The top-selling Chinese brand BYD is working on a full-size pickup truck. The Asia Pacific boss confirmed that the company has not abandoned plans for a larger double-cab car despite higher fuel prices.
Speaking to media in Melbourne, BYD Asia Pacific boss Liu Xueliang confirmed that the brand – which came third in Australian sales last month behind only Toyota and Kia – is continuing to develop a larger vehicle to position itself above it Shark 6 Plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
While the Shark 6 competes in size with the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, the larger model would compete with locally converted full-size US pickups such as the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra currently sold in Australia.
Mr Liu said feedback from Australian customers had highlighted demand for a larger submarine, particularly from fleet buyers including mining companies.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
“Some customers have wanted a full-size Shark 6 that is similar in size to the Ford F-150,” he said, adding, “We are on the way to getting there.”
Neither the launch date nor further details have been confirmed for the larger BYD pickup.
This came as BYD unveiled the first cabin/chassis version of the Shark 6, which Mr. Xueliang said was introduced in response to local customer feedback.
While the company hasn’t confirmed a powertrain for its entry into the full-size segment, BYD currently only produces hybrid and battery-electric vehicles, meaning it will likely introduce a hybrid setup similar to the Shark 6.
Of the full-size pickups currently offered in Australia, only the Tundra is offered with a hybrid powertrain, which Toyota will also introduce in the LandCruiser 300 series later this year.
Competitors like the Ford F-150 have a turbocharged V6 gasoline engine, while the Ram 1500 has a twin-turbo inline-six and the Chevrolet Silverado has a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine.
The larger ute would compete in a smaller segment than the Shark 6, which sits in the high-volume midsize ute category dominated by the Ranger, which recorded 56,555 sales in 2025.
In comparison, the Silverado was the best-selling full-size pickup last year with 3,863 sales, with the segment recording 8,763 total deliveries. Excluding larger 2500-class pickups, however, the Ram 1500 was the top seller with 2,674 sales.
Sales of full-size pickup trucks are up 3.2 percent so far in 2026, including in March, despite record gas prices across the country.
The Shark 6 was the first BYD pickup to be offered in Australia when it was launched in late 2024 in a single-dual-cab pickup body. Before BYD announced the more powerful Performance version and Dynamic cab/chassis last week, it was available with a single all-wheel-drive PHEV powertrain and in a single Premium trim.
Despite this, the Shark 6 was Australia’s best-selling PHEV ute last year with 18,073 deliveries (thanks in large part to its low starting price of $57,900 before on-road costs), followed by the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV (1,371 sales, priced from $61,490 on-road) and Ranger PHEV (1,143 sales, from $71,990 plus ORCs).
MORE: Explore the BYD Shark 6 showroom
