Scott Jones, of Rockhampton, has owned a few diesel engines over the years but has worked on them non-stop for most of his adult life. Scott is a diesel fitter who works primarily on large mining vehicles and this is the story of how one diesel expert took a different approach for his latest crew cab.
Scott’s most recent personal diesel was a Volkswagen Amarok, which he loved: “It was tough and reliable, but also comfortable and refined,” he said.
However, after purchasing a large boat, Scott discovered that the Amarok had problems on steep inclines at low speeds. This is despite the weight of the boat and trailer still being below the Amarok’s 3.5 tonne towing capacity limit.
“I just didn’t like how the combination worked when the weight of the trailer and boat was greater than the weight of the towing vehicle: it didn’t feel good,” he said.
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So Scott sold the VW and bought a new 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ. The big American’s extra weight and power solved the problem, and Scott bought it even though it wasn’t diesel.
“It was a powerful V8 that was spacious and sounded great too,” he said.
Scott later sold the boat but kept the Silverado that he enjoyed so much. But a few years later, problems continued to arise with the big Chevy.
“There were several problems with the fuel pump, belt and tensioner, and then problems with the water pump and oil cooler caused the vehicle to spend a lot of time in the shop. I just couldn’t trust it anymore,” he explained.
This meant Scott was looking for another double cab, although this time he didn’t have to rely on the option of a heavy tow bar.
Through his work he was familiar (and dissatisfied) with Toyota and Ford’s offerings and was leaning towards another diesel Amarok. Scott also had his eye on a completely different type of vehicle that had recently come onto the market.
It was the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) from the Chinese manufacturer BYD. Moving even further away from the diesel engines he knew so well would be a bigger step than jumping into the gasoline Chevy, but being in the engine business, Scott reads a lot about the various technologies and wasn’t afraid of a hybrid – if it could meet his needs.
The Shark 6 combines a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with one of BYD’s own lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and two electric motors that can move the vehicle up to 80 km on battery power alone.
The BYD also proved to be slightly larger than his old Amarok, with a large enough load area and towing capacity for his current needs. With a load capacity of 2.5 t, he was able to easily tow his motorcycles in the enclosed vehicle trailer provided.
The plug-in hybrid ute also promised significantly lower running costs than the full-size Silverado if it charged its battery at home. Or at least that was the theory: like most Australians, Scott had never driven a Chinese minibus before. As there was no dealer nearby at the time, he flew to the Sunshine Coast for a test drive.
Scott admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect, and the build quality was the first thing that really surprised him.
“Those who denigrate these brands as inferior have clearly not yet joined one,” he said. “It was just as well built as my Amarok. There were no squeaks, no rattles, everything felt solid.”
He also liked the fact that all the modern features like a good stereo, ventilated seats, etc. came as standard. No expensive options were required. The real performance also matched the numbers on paper.
“It really feels like it has 321kW when you step on the throttle,” he said. “None of my diesel vehicles could move like this thing.”
Scott took the plunge and ordered a Shark 6 in white in June 2025. Delivery took place two weeks after signing.
When asked about his first few months with the ute, he simply said, “It’s been a great vehicle so far and has met my needs very well. It even has better fuel economy than the Silverado when towing my bike trailer long distances on the highway. At 100km/h I get 18L/100km while the Silverado returned 24L/100km.”
I asked Scott what his colleagues and friends thought about him switching from a Chevrolet V8 to a Chinese hybrid.
“Some could hardly believe what I had done, especially given my diesel experience. They think it was a step backwards in every way,” he said.
His typical response to that? “I tell them to get in. The quality speaks for itself. When you step on the gas, they swear – and then they fall silent. They hear it only has a 1.5-liter engine, but they don’t understand what electric motors can do. It’s really faster than a Raptor.”
Scott charges the battery overnight if he wants to use the vehicle the next day. When not towing, he’s happy with an average electric-only range of 50 miles when driving around town with a fully charged battery.
When asked what he didn’t like about the BYD, Scott replied: “It needs more storage space. The Silverado had fantastic storage everywhere. I want bigger compartments and more of them.”
Scott admitted he also missed the epic soundtrack of the big V8, but is pleased with the Shark’s instant torque, lower fuel costs and the technology and comfort of the cabin.
Would he have bought the BYD again now, after owning it for a few months? “Sure,” he said. “And when BYD comes out with the larger model with the 2.0-liter engine, Blade 2 battery and higher towing capacity, I’ll buy that too.”
Finally, would the diesel specialist consider another diesel ute in the future?
“Diesel engines still play an important role, but for my own needs … it would have to be something very special to fend off machines like this,” he said.
The author received no payment, gift or benefit from BYD or any BYD dealer group for writing this owner’s purchase story. BYD was not involved in this content. Last name changed for privacy reasons.
MORE: Discover the BYD Shark 6 showroom
