Our best look yet at the 2024 BYD ute! - Chinese EV giant shows off official camouflaged pictures of its upcoming Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid rival

BYD has released a set of official camouflage photos of its much speculated-upon ute, giving us one of our best looks yet at the Australia-bound plug-in hybrid.

While the truck is completely clad in camouflage, it offers an overall view of the final design, as most spy shots and leaks seen thus far have some kind of chunky cladding on them to distract from its shape.

The new images show a dual-cab complete with a sports bar, side-steps, 18-inch wheels clad in all-terrain Giti tyres, LED headlights, dual ports for charging and refuelling on either side of the rear side tray panels as well as roof racks.

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The interior is yet to be officially shown, but thanks to recent spy shots, you can expect the usual high-tech touches as seen in the Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal including a large central screen, but a new tough overall theme with angular and utilitarian design touches.

The BYD ute will not be fully electric, at least not initially, arriving with the brand’s DM-i plug-in hybrid technology, which will first debut in a mid-size SUV, the Seal U, later this year.

The PHEV drivetrain as it appears in the Seal U consists of a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 81kW/145Nm and an electric motor for combined outputs of 145kW.

BYD has released a set of official camouflage photos of its much speculated-upon ute.

However, this is for its 2WD incarnation, and not dual-motor 4WD as the ute is expected to be at launch, and the ute’s version of the engine is also said to be turbocharged, so expect higher overall outputs.

Thanks to a relatively large 18.3kWh lithium-ion (LFP) battery, the Seal U can travel up to 100km in EV-only mode, a claim which is also set to be replicated by the ute.

Using both power sources, maximum range is expected to be 1000km or more. Luke Todd, CEO of BYD’s local distributor, told CarsGuide last year that the brand would launch with a PHEV ute and follow it up with a fully electric version about a year later.

While the truck is completely clad in camouflage, it offers an overall view of the final design.

He also told us there had already been roughly 20,000 expressions of interest in the ute so far. "So as you know, the market for pick-ups in Australia is astronomical. They normally (take numbers) one and two (on the best-seller list), other than Tesla Model Y.

"So for us to have that much interest already, we're pretty excited when we put it onto the market." he said.

"We're really wanting to make sure this vehicle is the next full-blown desirable model for Australia, and I'm pretty confident in everything that I've seen." 

The new images show a dual-cab complete with a sports bar, side-steps and 18-inch wheels.

According to the brand, the ute has been developed with Australia in mind from the beginning, with former Ford and Holden engineers involved in its testing.

Todd also says the ute will be “extremely price competitive” when it arrives. We expect to see the close-to-production ute with the covers off before its international arrival, thought to be before the end of 2024.

Stay tuned for more on the BYD ute as details become available, but watch out first for the Seal U mid-size SUV which will arrive in Australia before the end of the year.