BYD's hybrid answer to monster utes such as the Ford F-Series, Toyota Tundra, Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado coming to Oz? Australian CEO hopes so!
- by Carsguide.com.au
- Oct 16, 2024
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Ironically, it is Ram’s march upmarket that provides BYD with a compelling opportunity for an affordable full-sized ute in Australia.
The discontinuation of Ram’s bestselling entry-level DS 1500 Express from $82,950 (all prices are before on-road costs) in 2023 means the next-cheapest is now Ford’s F-150 XLT from $106,950, while the least-expensive DT Ram is the 1500 Big Horn that normally starts from $119,950.
With Ram 1500 volume subsequently halving since the DS' demise as evidence of a gap in the segment, the return of a sub-$100K full-sized ute should find a receptive audience in Australia.
So, what would a BYD full-sized ute look like?
2025 BYD Leopard 8
Nobody knows, except that it would have to be an even bigger and bolder take on the Shark 6, with more attitude and brashness to go with the extended length, width, height and wheelbase.
Luckily for fans of BYD, the basis for a big ute might already exist in China, courtesy of the company’s fledgling off-road brand, Fang Cheng Bao, and its new Leopard 8.
Aimed at the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, it is a full-sized SUV using a body-on-frame chassis dubbed Dual Mode Off-road (DMO) architecture, complete with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power.
In this instance, it combines a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor underneath driving the front wheels, a second electric motor over the back axle for four-wheel drive and a circa-37kWh Blade Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery pack nestled within the chassis.
2025 BYD Leopard 8 PHEV chassis
This sounds like the perfect basis for a future Shark 9 full-sized ute – and it’s not as if BYD hasn’t tried this exact same formula before, either.
Fang Cheng Bao also makes a midsized SUV alternative to the Toyota Prado and GWM Tank 500 in China, using a scaled-down version of the DMO component set, called the Leopard 5. Expected in Australia sometime next year, it happens to be the basis of the Shark 6 as well.
Leopard 5 = Shark 6; Leopard 8 = Shark 9.
While the Shark 6 is the first ute with a PHEV powertrain period, Ram might beat BYD to the punch in Australia, thanks to the 1500 Ramcharger.
2025 BYD Shark 6
As yet unconfirmed for our market, it pairs a 3.6-litre petrol V6 with a 250kW electric motor up front, a 238kW one on the rear axle and a 92kWh battery, for a claimed EV-only capability of 233km and a combined PHEV range of 1110km.
However, given Ram’s lofty pricing, it would be difficult to imagine that Ateco could price the 1500 Ramcharger under $150,000.
Finally, were the Shark 9 to happen, would BYD be the first brand to offer an original factory-built right-hand-drive full-sized ute in Australia? Tundra, F-Series, Ram and Silverado are all converted from LHD stock sourced from North America.
Would you like to see a big brother to the Shark 6, complete with an advanced PHEV 4WD powertrain, sold in Australia for substantially under $100,000?
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