The BYD Shark 6 DMO is set to shake up the pickup segment
Pickup trucks will always have that certain bit of unrefinement associated with them, whether it’s the rattly diesel engine, uncomfortable cabin, or harsh ride. But BYD Cars Philippines wants to change that with the introduction of the Shark 6 DMO plug-in hybrid pickup truck.
Now, this isn’t necessarily the first PHEV pickup that we saw, as that honor goes to the Changan Hunter REEV that was shown off at last year’s Philippine International Motor Show. The Shark manages to beat it to the punch by, you know, actually launching.
Coming in two variants, the Advanced at Php 2,098,000 and the Premium for Php 2,298,000.
Arguably the biggest thing to get excited about is this vehicle’s DMO powertrain. It stands for Dual Mode Offroad. It is a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that mates a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, dual electric motors, and a 29.6kWh BYD Blade (LFP) battery.
The combined output is a healthy 435 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque that is sent to all four wheels, and can propel this massive pickup to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds. Charging is done via the CCS2/Type 2 port on the side and can charge up to 55kW via DC fast charging, filling the battery from 30 to 80% in 25 minutes.
It’s capable of driving up to 100 km on pure electric power alone, with stretching up to 800 km on a single tank of gas from its 60L fuel tank. In fact, the manufacturer did an AAP-certified run of the Shark 6 from BGC to Pagudpud and back, and they were able to cover 1,114.3 km on a single tank and charge.
The truck’s off-road capabilities are also unaffected. It uses a ladder frame where the battery is integrated within the chassis for improved rigidity and has additional protection, a wading depth of up to 700mm, a ground clearance of 230mm, an approach angle of 31 degrees, a break-over angle of 17 degrees, and a departure angle of 19.5 degrees. Finally, there’s an independent rear suspension and multiple terrain modes.
The Shark measures 5,455mm long, 1,970mm wide, and 1,925mm tall. It’s available in three colors: Deep Sea Blue, Cosmos Black, and Aurora White.
It has an imposing front fascia with a large light signature with a massive “BYD” emblem within the grille and rides on 18-inch two-tone wheels shod by highway terrain tires (Giti Xross HT71 at 265/65). There is a step board as standard, with the Premium variant getting functional roof rails and a sports bar.
The rear end may look plain with a light bar, but this is where the Shark has a few novel features. The tailgate is semi-power assisted, meaning it can deploy itself via buttons in the cabin, the screen, the tailgate, or the key fob. It isn’t fully power-operated, which means you’ll have to put it back up yourself.
The bed comes standard with a liner, bed lights, and even several outlets for the Vehicle-to-Load system, capable of up to 6kW of power delivery.
Compared to other BYDs, the Shark 6’s interior is more rugged-looking. It’s black with orange accents and has leather upholstery all around. The rear seats are more reclined than your usual pickup truck, lending for a more comfortable ride at the back, especially with a wheelbase of 3,260mm.
BYD’s signature rotating 12.8-inch touchscreen is front and center with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver. There is a cooled 50W wireless charger, a power outlet for the rear seats, and sound is piped through eight speakers.
The Premium variant also adds a heads-up display, an air purification system, heated and ventilated front seats, and the full suite of DiPilot advanced driver assistance systems.
Regardless, both variants come with a 360-degree camera and parking sensors front and back, on top of standard safety systems.
Just like its other siblings, the Shark 6 DMO has a six-year/150,000 km vehicle warranty for the car, an eight-year/160,000 km battery warranty, and an eight-year/150,000 km warranty for the electric motors. Is this enough to tempt you away from your usual pickup trucks?
Photos by Sam Surla
