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Yes, BYD Australia is passing on local feedback on the Shark 6 to head office in China.
BYD is looking at improving the off-road capability of its big-selling Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute.
In an interview with Drive, BYD Australia’s chief operating officer, Stephen Collins, said the brand was looking to satisfy the requirements of those who want to take their Shark 6 on more arduous off-road terrain.
“We are really, really proud of Shark and we're very, very proud of the customer reaction, the market position it's in … but having said that, I don't think anything's perfect,” conceded Collins.
“So we are constantly feeding back where there's opportunities to improve, where there's opportunities to upgrade… We'll have a bit more to say about that in the coming months with some improvements we'll make later in the year,” he said.
Revealed in government regulatory documentation, the uprated Shark 6 variant will exchange the current 135kW 1.5-litre engine for a beefier 2.0-litre unit developing 180kW.
It‘s also set to swap the old 170kW front electric motor for a 200kW unit, with combined output nudging up from 321kW to 345kW.
But outright power was never the Shark 6’s issue. Putting it to the ground effectively in off-road scenarios seems a thornier problem.
When asked whether superior off-road capability was a priority for the next update to the Shark 6, Collins accepted that certain buyers will demand it.
“It's certainly on our radar. But also, not every customer wants severe off-road capability and that type of thing. So there are customers that do for sure and we want to cater for those customers, but there's a fair size of customers that don't need that capability,” Collins explained.
“So we're looking at how we can cater for both types of customers. And again, later in the year, I think we'll have some good options in that area,” he said.
“I mean, it did fill a niche,” added Collins, already referring to the current car in the past tense.
“But it's a pretty bloody big niche. We're selling on average probably 1200 a month with one spec, one grade. So it really has hit a sweet spot,” he said. And it’s hard to argue that point.
“Like I said, we just know that there's other opportunities for it. And fleet's another one. There's just other opportunities that can really, I think, make it go to the next level in the next 12 months.
“We're pretty excited about that,” he said.
So watch this space. We may well be getting the rougher, tougher BYD Shark 6 that many have asked for.
Andy brings almost 30 years automotive writing experience to his role at Drive. When he wasn’t showing people which way the Nürburgring went, he freelanced for outlets such as Car, Autocar, and The Times. After contributing to Top Gear Australia, Andy subsequently moved Down Under, serving as editor at MOTOR and Wheels. As Drive’s Road Test Editor, he’s at the heart of our vehicle testing, but also loves to spin a long-form yarn.
