The new BYD Shark is coming to South Africa in 2025, as reported by Chinese media.
While the automaker has yet to make an official announcement in this regard, Chinese publication Bitauto reports that the plug-in hybrid double cab is scheduled to reach local shores within the early months of 2025.
This comes as little surprise to those in the know. The Shark has been tipped for a local introduction for about as long as we’ve been aware of the bakkie’s existence.
At the start of 2024, it was found that BYD filed a trademark application for the Shark nameplate in South Africa, which combined with the popularity of the silhouette in the domestic market, provided a strong indication that it would eventually come to our roads.
Since then, it went on sale in other bakkie-mad countries such as Australia and Latin America, which fueled the possibility that South Africa was in the pipeline.
All that remains is for BYD itself to make the big announcement, which we reckon will come sooner rather than later.
What to expect
When it comes to the BYD catalogue, the South African and Australian markets share many similarities.
We can thus look at what the bakkie offers in the Land Down Under to gain a better perspective of what might be on the way to Mzansi.
The Shark will be one of the largest vehicles in its segment upon its arrival, with imposing dimensions of 5,457mm in length, 1,971mm in width, and 1,925mm in height.
This is significantly bigger than the nation’s best-selling bakkie, the Toyota Hilux, and almost equal to the new GWM P500 which will undoubtedly be the BYD’s biggest competitor.
Another standout quality of the new Shark is its semi-electric powertrain.
In Australia, it’s shipped with a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine complemented by two e-motors, one at the front and one at the rear.
The system generates an aggregate output of 321kW and 650Nm which is more than any other bakkie currently for sale in South Africa.
The impressive grunt propels the BYD from 0-100km/h in a hot hatch-rivalling 5.7 seconds while still allowing a decent maximum braked towing capacity of 2,500kg.
Courtesy of the hybrid setup the bakkie is fitted with a 29.58kWh battery pack which further enables a driving range of 100km on nothing but electrons.
When the fuel tank and batteries work together, BYD claims the Shark can travel up to 800km before needing a top-up.
As with many of the manufacturer’s other vehicles, the Shark additionally supports Vehicle-to-Load functionality that enables the owner to charge or power external devices using the bakkie’s big battery.
Along with the impressive driveline, the Shark comes with a host of creature comforts sure to satisfy the more lifestyle-focused bakkie buyer.
Among the highlights are a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, electric seats with heating and ventilation wrapped in imitation leather, a 15.6-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-speaker stereo, a 50W wireless charging pad, dual-zone climate control, a heads-up display, and adaptive LED lights.
It’s also delivered with an extensive suite of driver aids such as 360-degree cameras, intelligent cruise control, lane-departure warning and prevention, blind-spot detection, traffic sign recognition, and front and rear cross-traffic alert.
In the Oceanic nation, the Shark retails for a starting price of AU$57,900 which equates to around R674,900 at current exchange rates.
However, BYD’s vehicles are usually noticeably more affordable in Australia than they are here, so expect the Shark to sell for closer to seven figures.
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