The BYD Shark 6 cab-chassis’ pricing has been revealed ahead of time, after appearing in industry price guide Redbook.
While other utes can have their tubs removed – as well as being available from the dealer in cab-chassis guise – BYD has stipulated that doing so on the Shark 6 already in Australia would potentially void its warranty, given the proximity of its high-voltage plug-in hybrid components to the tub.
According to the car research website, the BYD Shark 6 cab-chassis will start from $55,900 before on-road costs, a $2000 saving on the existing tubbed Shark 6 which has vaulted to be one of the most popular utes in Australia.
However, the Shark 6 cab-chassis appears to not just be the same as the current ute but without a tub or tray, with the bare-backed dual-cab being sold in a lesser-equipped Dynamic grade, fitted with less features than the existing Premium grade.
Redbook lists that these include the loss of its rear privacy glass, rain-sensing wipers, head-up display and both heated and ventilated front seats, while Australian Government approval images show Giti tyres rather than the existing Continentals.
This largely reflects the specifications of the Shark 6 cab-chassis in New Zealand, however over there a handful of other changes have been made, just as the touchscreen downsizing to 12.6 inches from 15.6 inches, the fitment of a leatherette steering wheel (rather than real leather) and no power-adjustable lumbar support for the driver.
The Shark 6 cab-chassis won’t get an overly different powertrain, with its 321kW of combined power still coming from a 135kW turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, plus two electric motors (170kW front, 150kW rear).
In New Zealand, the Shark 6 has a downgraded DC charging capacity, dropping from 55kW to 40kW.
Though government documents have shown BYD has received approval for a more potent version of the Shark 6 with 345kW – from a 180kW turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, plus a 200kW front and 150kW rear electric motor – it doesn’t appear this will be available in the cab-chassis.
Nor will the upgraded Shark 6’s 3500kg braked towing capacity, with the cab-chassis appearing to stick with the 2500kg capacity of the current 1.5-litre ute, placing it shy of most of the trade-focused utes in Australia.
Regardless, the cab-chassis is expected to bring another boost to Shark 6 sales, after it finished an impressive fifth-best in Australia’s ute market in 2025, its first calendar year on sale.
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