Showrooms across the country are currently closed, but car importers are already planning marketing moves for the days after the shelter-in-place ends, anticipating renewed demand for new vehicles, especially commercial ones, following the war.
After the large pickup market (C license) was dominated by the electric Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and the B-license pickup market saw the entry of the Maxus Etrion 9 and KGM Musso electric models, Israel will receive its first plug-in hybrid pickup later this year: The BYD Shark 6.
The new pickup, which we saw two years ago in China as a prototype, is built on a ladder frame and is slightly larger than the updated Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, and even the KGM Musso: 5.45 meters long, 1.97 meters wide, 1.92 meters high, with a wheelbase of 3.26 meters. Its payload is 800 kg, less than diesel pickups, with a towing capacity of 2,500 kg for a braked trailer. Curb weight: 2.7 tons.
The Shark features all-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission with no low gear. At the front, there is a 1,500 cc turbo gasoline engine that, together with two electric motors, produces a combined 436 hp: 184 hp from the gasoline engine, 231 hp from the front electric motor, and 204 hp from the rear. Maximum torque reaches 65 kg·m.
Acceleration from 0–100 km/h takes 5.7 seconds. A 29.6 kWh battery provides an official electric range of 100 km and can be charged at 55 kW for fast charging and 7 kW for slow charging. Combined fuel consumption: 13.3 km per liter.
Ground clearance is 23 cm, with approach and departure angles of 31° and 19° respectively, giving basic off-road capability, though slightly lower than the Hilux and D-Max.
Equipment for the European configuration has not been officially published yet but is expected to include a 15.6-inch multimedia screen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a head-up display for the driver, and up to 12 speakers in a Dynaudio sound system. Safety features include autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, and the pickup received a maximum 5-star rating in the Australian crash test, equivalent to European standards.
The Shark has been marketed in South America for over a year and was recently launched in Australia, where it is priced lower than Japanese diesel pickups.
Using a plug-in hybrid system instead of diesel, traditionally associated with commercial vehicles, may help the Shark also be accepted as a leisure vehicle, with increased cargo capacity for trips, carrying motorcycles and bicycles off-road, and the ability to power electrical devices in the field from the vehicle’s battery (V2L).
The Shark 6 will arrive in Israel in the last quarter of the year.