The BYD Shark 6 has been a sales phenomenon in Australia, and now Chinese customers are about to sample it for the first time as it lands in showrooms in its home country – although it’ll be rebranded to Fangchengbao. 

Ever since it first went on sale globally in May 2024, the petrol-hybrid ute has been an export-only model that wasn’t offered for sale in China. But that all changed last week when Xiong Tianbo, the general manager of Fangchengbao, released an image of the rebranded model with the caption, “The king returns from overseas!”

5

Dubbed simply the Shark for its home debut, filings with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reveal the Chinese version will run the same dual-motor hybrid drivetrain that Aussies are used to: a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 135kW, with the e-motor on the front axle making 170kW and its counterpart out back making 150kW.

There’s no change in the dimensions of the China-spec Shark 6, either, and it has an identical kerb weight of 2710kg. The battery is a lithium iron phosphate unit from BYD’s FinDreams subsidiary, and the top speed is listed as 180km/h.

However, while the Aussie Shark 6’s payload is 790kg, the filings show the Fangchengbao-branded version comes in at just 490kg.

Bright orange pickup truck parked outdoors in a driveway, front view showing bold grille and prominent headlamps.
5

Mexico was the first market to get the Shark 6, but Australia has been the source of its biggest success, with Aussies responsible for about 85 per cent of the model’s worldwide sales in June this year.

According to CarNewsChina, export volumes for the Shark 6 reached 20,037 in the first half of this year, marking a 25.76 per cent decline year on year. Given the size of the Chinese market, sales numbers should be in for a boost.

In Australia, the Shark 6 Dynamic sells for $55,900 before on-roads, with the up-spec Premium going for $57,900 before on-roads and the range-topping Performance priced at $62,900.