BYD’s Shark 6 pickup to launch in Pakistan next week

KARACHI: BYD Pakistan is set to launch its Shark 6 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) on July 25 as the country’s first PHEV in the pickup truck segment.

While the company has not disclosed the price of the vehicle yet, one can look to the double cabin/pickup segment including conventional fuel-driven models such as the Toyota Hilux Revo, ISUZU D-Max, and JAC T9 Hunter for comparison.

Prices of such fuel-driven vehicles range from Rs10 to Rs20 million. BYD’s product could cost more in comparison with conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs) running on gasoline or diesel.

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Pakwheels.com estimates the expected price to fall between Rs19 million to 20 million.

Experts say when it comes to various parameters and features, the PHEV is likely to be far better than fuel-driven vehicles.

Auto analyst Usman Ansari told Business Recorder not a lot of user feedback is available for BYD as it is not a very old brand.

However, he said the double cabin/pickup segment generally include off-road vehicles (ORVs) that are useful to drive on uneven surfaces, rural areas, mountains and hills. They are less suited for cities.

“Local people love them because of its huge size and because they are some kind of status symbol here.”

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In the past, there has been a misconception that Pakistanis do not buy Chinese-made vehicles, but cars made by Haval, BYD and Changan have been gaining popularity thanks to their performance, attractive features, low price and comfort.

Two BYD cars are currently available in the market in Pakistan - the Atto 3, which has an ex-factory price of Rs9 million, and the Seal, which costs between Rs15 million to Rs17 million.

BYD officially launched the Shark 6 in its global debut on May 14, 2024, during an event held in Mexico, where the vehicle costs between $50,000 - $60,000.

That marked BYD’s first-ever pickup to be introduced on the world stage outside China. Since then, the Shark 6 PHEV has rolled out to various markets globally, including Australia, as well as Brazil, Philippines and South Africa.

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According to BYD’s website, the Shark 6 comes equipped with a Hybrid Special 1.5 litre turbo high-power engine that, in conjunction with the BYD Blade battery, has 321kw of power and 650Nm of torque maximum output. It comes with features like Hill Hold Control, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Hill Descent Control and Auto-Hold.