BYD Shark 6 Performance arrives in South Africa
A Chinese automaker has confirmed the local launch of its flagship plug-in hybrid bakkie, which is now the most powerful model in the country.
BYD has officially confirmed the arrival of the Shark 6 Performance in South Africa following its global announcement in April 2026. The local division of the Shenzhen brand has now revealed pricing and specifications for this more powerful version of its plug-in hybrid double-cab bakkie.
The Shark 6 Performance employs BYD’s latest DMO Super Hybrid system which comprises a 2.0l turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a duo of electric motors sited at the front and rear. As a reminder, the Shark 6 Premium’s uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine coupled with dual electric motors.
The Shark 6 Performance produces combined power and torque outputs of 350kW and 700N.m, which represents increases of 29 kW and 50 N.m over the standard Shark 6, which was evaluated in a road test in 2025.
Consequently, the Shark 6 Performance now tops the list of the most powerful bakkies in SA. BYD claims the vehicle completes the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.5 seconds, which is two-tenths of a second quicker than its 321kW and 650N.m sibling.
In addition to gaining Crawl Mode, the Shark 6 Performance also boasts an improved braked towing capacity compared to the Premium derivative, offering 3 500kg versus 2 500kg.
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BYD Shark 6 Performance price in SA
The BYD Shark 6 Performance is priced from R1 149 900, making it R160 000 more expensive than the Premium variant. Included in the price as standard are a five-year/100 000km vehicle warranty, an eight-year/200 000km battery warranty and a maintenance plan spanning five years or 100 000km.
The Shark 6 Performance’s PHEV setup incorporates a 29.58kWh battery which offers a claimed electric-only operating range of up to 80km. BYD says a fully charged battery and a full 60l tank of fuel deliver a combined range of up to 640km. The Shark 6 Premium offers 85km of EV-only driving and a combined range of 670km.
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The post 350 kW BYD Shark 6 Performance in SA: price and specs appeared first on CAR Magazine.
