Here's when the new BYD Shark will go on sale in SA

Launch timing for the new BYD Shark has finally been locked in for South Africa. Here’s when this 320 kW plug-in hybrid bakkie is scheduled to hit the local market…

Back in October 2024, we reported that the new BYD Shark was set to launch in South Africa at some point in 2025. Now, the Chinese brand’s local division has confirmed when this year its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) bakkie is due to hit the local market.

BYD Auto South Africa told Cars.co.za it plans to launch the new Shark in March 2025. That suggests the Shark will beat Ford’s upcoming electrified Ranger (which is technically not yet confirmed for SA, despite the fact it will be built here) to market as Mzansi’s first PHEV bakkie.

Thanks to a peak system-power figure as high as 320 kW, this new double-cab contender – which we believe will adopt the “Shark 6” badge locally, as used in markets such as Australia and New Zealand – will also immediately grab the title of South Africa’s most powerful bakkie from the 292 kW Ford Ranger Raptor.

Interestingly, certain local BYD dealerships have already opened “pre-orders” for the new Shark. From what we understand, initial units are expected to start rolling onto dealership floors towards the end of March 2025. Of course, local pricing has yet to be announced.

As we reported earlier, the Chinese new-energy automaker applied to register the “BYD Shark” trademark in South Africa at the end of January 2024. Revealed in May 2024, the Shark employs a ladder-frame chassis and is the brand’s first attempt at a bakkie. It features independent suspension at each corner (rather than traditional leaf springs at the rear), while the battery pack is integrated into the platform.

The powertrain comprises a turbocharged 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine combined with a plug-in hybrid system featuring a 29.6 kWh battery pack and an electric motor on each axle. Peak system outputs stand at 320 kW and 650 Nm (170 kW and 310 Nm up front, and 150 kW and 340 Nm at the rear), while 3 terrain modes are on offer, along with a so-called “virtual” differential lock. For the most part, the petrol engine acts as a generator (to top up the battery) and is only capable of directly driving the front wheels at speeds higher than 70 kph.

BYD claims the Shark can complete the obligatory 0-100 kph sprint in 5.7 seconds, before topping out at 160 kph. According to the Chinese firm, the lithium-iron phosphate battery pack offers an all-electric NEDC range of up to 100 km, which pushes the combined range to a claimed 840 km. BYD says the battery’s state of charge will move from 30 to 80% in approximately 20 minutes when using a 55 kW DC fast charger.

According to the international press material, the 5-seater plug-in bakkie has a payload of 835 kg (with the load bed measuring 1 520 mm by 1 500 mm by 517 mm), a towing capacity of 2 500 kg and a ground clearance (with maximum load) of 210 mm. The listed approach, departure and breakover angles are 31, 19.3 and 30 degrees, respectively.

Measuring 5 457 mm from nose to tail, the BYD Shark – which stands 1 971 mm wide and 1 925 mm tall – is a considerable 107 mm longer than a Ranger double cab, while featuring a 10 mm shorter wheelbase (at 3 260 mm) than that of the Blue Oval brand’s bakkie. Inside, you’ll find a 12.8-inch multimedia rotating screen and a 10.25-inch LCD instrument panel, along with a 12-inch head-up display and wireless smartphone charging.

Currently, BYD markets only fully electric vehicles in South Africa – in the form of the Dolphin, Atto 3 and Seal – though the imminent arrival of the Shark and indeed the Sealion 6 will see the Chinese firm enter the local PHEV space.