Baby Shark! BYD reveals new, smaller ute
BYD is looking to take a bite into the Latin American ute market with the Mako, a smaller car-based dual-cab to sit under the Shark 6.
The BYD Mako has broken cover in Brazil ahead of going on sale in Latin America this year, joining the region’s growing market of car-based utes.
Images of the Mako – named after the fastest species of shark on earth – were published by Autohome and shared by CarNewsChina, showing a pre-production prototype in Brazilian colours, honouring the nation where it’ll be made.
Based on the platform which underpins the BYD Sealion 6, the Mako is a monocoque ute, rather than the body-on-frame setups which dominate Australia’s market, which includes that of the larger Shark 6.
The majority of the Mako before the B-pillar is shared with the Brazil-market Sealion 6 (sold there as the Song Plus), while the rear doors are largely carried over from the Sealion 5 (Song Pro locally), now incorporating the tub at the rear.
Like its larger Shark 6 sibling, the BYD Mako features independent rear suspension, a point of difference given some of its similarly sized rivals still use leaf springs to carry greater weights. The front retains a MacPherson strut setup.
Power comes from a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (reportedly good for 73kW and 122Nm, which is paired with an electric motor to raise total outputs to 166kW and 400Nm.
At present, CarNewsChina reports the Mako is front-wheel drive only, though a four-wheel-drive version is expected to launch eventually, likely incorporating a rear electric motor.
Inside, carry-over equipment from the Sealion 6 includes a 15.6-inch touchscreen, as well as a digital instrument cluster.
As reported by CarNewsChina, the BYD Mako is expected to cost between 200,000 (A$53,900) and 220,000 Brazilian Reais (A$59,180), and do battle in showrooms with the likes of the Fiat Toro, Renault Oroch, Volkswagen Tukan (revealed earlier this week) and an upcoming Toyota ute, based on the Corolla Cross.
Given none of these utes are sold in Australia – as well as other car-based utes on sale in other parts of the Americas – it’s unlikely we’ll see the Mako come Down Under.
