Bad news for Ford Ranger Raptor owners in South Africa

The gap between the Ford Ranger Raptor and South Africa’s most powerful bakkie has gotten even bigger.

The Chinese carmaker BYD has launched a new flagship derivative for the Shark 6 bakkie in South Africa, adding even more power and torque to what was already the country’s most potent double cab.

The new Shark, simply called the Performance, is a notable step up from the existing Premium model, as it swaps the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine for a larger 2.0-litre plant.

On its own, the engine develops 180kW and 380Nm, but this is combined with a pair of electric motors placed over each axle, raising its total output to absurd levels.

The first e-motor generates 200kW and 360Nm, while the second produces 150kW and 340Nm.

Together with the combustion engine, the new Shark puts out an enormous 350kW and 700Nm, making it by far and away the most powerful bakkie on sale in South Africa.

This is notable given that South Africa also has access to the Ford Ranger Raptor, the Blue Oval’s halo model double cab that was specifically developed with performance in mind.

The Raptor is essentially what you get if you combine the body of a pickup truck with the stats of a hot hatchback, as it features a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine not found on any of the other Ranger units.

It also has bespoke rally suspension with 2.5-inch Fox shocks, and an exclusive Baja driving mode, named after the famous Baja 1000 race in Mexico, that keeps the turbocharger spooled up to eliminate turbo lag.

The future is now

With all this in mind, you’d expect the Raptor to be the most high-octane bakkie on the market, but the new Shark has the Raptor beat in nearly every major category.

This mainly comes down to the fact that the Raptor is a pure combustion model, while the BYD is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), showcasing the advantages that come with electrification.

The e-motors are powered by a 29.6kWh battery, which gives the vehicle an all-electric driving range of 80km.

This allows owners to use the Shark like an electric vehicle during the week, charging it at night and only using the fuel tank for longer journeys.

Consequently, BYD claims the Shark has an incredibly low combined fuel consumption of just 1.3l/100km, with the caveat that this assumes you use the electric mode whenever possible.

The Chinese bakkie’s potential fuel savings are particularly relevant given that the Raptor is one of the thirstiest models you can buy, with an official consumption of 11.5l/100km.

You can see how the Raptor and Shark compare in the table below:

Ford doesn’t have an official acceleration stat for the Raptor beyond saying it will do 0 to 100km/h in less than 6 seconds.

However, various reviews have found that the Ranger can make the sprint in around 5.5 seconds, meaning the two bakkies are functionally identical in this aspect.

The Raptor even has a higher top speed despite having lower stats on paper, though one area the American stumbles is its towing figure.

It can only tow 2,500kg, less than the standard Ranger, chiefly due to its special suspension, which prioritises comfort and performance over hauling potential.

Its fuel consumption is also higher, even before you factor in the Shark’s PHEV functions, though it does end with a slightly higher total range when all is said and done.

Critically, the Raptor is also considerably more expensive, as its price has crept up to R1.3 million in the three years it has been on sale in South Africa.

In contrast, the Shark is R1.15 million, which, while certainly not cheap, is R150,000 less than its rival, and arguably makes it a value-for-money option if you are in the market for one of South Africa’s most prestigious double cabs.

BYD Shark 6 Performance

Ford Ranger Raptor