Have you spotted the BYD Shark on Australian roads?

BYD’s new Shark ute has been spotted on Melbourne roads ahead of a local launch in the second half of this year.

De-badged and dressed in camouflage wrap, the BYD Shark was spied on the M1 motorway in Melbourne, easily identifiable by the design of its front fascia and taillights.

The sighting comes only a handful of weeks after the Chinese ute was officially unveiled at an event in Mexico City.

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The Shark will be Australia’s first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute and it’s set to go head-to-head with the Ford Ranger, which will also gain a PHEV variant in 2025.

Based on the company’s DMO (Dual Mode Offroad) platform, the Shark has a plug-in hybrid drivetrain featuring a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors, and the company’s signature Blade battery pack.

Figures out of China say the Shark is 5457mm is long, 1971mm wide, 1925mm tall, and wheelbase of 3260mm.

The 320kW plug-in hybrid drivetrain includes a 170kW/310Nm electric motor at the front, and a 150kW/340Nm electric motor at the rear. Foot to the floor, the Shark can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.7 seconds.

Equipped with a standard 30kWh battery pack, the BYD Shark is said to have an electric-only range of 100km under the older, more generous NEDC testing protocol. The Shark supports DC fast charging up to 40kW.

BYD claims a fuel consumption rating of 7.5L/100km in hybrid mode, which drops to 1.5L/100km when the electric drive battery is fully charged. Total range is claimed to be 850km.

BYD says the Shark has a payload rating of 835kg, a rear tray with a capacity of 1450L, and a 2500kg tow rating. For off-road driving the Shark has 282mm of ground clearance at its 2665kg kerb weight.

Standard interior features include a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen that can rotate between portrait and landscape orientation, a surround-view camera, head-up display, and wireless smartphone charger.

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