BYD Shark 6 2026: Huge changes coming for Australia’s most popular plug-in hybrid ute to keep Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger in check

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Australia’s favourite plug-in hybrid dual-cab just got a whole lot more appealing.

BYD has confirmed its Shark 6 ute will expand to three distinct grades, now spanning a cheaper $55,900 before on-road costs Dynamic dual-cab chassis, improved $57,900 Premium tub-trayed model, and faster, more capable Performance priced from $62,900.

Both the updated Premium and Dynamic are already on sale, despite pricing for the new price-beater’s tray being presently undecided. The range-topping Performance is set to debut in May. 

BYD’s three-grade strong lineup furthers the Shark’s advantage against the costlier $71,990 Ford Ranger PHEV and $59,990 GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, while keeping segment leaders $45,990 Toyota Hilux and $46,200 Isuzu D-Max on their toes. 

All three Shark 6 grades, including the existing Premium, will benefit from improved all-wheel-drive capability and refined on-road comfort, says BYD, while the range-topping Performance will debut a 3500kg braked towing capacity and turbocharged 2.0-litre ‘Super Hybrid’ drivetrain to the Shark 6 nameplate for the first time.

The new 2.0-litre turbo ‘four develops 350kW (up 29kW) and 700Nm (up 50Nm), lowering the Shark’s 0-100km/h sprint time by 0.2 seconds (now 5.5 seconds). The system claims a combined fuel consumption of 1.5L/100km – 0.5L/100km less than the Shark 6’s existing 1.5-litre system.

The Shark 6 Performance shares a sizable 29.58kWh BYD Blade battery with its cheaper counterparts. It will debut a new ‘crawl mode’ which caps the ute to a maximum of 20km/h when descending steep terrain. 

‘Crawl mode’ will roll out to other variants later in the year through over-the-air updates.

The cheaper Dynamic, as with the Premium, will feature a 2500kg braked towing capacity, while payload remains undetermined for now. BYD offers an optional dealer-fit heavy-duty alloy tray for its Dynamic cab-chassis, featuring eight tie-down points and two storage boxes. A one-tonne carry capacity would further this tray’s appeal to trade customers. 

The Shark 6’s interior appears to remain unchanged across all grades, aside from a smaller 12.8-inch infotainment touch screen for the Dynamic rather than the conventional 15.6-inch unit. A 10.25-inch instrument cluster remains standard. 

Further information regarding BYD’s new Sharks is expected to be released on Friday, 10 April at the Melbourne Motor Show. 

BYD Shark 6: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

• Dynamic cab-chassis: $55,900
• Premium tub-tray: $57,900
• Performance tub-tray: $62,900