Chinese automaker BYD has unveiled its first plug-in hybrid pickup truck in Mexico. The bravely named BYD Shark promises to deliver performance on and off the road, with some added eco credentials. Add reasonably competitive pricing and decent payload capacity to it, and we have one interesting contender in the highly congested pickup truck arena.
BYD Enters Mexico
BYD is the second-largest EV manufacturer after Tesla (for now), and the company has been spreading its electric tentacles over Mexico for a while now. BYD Shark is the first plug-in pickup truck introduced to the Mexican market, and it is BYD’s first hybrid pickup ever.
The pickup truck segment in Mexico has traditionally been dominated by American and Japanese brands. The Shark barges in and pulls no punches. It is 214 inches long, 77.5 inches wide, and 75.5 inches tall, making it slightly longer and taller than the Ford Ranger. It can tow up to 5,511 pounds and has a load capacity of 1,840 pounds, which is not bad at all.
This Is One Quick Shark
Unlike its contenders, though, the BYD Shark comes with an extra bite out of the proverbial box. The standard version has a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and two electric motors. This fairly complicated setup delivers 430 horsepower and turns the Shark into a hooligan. 0 to 60 mph takes only 5.7 seconds — 0.1 seconds quicker than the Ford Ranger Raptor.
We can’t help but have mixed first impressions of the BYD Shark. Its design is hardly original; there are some Hyundai Santa Fe influences and obvious similarities to the Ford F-150 Lightning. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, plus the full-width LED light bar and giant BYD logo give it a bit of a futuristic touch.
High Tech Heaven With Price To Match
The cabin is a true tech-savvy paradise — a 12.8-inch rotating infotainment takes center stage, complemented by a 10.5-inch instrument cluster. The driver has a 12-inch head-up display, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless.
Two variants of the BYD Shark are available in Mexico: the $53,432 GL model and the $57,577 GS version. If you were hoping for a cheap Chinese pickup truck, you may want to look elsewhere. BYD is not shy about its products and has priced the Shark at the same level as the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.
Although not cheap, the Shark is quite an interesting option for pickup truck buyers in Mexico. It has a 62-mile electric-only range, plenty of performance, and promises to be a decent workhorse. The question everybody asks is whether it will make it north of the Mexican border. If BYD decides to manufacture it in Mexico, the Ford Ranger may have some competition one day. For now, the new Chinese EV tariffs will keep this Shark at bay.