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BYD's most powerful and capable Shark 6 ute, now with 3500kg tow rating, will still be cheaper than a Toyota HiLux SR5 on arrival in May.
The powered-up 350kW 2.0-litre version of the 2026 BYD Shark 6 ute will cost $5000 more than the 1.5-litre version that has clocked up more than 21,000 deliveries in Australia to date.
The Shark 6 Performance is due in showrooms in May, rated to be capable of 3500kg towing and priced from $62,900 plus on-road costs – up from the $57,900 plus on-roads of the current Premium grade that is limited to 2500kg.
Combined with a new $55,900 plus on-road costs Dynamic variant, BYD's ute line-up now comprises three trim grades, all dual-cabs with five seats.
Despite the higher price, the Performance is still cheaper than a Toyota HiLux SR5 ($65,990 plus on-roads) or Ford Ranger XLT V6 diesel ($67,990 plus on-roads), the top sellers in the category.
The Performance is understood to look identical to the Premium, but justifies its badge with a more powerful plug-in hybrid system combining a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with dual electric motors.
BYD claims outputs of 350kW and 700Nm, up from 321kW/650Nm in the Premium, for a zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 5.5 seconds, an improvement of 0.2sec.
On paper, it also claims to use less fuel than the 1.5-litre version, at 1.3 litres per 100 kilometres in lab testing when the battery has more than 25 per cent charge available to deplete, down from 2.0L/100km.
There is no change to the 29.58kWh battery pack. BYD has not quoted an electric-only range for the Performance, but its cheaper sibling lists 100km.
Australian government approval documents show the higher system outputs are based around a 2.0-litre engine producing 180kW, up from 135kW in the Premium.
It assists a 200kW front electric motor sourced from the Denza B5 luxury 4WD – up from 170kW – plus the Premium's 150kW rear electric motor.
Homologation data lists the 2.0-litre Shark 6 at 2738kg tare, up from 2675kg in the 1.5-litre, but with an unchanged 3500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM), resulting in a payload cut from 825kg to 762kg.
The Shark 6 Performance does not inherit the related Denza B5's front and rear differential locks or low-range rear transfer case, to improve upon the mixed reception the Premium's off-road abilities have garnered.
However, it debuts a new Crawl Mode, which BYD claims "limits the Shark 6 to a maximum of 20km/h and continuously adjusts torque to keep the wheels moving without slipping."
It builds upon the existing Mountain Mode, and after its debut on the Performance, is planned to be available to Shark 6 Premium and Dynamic owners "later in the year" through an over-the-air software update.
All Shark 6s can run as fully-electric vehicles, 'series' hybrids that use the petrol engine to generate electricity, and as 'parallel' hybrids, where the engine directly drives the wheels to sustain power under load, such as towing.
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology capable of supplying up to 6.6kW to external electrical devices is standard across the Shark 6 line-up.
Full specifications of the Shark 6 Performance are yet to be published, but BYD has confirmed it will share the Premium's 15.6-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a 360-degree camera.
It is expected to mirror the rest of the cheaper grade's equipment list, including leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, a head-up display, wireless phone charging, and dual-zone climate control.
Expressions of interest are open now for the 2026 BYD Shark 6 Performance, ahead of showroom arrivals in May.
2026 BYD Shark 6 price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
