New BYD Shark plug-in hybrid to attack UK pick-up truck market
BYD’s first pick-up truck will feature a plug-in hybrid set-up with more efficiency than a Ford Ranger...
On sale Late 2026 Price from £35,000 (est)
The 1975 blockbuster Jaws was hugely successful, earning high box-office returns, several awards and three sequels, but things weren’t so good for the main villain in the film: the great white shark. Following its release, the reputation of the great white shark went downhill, with many blaming the film for perpetuating bad stereotypes and worsening fears of swimming in the ocean. The new BYD Shark, then, has a lot to prove if it wants to gain the public’s approval.
Due to be revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month, BYD has confirmed its Shark double-cab pick-up truck will be sold here in the UK, hoping to take a bite out of sales of the Ford Ranger.
Full UK specifications have yet to be confirmed, but BYD has said the Shark will come with a 429bhp four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system, which can launch it from 0-62mph in 5.7sec – far punchier than a Ranger PHEV. It will also be capable of officially travelling 55 miles on electric power alone, which is much farther than the 27 miles of the Ranger.
The Shark is also sold in Australia, another right-hand-drive market where it’s known as the Shark 6, and it’s available with either a 1.5-litre petrol engine (with the 429bhp power output) or a 2.0-litre engine with 469bhp. While the former has been confirmed for the UK, it seems the more powerful 2.0-litre unit won’t be coming here.
In Australia, both variants receive a 29.6kWh battery which can be charged at speeds of up to 55kW.
The Shark has space inside for five occupants, and is capable of towing up to 2500kg, which isn’t quite as much as the 3500kg capacity of the Ranger. It has a 1200-litre load bed and a payload capacity of 790kg. Again, the Ranger is more capable.
While only a double-cab variant of the Shark has been officially confirmed for the UK, it remains to be seen whether other bodystyles from other markets – such as a chassis-cab – will be offered here, too.
The Shark could be a tempting offering for company car drivers, who no longer benefit from the tax breaks previously available with double-cab pick-up trucks. Since double-cabs are now classed as private instead of commercial vehicles, how much benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax you pay depends on the car’s CO2 emissions. The Shark has an official emissions figure of 46g/km, making it more efficient than the Ranger PHEV and meaning it could fall into a lower tax band.
While official pricing for the BYD Shark has yet to be announced, we’d expect it to undercut the Ranger PHEV, which starts at £40,830 (excluding VAT).
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