BYD Shark 6 Review: Worth All the Attention

The BYD Shark 6 had always been a bit of a unicorn to me. All I’d ever heard were good things. I’d watched videos of it outperforming sports cars on the track and, every time I saw one on the road with its imposing front end and distinctive headlights, I couldn’t help but stare.

The Shark 6 is one of those vehicles that arrived in South Africa and immediately got people talking. Those who had driven it seemed to love it. Those who didn’t usually had one reason: they’d already bought a Ford Ranger Raptor.

The day finally came when I got my chance behind the wheel. Funnily enough, it happened during a vehicle swap. I handed back the keys to the Nissan Navara Warrior and was immediately given the keys to the Shark 6. Both were finished in white, yet one attracted far more attention than the other. I’ll let you guess which one.

Seeing the Shark 6 up close only reinforced what I’d thought from afar. It looked even better in person, and before I’d even driven a single kilometre, I had a feeling this was going to be a very good week.

Exterior: Bold by Design

The defining feature of the Shark 6’s design is undoubtedly its lighting. Up front, a full-width LED light bar stretches across the face of the vehicle before wrapping around the main headlights, almost like a pair of sunglasses. It’s a simple design element, but one that gives the Shark 6 an unmistakable presence, day or night.

The same treatment continues at the rear, where another full-width light bar ties the tailgate together. It gives the bakkie a modern, futuristic look that stands apart from the more traditional designs we’re used to seeing in this segment.

Beyond that, it is still a bakkie, but one that has been executed exceptionally well. The oversized BYD lettering across the grille leaves no doubt about what you’re looking at. This isn’t another diesel double cab trying to blend in with the crowd. It proudly embraces its own identity.

Black cladding around the wheel arches and bumpers also helps break up the white paintwork nicely, adding a touch of ruggedness without looking overdone. Personally, though, I think the Shark 6 looks its best in black. The darker paint amplifies its already imposing stance and gives it an even stronger road presence.

It may not reinvent what a bakkie looks like, but thanks to its bold lighting signature and confident styling, the Shark 6 is one of the best-looking newcomers to enter the segment in recent years.

Interior: Not Your Typical Bakkie Cabin

This is where the Shark 6 really begins to distance itself from traditional bakkies.

If I were to blindfold you and place you in the driver’s seat, your first guess probably wouldn’t be that you’re sitting in a double cab. Instead, you’d think you were in a luxury SUV.

The cabin is genuinely impressive. Perforated faux leather seats, a massive infotainment display, soft-touch materials in all the right places and a uniquely designed centre console immediately give the interior a premium feel. Then there are the orange accents scattered throughout the cabin. Yes, orange accents in a bakkie, almost as if BYD wanted to remind you that this isn’t just another workhorse.

It all comes together remarkably well. In fact, I’d go as far as saying this is the most premium cabin I’ve experienced in any bakkie to date. The materials feel well chosen, the layout is modern without being overwhelming, and there’s a level of sophistication that simply isn’t expected in this segment.

Comfort is another area where the Shark 6 excels. The front seats are supportive and make long journeys effortless, while the rear bench is surprisingly accommodating. Like most double cabs, rear legroom isn’t limitless, but it is better than many of its rivals and, combined with the quality of the seats and cabin materials, makes the rear feel like somewhere passengers would happily spend time rather than merely endure.

The whole interior is enveloped with black roof lining to give you that luxury look and feeling.

The Shark 6 doesn’t just challenge what a bakkie should look like from the outside. Once you step inside, it challenges what a bakkie should feel like too.

Tech & Features: Every Gadget You Could Ask For

First things first: The screen rotates.

• 

• 

Whether you want the 15.6-inch infotainment display in landscape or portrait mode is entirely up to you. Is it a useful feature? Not really. Is it a cool party trick to show your friends? Absolutely. It’s something BYD has become known for across its range, so it was never going to leave the Shark 6 out.

Thankfully, the gimmicks stop there because the rest of the technology is genuinely excellent.

The infotainment system is responsive and easy to use, while wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect seamlessly every time. Having recently stepped out of a Nissan Navara Warrior, where Apple CarPlay still required a cable, it was refreshing to simply get in, drive off and let the system do the rest.

Music lovers are also well catered for thanks to the Dynaudio sound system. It delivers a rich, crisp sound that once again makes you forget you’re sitting in a double cab. Pair that with the Shark’s impressively quiet cabin and you’ve got one of the better in-car audio experiences you’ll find in this segment.

BYD has also thought about the smaller details. The wireless charging pad is actively cooled to prevent your phone from overheating, while both USB-A and USB-C ports are available for those who still prefer a cable. The steering wheel combines traditional buttons with rotary controls, giving quick access to commonly used functions such as the camera system, and its split-spoke design adds another unique touch to the cabin.

Speaking of cameras, the Shark 6 has one of the most comprehensive monitoring systems I’ve experienced in a bakkie. The 360-degree camera provides an excellent view of your surroundings, while the transparent chassis function allows you to see what’s underneath the vehicle when navigating tricky terrain. Even more useful is the blind spot camera feed that automatically appears when you indicate, helping you avoid clipping curbs or misjudging tight spaces.

The technology extends beyond the driving experience too. The infotainment system allows you to control various vehicle functions, including the windows, doors and even the electronically operated tailgate. If that wasn’t enough, the voice assistant can perform many of those same tasks with a simple spoken command.

Then there’s one feature that outdoor enthusiasts will genuinely appreciate. Hidden beneath a flap in the load bed is a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) outlet, allowing the Shark 6 to power external appliances. Whether you’re camping, working on site or dealing with a power outage at home, the Shark can effectively become a large mobile generator.

The Shark 6 doesn’t just throw technology at you for the sake of it. Almost every feature feels purposeful, and by the end of the week I found myself using many of them without even thinking. It is easily one of the most technologically advanced bakkies on sale today.

Performance & Drive: Where the Shark Bites

What an unusual experience; you climb into this big double cab, press the start button and pull away… in complete silence.

That’s because the Shark 6 is a plug-in hybrid, pairing a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and battery pack. Depending on the driving mode, it can run purely on electric power, while the petrol engine joins the party when you need extra performance or when driving in Hybrid (HEV) mode. Switch into Sport or one of the off-road modes and the engine is ready to make its presence known.

As someone who genuinely enjoys driving electric vehicles, this wasn’t strange to me. In fact, it was exactly what I love about electrified motoring. Coming straight out of a Nissan Navara Warrior with its burly 3.0-litre diesel soundtrack, the Shark’s near-silent operation was a welcome change of pace.

Then you put your foot down. The Shark 6 produces an astonishing 430hp (321kW) and 650Nm of torque. Those are sports car numbers, and because it’s a plug-in hybrid, all that electric torque arrives instantly. The result is a bakkie that launches with an urgency that genuinely catches you off guard. It’s quick enough to embarrass a Volkswagen Golf GTI and even an Audi S3 away from the lights. Reading those figures on paper is one thing. Experiencing them from behind the wheel is something else entirely.

Fuel economy is another area where the Shark completely rewrites the rulebook. Bakkies have never been known for sipping fuel, yet the Shark 6 proves that doesn’t have to be the case. On one 21.3km journey, it consumed just one litre of petrol and 0.8kWh of electricity, working out to an effective fuel consumption of around 4.7L/100km while still benefiting from electric assistance.

To put that into perspective, its petrol consumption was remarkably close to that of a Suzuki Swift or Toyota Corolla Hybrid over a similar distance, despite the Shark 6 being a significantly larger and heavier double cab. Compared with traditional rivals such as the Nissan Navara Warrior and Ford Ranger Raptor, the savings in everyday running costs are impossible to ignore.

I also drove with the regenerative braking set to its highest setting, allowing the vehicle to recover as much energy as possible. In stop-start traffic, it wasn’t uncommon to see the remaining electric range increase by as much as 5km as the system harvested energy that would otherwise have been wasted.

While the design turns heads and the cabin impresses the moment you climb inside, it is only once you start driving the Shark 6 that you truly understand what makes it special. This isn’t just another bakkie with a battery. It’s a genuinely brilliant plug-in hybrid that redefines what a double cab can be.

Price & Verdict

The BYD Shark 6 Premium is priced from R989,900.

There’s a saying doing the rounds in South Africa these days that you need at least a million rand to buy a decent car. That’s certainly true if your search begins and ends with the traditional German brands. The Chinese manufacturers, however, have completely rewritten the value equation, and the Shark 6 is perhaps one of the best examples of that.

For just under R1 million, you get virtually everything you could ask for. A premium interior, outstanding technology, sports car-rivalling performance, plug-in hybrid efficiency and enough practicality to satisfy both family buyers and adventure seekers. Very little feels like an optional extra because almost everything is already included.

During my time with the Shark 6, I also spoke to several owners, and they all echoed the same sentiment. Many admitted they were initially sceptical about buying a plug-in hybrid bakkie, but every single one pointed to the same thing as the highlight of ownership: the remarkable fuel consumption. It quickly became clear that the Shark 6 isn’t simply winning people over on paper. It’s winning them over in everyday life.

To me, the Shark 6 is the complete package.

The only reason I would steer someone towards a Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux or similar rival is if they spend most of their time in remote areas or tackling serious off-road terrain where the benefits of the plug-in hybrid system become less relevant. For everyone else, the Shark 6 makes an incredibly compelling case for itself.

It doesn’t just challenge the established players. It outclasses many of them.

BYD has arrived in the bakkie segment with a product that is bold, innovative and genuinely enjoyable to live with. If this is a sign of where the market is heading, then the future of the double cab has never looked more exciting.

Final Scorecard: 10/10

Category	Rating out of 10	Notes
Design	10	A futuristic lighting signature and commanding road presence make the Shark 6 one of the most distinctive bakkies on South African roads.
Performance	10	Explosive hybrid performance paired with remarkable efficiency creates a driving experience unlike anything else in the segment.
Tech & Features	10	Every feature feels purposeful, from the rotating infotainment display to V2L capability and one of the best camera systems available.
Driveability	10	Comfortable, refined and surprisingly engaging, while the plug-in hybrid system transforms everyday driving.
Price	10	At R989,900, the Shark 6 delivers a level of equipment, performance and innovation that makes it one of the strongest value propositions in its class.