Chinese automotive giant BYD, otherwise known as Build Your Dreams, is expanding its South African line-up with three new plug-in hybrid vehicles this week.
These will join fully-electric Dolphin, Atto 3 and Seal models which are already available locally.
Arguably the most exciting addition is the BYD Shark 6 bakkie, which features a longitudinal electric hybrid system that pairs two electric motors with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine for combined outputs of 321kW and 650Nm. This makes it more powerful than Ford's Ranger Raptor, which musters 292kW.
BYD claims this powerful bakkie can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds, and it's also said to be capable of covering up to 100km on electric power alone, thanks to a 29.5 kWh BYD Blade battery.
Independent front and rear suspension are also unusual features in the bakkie world, but the 200mm ground clearance and 2,500kg braked towing capacity do fall below the segment benchmarks, as does the payload of around 800kg.
The cabin looks modern by bakkie standards, and features a large 15.6-inch touchscreen, which can rotate between portrait and landscape orientations at the touch of a button.
All of this comes with an anticipated price tag of under R1 million. Official pricing has yet to be announced, but Cars.co.za - citing a reliable source - reports that the BYD Shark will be priced at R959,900.
BYD is also introducing the Sealion 6 PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and fully-electric Sealion 7 to South Africa.
As with the Shark, pricing has yet to be officially confirmed, but according to our friends over at Double Apex, the Sealion 6 is set to be priced between R639,900 and R789,900 and the Sealion 7 will retail from R1,099,900 to R1,299,900.
With an overall length of 4,775mm, the Sealion 6 is similar in size to the Omoda C9.
In overseas markets it is offered with a choice of front-wheel drive, with maximum outputs of 160kW and 300Nm, and all-wheel drive, in which case outputs are listed at 238kW and 550Nm.
As with the Shark, the Sealion's hybrid system is paired with a 1.5-litre engine, which is turbocharged in the case of the AWD model, and an 18.3 kWh BYD Blade battery allows a claimed electric range of up to 92km.
The BYD Sealion 7 is slightly longer than its aforementioned sibling, with an overall length of 4,830mm, and this crossover vehicle is fully electric.
There are two versions available, with the rear-wheel drive boasting 230kW and the all-wheel drive good for 390kW. BYD claims a range of up to 482km between charges.
Interior highlights include a 15.6-inch rotating touchscreen, Nappa leather seats, 128-colour ambient lighting and advanced Head-Up Display.
Pricing remains under wraps, but given how BYD has positioned the technologically similar Seal, it is likely to retail in the region of R1 million.
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