The popularity of the BYD Shark 6 won’t be significantly impacted by the imminent release of the Ford Ranger PHEV, which combines similar plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) powertrain technology with Australia’s favourite dual-cab ute for the first time, says the local arm of the Chinese car manufacturer.
On sale now priced from $71,990 before on-road costs ahead of first deliveries later this month, the Ford Ranger PHEV is the first electrified version of the locally developed Ranger, Australia’s best-selling vehicle bar none in 2023 and 2024.
The BYD Shark 6 beat Ford to the punch – as did the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV – in becoming the first ute to offer a PHEV powertrain, albeit with a smaller 1.5-litre petrol engine versus the Cannon Alpha’s 2.0-litre petrol engine and the Ranger’s 2.3-litre petrol unit.
Yet the BYD also has a much lower $57,990 plus on-roads starting price than the Ranger PHEV (and the Cannon Alpha PHEV at $61,490 drive-away).
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The Shark 6 has quickly become BYD’s hottest ticket, accounting for more than half of the brand’s total sales by the end of April this year – and almost three times the volume of its next-best seller, the Sealion 6 PHEV mid-size SUV.
But the Ranger PHEV’s arrival won’t upset that momentum, says BYD Australia senior product planning manager Sajid Hasan.
“I wouldn’t say that we’re worried,” Mr Hasan told CarExpert.
“We respect them, direct competitors, but we’re more focused on ourselves and working to expand the Shark 6 lineup and see where that takes us.”
BYD Australia has already confirmed a bigger 2.0-litre powertrain is on the way for the Shark 6 – along with a cab/chassis body style – to match dual-cab ute category benchmarks including a 3500kg braked towing capacity.
But the Shark 6’s larger powertrain may not arrive until 2027, before which time electrified versions of an array of new and existing utes including the popular Toyota HiLux are expected to arrive in local showrooms.
Therefore the Ranger PHEV will hold onto its capability advantage over the Shark 6 – albeit for a higher price – for the time being.
“Genuinely, internally, there’s a huge amount of respect for our competitors,” BYD Australia and New Zealand Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Hornstein told CarExpert.
“We are the new kid on the block, so to speak, when we talk about Ford and it would be incredibly remiss of us to be dismissive of their new technology.
“They have been doing this for a century – over a century – and we are very respectful of that, especially in the ute market.
“But I do think when we carve out the customer for the Shark, and when we carve out the future product in this segment, I think – what I’ve seen from a customer perspective, not necessarily from a product perspective – that there are loyalists in both.
“I think it’s very hard for us to try and tell, let’s say, a Ford loyalist to try something new, and that’s okay.
“I think we’re in a fortunate position that unit adoption is so high that there’s a place for all of us.”
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