BYD Shark out to prove its credentials

BYD's presence in South Africa has been low-key due to the Chinese carmaker only offering all-electric models. That's about to change with the arrival of the plug-in hybrid Shark bakkie, writes The Citizen's Jaco van der Merwe.

- The Citizen's Jaco van der Merwe.

BYD, short for Build Your Dreams, has shown immense growth over the past few years, becoming the first manufacturer to produce 10 million new-energy vehicles.

By offering the most powerful bakkie in South Africa, with a host of firsts for the segment, at under R1 million, the ambitious carmaker is confident of making inroads.

The BYD Shark, the first plug-in hybrid bakkie in the country, is powered by what the manufacturer calls a Dual Mode Offroad powertrain. This is a combination of a 1,5l turbocharged petrol engine producing 170kW of power and 310Nm of torque, and a 29,5kWh battery hooked up to a 150kW/340Nm electric motor.

TAKING THE RAPTOR'S THRONE

The result is an eye-watering total of 321kW of power and 650Nm of torque. This is 28kW/67Nm more than the previous most powerful bakkie offered locally, the Ford Ranger Raptor.