BYD Shark 6 towing, suspension, payload upgrades and halo variant coming for GWM Cannon Alpha and Ford Ranger rival

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The BYD Shark 6 ute has taken Australia by storm. It was the first plug-in hybrid ute to arrive here beating the Ford Ranger and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEVs to driveways.

The stats are astounding, with 325kW, all-wheel drive, 100km of electric-only range and a $57,900 sticker price. No wonder it’s sold like hotcakes, with 14,111 sales already this year.

@chasingcarsaustralia

GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV showing the Shark 6 how it’s done off-road – full comparison coming soon #fyp #4wd #ute #bydshark #cannonalpha #gwm #chasingcars

♬ Offroading – ROKKA

But not all is rosy for the Shark 6 ute. Independent Chasing Cars testing found it lacking in a few key areas, including drivability, loose surface traction control capability, and ride comfort. 

Compared to segment benchmarks, Shark 6’s 790kg payload and 2.5-tonne braked towing capacity are behind the eight-ball as well. Speaking to Chasing Cars, BYD Australia COO Stephen Collins acknowledged the ute’s shortcomings. 

“There’s a number of other things that are definitely on our radar, with regard to payload and towing capacity and just other things like that, so absolutely. We’re working hard to bring upgrades as quickly as we can,” said Collins. 

BYD’s philosophy is to constantly improve, with Australian conditions and use cases feeding into vehicle improvement. 

Chasing Cars understands some improvements to the traction control system and off-road drive modes can be implemented via software patches. Naturally, increasing payload and clearances or adding diff-locks requires physical modification. 

“I don’t have timing on all of those factors, but it’s 100 percent on our plan to upgrade as much as we can, as well as with Shark, look at other opportunities,” explained Collins. 

With plenty of share to be had in fleet and flagship, expect to see more Shark 6 variants down the track. 

“We obviously have one grade which is selling 1500 a month, so it’s doing well, but we’re well aware that, down lower in, in more of the fleet space and even up higher, there’s other opportunities,” hinted Collins.  

A next-level Shark 6 could pack knobbly, all-terrain tyres and lifted ride height. There’s also potential for the Denza B5 and B8’s more powerful DMO 4×4 system to feature in the future — bumping hill-climbing and towing ability.

The system is rated at 505kW and 760Nm in China, and brings front and rear differential locks built into the electric motors, plus a two-speed rear transmission for a low-range crawl gear. 

This would take the Shark 6 to the next level.

Collins didn’t deny this is on the cards in the future, but poured cold water on the idea that the impending arrival of Denza B5 and B8 in Australia would make the process any simpler. 

“We’re definitely not resting on our laurels, and we’ll have more to say about that in a little bit,” concluded Collins.