The draft of one smaller BYD double cab vehicle was revealed in a patent application filed with the European Union Property Office, having previously been caught cloaked in camouflage – suggesting it could be a pickup truck version of it Sea lion 6 Mid-size SUV already available in Australia.
Unearthed by CarNewsChinaDocuments reveal the Chinese automaker’s smaller ute will be based on a car-based monocoque (or unibody) platform, unlike the popular Shark 6 plug-in hybrid crew cab model also on sale here, which uses the more robust ladder frame construction typically preferred for off-road vehicles.
This could make it a competitor to subcompact-based crew cabs that aren’t sold Down Under, including the Ford Maverick – which is based on the mid-size SUV Ford Escape – and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is essentially a compact version of the mid-size SUV Hyundai Tucson, neither of which are made in right-hand drive.
BYD Australia has not confirmed the model for Australia as it has not yet been officially launched globally.
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The four-door ute’s identity has yet to be revealed, as its design language borrows from that of the Song Plus, an older version of the Sealion 6 – Australia’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) in 2024.
The “Baby Shark” differs from its rear door, where it transforms from an SUV into a small car, by having a far more conventional shelf than the Deepal E07 Multitruck, which was launched here in September 2025.
Given its potential Sealion 6 base, the Shark’s smaller sibling would be no more than 4775mm long, 1890mm wide and 1670mm high – making it shorter than the 5457mm Shark 6 – and have a curb weight of between 1940 and 2160kg.
If so, it would also be shorter than the Santa Cruz (4970mm) and the Maverick (5080mm).
Hybrid powertrains are expected given the expected launch in Europe – and its possible arrival in Australia – as the Sealion 6 will be sold here with a PHEV powertrain based on a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (like the Shark 6).
Output ranges from 160kW/122Nm in the entry-level Sealion 6 Essential Standard Range with front-wheel drive to 253kW/220Nm in the flagship Premium Extended Range with all-wheel drive.
The SUV is also offered here with two battery sizes – an 18.3kWh unit and a larger 26.3kWh pack – with the smaller battery offering an electric range of 78km (WLTP) and the Dynamic Extended Range 119km (WLTP).
Aside from Europe and the UK, the lifestyle ute could join the Shark 6 in BYD’s fast-growing Australian lineup – and face few rivals Down Under, where the ute market is almost entirely dominated by mid-size crew cabs, led by the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
BYD Australia is targeting a spot in the top three local automotive markets next year, the company announced earlier this year Daily Sparkz It would evaluate every model available – from sister brands such as Fangchengbao, Denza and Yangwang.
Next month, the Denza luxury brand will be officially launched with the large PHEV SUVs Denza B5 and Denza B8, sold in China under the name Fangchengbao
BYD’s Australian lineup will also be joined in 2026 by the Sealion 5 – a PHEV SUV the size of a Toyota RAV4 – following the launch next month of the Atto 1 small electric SUV and Atto 2 electric SUV, which are expected to be the country’s cheapest electric SUV and electric SUV respectively.
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