plaatjes
Safety & Security
The following standard safety and security features are available on the BYD Shark 6:
- Front airbags - driver and front passenger
- Side airbags - driver and front passenger
- Side curtain airbags - front and rear
- Front seat belts - dual-stage pretensioner
- Rear warning force-limited seat belt
- Seat belt reminder - front and rear
- 360 degree camera
- Front parking sensor (2 zones)
- Rear parking sensor (4 zones)
- ISOFIX child restraint anchorage points
- Mechanical child safety lock
- Intelligent power brake system
- Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
- Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)
- Hill Hold Control (HHC)
- Controller Deceleration Parking (CDP)
- Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
- Hill Descent Control (HDC)
- Auto-hold
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane Departure Prevention (LDP)
- Emergency Lane Keeping Assist (ELKA)
- Front Collision Warning (FCW)
- Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
- Rear Collision Warning (RCW)
- Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)
- Intelligent Speed Limit Information (ISLI)
- Intelligent Speed Limit Control (ISLC)
- Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA)
- Front Cross Traffic Brake (FCTB)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- Rear Cross Traffic Brake (RCTB)
- Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
- Door Open Warning (DOW)
- Trailer Stability Control (TSM)
- Adaptive Front Light (AFL)
- Head Up Display (W-HUD)
- Tool kit
Interior
The standard interior features in the BYD Shark 6 are:
- Genuine leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Roof glasses case
- Black imitation leather-wrapped seats
- Driver seat 8-way power adjustable
- Driver seat 4-way lumber power adjustment
- Passenger seat 4-way power adjustable
- Front seats ventilated
- Front seats heated
- Height adjustable head restraints - Front seats
- Height-adjustable head restraints - Rear seats
- Rear row central armrest (with dual cup holders)
- Automatic dual-zone air conditioner
- Rear central air vents
- Fixed side steps
- Front sun-visor with vanity mirror lighting
- LED front reading light
- LED rear side reading light
- Front footlights
- Tub lights x 2
BYD Shark 6 Rear Passenger Seats
Photo Credits Ziyaad Plaatjes
Infotainment System & Technology
The BYD Shark 6 is fitted with:
- 10.25-inch LCD instrumentation
- Steering wheel mounted controls - Audio, phone, ACC and 360 degree camera
- Apple CarPlay (Wireless)
- Android Auto (Wired and Wireless)
- Bluetooth phone connectivity and audio streaming
- 15.6-inch Intellignet Rotating touch screen
- Dynaudio - 12 speakers
- Voice assistant
- 1 x USB-C and 1 x USB-A (Front)
- 1 x USB-C and 1 x USB-A (Rear)
- Keyless entry and start
- Wireless phone charger (50W)
- 12V accessory socket
- AC charging port - Type 2 (7kW)
- Portable charging cable (mode 2)
- DC charging port - CCS 2 (55kw)
- V2L (Vehicle to load) function
- Regenerative braking
Engine & Drivetrain
The BYD Shark 6 makes use of a:
- Hybrid Special Longitudinal 1.5T High-Power Engine
- 29.58kWh BYD Blade Battery
The 1.5T petrol engine produces:
- 135kW Power and 260Nm Torque
Combined with the Blade Battery produces:
- Maximum Power of 321kW and Maximum Torque of 650Nm
There is a Front and Rear Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor, the Front Motor produces:
- 170kW Maximum Power and 310Nm Maximum Torque
and the Rear Motor produces:
- 150kW Maximum Power and 340Nm Maximum Torque
The BYD Shark 6 has an AWD (All Wheel Drive) drivetrain
Fuel economy and Energy Consumption claims for the BYD Shark 6:
- 9.6L / 100km combined fuel consumption
- 212Wh / km energy consumption
with a combined range of 670km
The Fuel Tank for the BYD Shark 6 is:
- 59 Litres
BYD Shark 6 Close-Up Rear Side View
Photo Credits Ziyaad Plaatjes
Pricing
The BYD Shark 6 Premium is priced at R989 900
Warranty
The BYD Shark 6 comes standard with a:
- 5 year / 150 000 km warranty plan
- 8 year / 200 000km power blade battery warranty
Maintenance Plan
The BYD Shark 6 also includes a:
- 5 year / 100 000 km maintenance plan
Competitors
Changan Hunter K50 REEV from R799 900
Ford Ranger Raptor from R1 307 300
GWM P-Series P500 from R799 900
GWM P-Series HEV from R999 900
Toyota Hilux Double Cab Legend MHEV from R999 900
VW Amarok DC Aventura from R1 259 700
Verdict
The BYD Shark 6 has lived up to all the hype.
Despite the fact that we weren't drag racing with it or attempting to climb mountains with it, which most people have been seen doing with their BYD Shark 6, we still thoroughly enjoyed it.
The V2L (Vehicle to Load) functionality was probably the feature we liked the most, especially since we did not have power at our home. Fortunately all it took was plugging in a extension cord in the socket in the bin to power up our essentials in the home. The plus side is that because it is a hybrid this operation comes without any noise which you would normally get with a petrol / diesel bakkie, almost like a silent generator.
What was quite impressive was the suspension, unlike most Chinese that don't fair very well off-road the BYD Shark 6 made the climb effortlessly.
Smart features like the rotating screen, and the layout of the cockpit with an almost high-performance look and feel with the controls and the ignition button, make it a perfect overall hybrid blend.
Globally this bakkie / pick-up truck has gained a ton of attention and has built a strong owner community - we can see why.
Fuel and energy consumption were not what we would have hoped, but neither was the range. Although if you do manage to only charge the vehicle you could end up saving quite a bit on your fuel bill. We did not test the charging time and speed at a charging station, but we did test the regeneration of the battery charge while driving the vehicle, which is just as important as many owners of the vehicle might find themselves in a situation where they are unable to charge the vehicle as often as they would like to. Of the 59l tank of petrol we use 34.1l according to the onboard analytics. We covered a total of and were left with what looked like a quarter tank of fuel and charge, 155km for the petrol gauge and 25% for the battery gauge.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ / 10
Ziyaad Plaatjes is the Co-Founder of iloveza.com & Let's Torque ZA, the Founder of the After Fajr Grind Academy, a Radio Co-Host for a youth focussed programme, Level Up, on Radio Islam International, previously a Radio Host for the longest running award-winning Motoring show in South Africa - Bumper2Bumper on Cii Radio, and a Brand South Africa Play Your Part Ambassador, who was named one of Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans in the Arts, Entertainment, Film & Media Category.
He is a Bachelor of Commerce Honours graduate and has been running businesses since the age of 13. Ziyaad is a social media fundi and content creator, but has taken on many roles in various industries over the years. With his entrepreneurial skills and vast knowledge he assists individuals and businesses to grow and achieve their goals.
Find him at: Instagram: @ziyaad_86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii X: @ziyaad86 / @ilovezacom / @letstorqueza / @b2bcii Facebook: iloveza.com / Let's Torque ZA LinkedIn: Ziyaad Plaatjes / iloveza.com YouTube: iloveza.com SoundCloud: iloveza.com / Radio Islam International TikTok: @ilovezacom / @b2bcii Threads: @ilovezacom iono.fm: Bumper2Bumper Hashtags: #AfterFajrGrind #iloveza❤️🇿🇦 #LetsTorqueZA #LevelUp #B2BCii #WheresDaddyZA E-mail: ziyaad@iloveza.com
