The All-New BYD Shark Lands in America as a Ford Ranger Rival, It's Got 429 HP

The Shark has just made what BYD calls its "global debut." It is, however, just a launch on the Mexican market, where it will start at 899,980 Mexican pesos, which is the equivalent of $53,730. The move marks though, the first time the Shenzen-based automaker has gone overseas before launching a model on the home market in China.

The model is underpinned by the DMO platform, a BYD in-house developed PHEV platform, specifically designed for off-road-capable models. The DMO is based on the DM-p, with the "DM" standing for "Dual Mode."

The BYD Shark is a five-seater that measures 214.8 inches (4,457 millimeters) in length, 77.6 inches (1,971 millimeters) in width, and 75.8 inches (1,925 millimeters) in height, sporting a wheelbase of 128.3 inches (3,260 millimeters). These figures place the China-made pickup truck in the same segment as the Toyota Hilux and the Ford Ranger.

The model comes with a towing capacity of 5,512 pounds (2,500 kilograms) and sports a maximum payload of 1,841 pounds (835 kilograms).

The Shark pickup truck is powered by a plug-in hybrid system that integrates a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, working alongside two electric motors.

The one mounted on the front axle brings along 228 horsepower (231 metric horsepower) and 229 pound-feet (310 Newton meters) of torque, while the one at the rear adds 201 horsepower (204 metric horsepower) and 251 pound-feet (340 Newton meters).

All pump out a combined output of 429 horsepower (435 metric horsepower) and 479 pound-feet (650 Newton meters) for an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 5.7 seconds.

A BYD LFP Blade battery pack with a capacity of 29.58 kWh stores the energy for an electric range of up to 62 miles (100 kilometers) according to the NEDC test cycle that Europe used ages ago, before the introduction of the WLTP.

The pickup truck can drive as far as 522 miles (840 kilometers) with the tank and the battery full.

BYD placed a high-tech cabin inside the Shark. There is a rotatable 12.8-inch touchscreen, which controls most of the vehicle's functions, in the company of a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel. The dashboard is heaven for lovers of physical control buttons.

As reported by the Chinese media, BYD is not planning to take its plug-in hybrid pickup truck or any other model to America, especially now that US President Joe Biden announced that tariffs on Chinese-made EVs import would rise to 100 percent, quadrupling the current tariff of 25 percent.