2017 BYD E6 Reviews

The BYD Shark 6 brings advanced plug-in electric/petrol engine hybrid technology to Australia's 4x4 ute segment. But does it have the robust workhorse capabilities of traditional turbo-diesel rivals?

People movers were never cool in Australia, but that’s changing as our evolving tastes take us out of SUVs and into little buses.

In 2025 branding means way more than a hot iron mark scorched into a steer’s backside.It’s about a brand’s personality, reputation and your interactions with it. What it says about you. What it delivers. How it makes you feel. A visual identity, a design style… and a million other things.   And there are automotive brands in the Australian new-car market that have strategically built solid brand equity over many decades.Current market leader, Toyota began dipping its corporate toe into global export waters by shipping cars here in the late 1950s. And other Japanese makers like Honda, Mazda and Nissan followed it in conquering initial hesitancy by steadily investing in strong retail networks, pushing product improvement and focusing on a positive customer experience.Ford has built its global brand around everything from the Model T and its revolutionary assembly line to pumped up muscle cars and victory at Le Mans. While here it embedded itself in the local landscape via a manufacturing presence spanning close to a century and regular victory at Mount Panorama.And more recently, relative newcomers like Hyundai and Kia have moved rapidly from cheap and (mostly) cheerful to innovators that repositioned the concept of value and quality in the local market.All of which led to large pockets of ‘rusted on’ brand loyalty. The concept of ‘Ford and Holden families’ started to diminish from the moment the latter departed the scene in 2020 (if not before), but Toyota’s reputation for value, durability and affordable ownership has seen it maintain a legion of never-say-die fans.Same for Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi and others. But I'd argue a turning point was when, after an initial false start through a private importer in 2013, MG set up as a direct subsidiary in 2017.Great Wall had landed as the first Chinese car brand in the Aussie market in 2009, but MG 2.0 was different. Even if its ‘Since 1924’ positioning stretched credulity, its products were better than expected and pricing was ultra sharp.Sharp enough to encourage budget-focused new-car buyers, even used-car prospects, to give the brand a go.With the introduction of new-generation products in the early 2020s sales took off like a rocket, and it’s here that my ‘That’s a good idea’ theory kicks in.I reckon executives at rival Chinese car brands, keeping an eye on MG’s increasing success Down Under, all had the same ‘good idea’ at the same time. Namely, let’s get into Australia and grab a piece of that action. Hence the subsequent arrival of Chery in 2023, itself a factory-backed restart after an initial import-distribution arrangement broke down back in 2011. Followed by the flood gates opening, with BYD, Deepal, Geely, a ramped up GWM, JAC, LDV, Leapmotor, Smart, Jaecoo, XPeng and Zeekr all jumping in with Aion, Avatar, Jetour, Lynk & Co, Skyworth and others waiting in the wings.Doesn’t matter which category you’re talking about - white goods, sporting equipment, hi-fi - if one fresh competitor enters a mature market, it’s likely to be met with reluctance, even contempt by existing brand loyalists.But if near enough to 20 newcomers blaze into market at the same time, clearly something seismic is going on and it feels like you’d be missing a trick if you didn’t at least investigate the rapidly changing competitive landscape.Give them the benefit of 20/20 hindsight as well as a time machine and it’s not certain all the new brands above would currently be making an Aussie entrance.But multiple triggers have been pulled with retail network deals done, head office staff recruited, parts warehousing set up, service and sales training completed and marketing campaigns launched. So, in a mature market, early movers like MG, Chery and GWM have the advantage and more recent arrivals will need to find a way to win over buyers… fast. And it’s a fair bet the ever-impactful lever marked price will be pulled on a regular basis.Some of the newcomers as well as more than a few existing legacy brands will be forced into a price war. Like it or not, loyalty comes under pressure when the incentive is enticing enough and with a cut-price cage fight likely to take place sooner rather than later not everyone will leave the octagon alive.Stand by for new-car buyers tempted en masse into ‘unbeatable deals’ that mean brand loyalties will be stretched beyond breaking point. The shake out from this looming war of attrition will be huge. 

BYD’s premium sub-brand Denza has pulled the covers off of its Z electric sports car concept at the Shanghai auto show.

BYD has officially revealed its new Yangwang U8L SUV ahead of its debut at the Shanghai auto show later this week.Positioned as an ultra-luxury, ultra-large, off-road-capable SUV, the U8L will arrive in China as a longer-wheelbase version of the U8, which is set to launch in Australia before the end of this year.The U8L is expected to welcome significant design and technology updates over its smaller sibling, some of which have been previewed by CarNewsChina.Starting with dimensions, the U8L is expected to grow to a staggering 5600mm long from an already large 5319mm to accommodate a more spacious three-row, six-seat configuration.For comparison, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan lines up at 5314mm long, while a seven-seat Range Rover Long Wheelbase is 5213mm long.The larger frame will drop the U8’s rear-mounted spare wheel in favour of a flat tailgate paired with a black roof, golden exterior paint, newly designed alloy rims and retractable door handles.A trio of displays on the dashboard, including a 23.6-inch driver’s display, a 12.8-inch central multimedia display and a 23.6-inch passenger screen, are expected to be carryovers from the U8, along with quilted leather upholstery, dual rear-passenger displays and a 22-speaker Dynaudio audio system.The U8’s standard trunk volume of 1031 litres, which expands to 2050 litres with the rear seats folded, is expected to grow even larger with the longer proportions, although an official figure remains unconfirmed.Changes to the powertrain haven’t been detailed, with the U8L not expected to sway too far from its U8 sibling. It packs a quad-electric-motor, four-wheel drive set-up with a combined output of 880kW/1280Nm.Additionally, the U8 carries a 49kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) ‘Blade’ battery pack and a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. Electric range is claimed at 180km, while comprehensive range is claimed in excess of 1000km (both under the CLTC protocol).The U8L will carry BYD’s Tesla-rivalling 'God’s Eye' advanced driver-assist technology, which uses a mix of cameras, Lidar sensors and artificial intelligence to provide semi-autonomous driving functions.Despite the U8's confirmation for the Australian market, a local debut for the U8L remains uncertain at this stage. Any prospective launch date is certain to depend on the U8's reception.The U8 launched under BYD’s luxury Yangwang sub-brand in China in 2023 with a price tag of 1.098 million yuan (A$231,500). The U8L's pricing in China is expected to exceed that figure, with more information likely to follow its official reveal in Shanghai this week.

Can you have too much of a good thing? Australians love utes and in recent years we’ve seen more and more brands look to capitalise on that, but it may not be a case of the more the merrier.

Is Toyota preparing two completely different utes to replace the ageing current HiLux in Australia from next year? The first is the widely-speculated but as-yet publicly unconfirmed facelift of today’s eight-generation HiLux, while the second is new-from-the-ground up production version of the EPU (Electric Pick-Up) dual-cab concept that debuted at the 2023 Tokyo motor show.

BYD has announced improved terms for its new-car warranty in Australia.

It was building for a long time, but now the giant wave of Chinese challenger brands entering the Australian new-car market has hit our shores with a vengeance.

BYD has officially launched its premium Denza sub-brand in Europe, where it is aiming to compete as a more affordable rival to Porsche and BMW.The formerly 50:50 joint venture with Mercedes-Benz will launch in the UK, a fellow right-hand-drive market, with the electric Z9 GT in early 2026 as a European-designed, tri-motor wagon capable of a staggering 710kW.Pricing is yet to be confirmed, although according to UK-based publication Carwow, the Denza Z9 GT will attract a price tag of about £50,000 ($104,105) in the UK.David Smitherman, CEO of BYD’s Australian distributor, EVDirect, confirmed to CarsGuide earlier this year that the Denza sub-brand was coming to Australia following the brand’s trademark of the model late last year.Higher transportation costs from Denza’s Chinese factory, as well as higher taxation in the UK, suggest it will receive a considerable price cut when it lands here, with pricing expected to be closer to the Chinese model. It starts at about $80,000.That would make it at least $16,000 more than BYD’s most expensive car in Australia, the Sealion 7 Performance, which retails at $63,990, before on-road costs.Punters may think that’s a high price to pay for a relatively unknown Chinese brand, however, its spec sheet suggests it will still be a bargain, especially when compared to its European rivals.In addition to its mammoth drivetrain, the Denza Z9 GT comes standard with an array of standard luxury features, including Nappa leather upholstery, standard massaging front seats, optional massaging rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, a 4.0-litre front fridge and a 10-litre rear fridge.There are also three dashboard screens, one each for driver’s display, central multimedia and passenger functions, while a voice-controlled virtual assistant works through the car’s 26-speaker sound system.Similar, albeit far less comprehensive, packaging on an entry-level Porsche Taycan or BMW i5 would set you back at least $174,500 or $155,900 (both before on-road costs), respectively.And still, neither of those can rocket from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds.The Denza Z9 GT is also offered in China in plug-in hybrid guise, which swaps the electric version's 100kWh Blade battery for a 38.5kWh unit, with the addition of a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.It is expected to join the European and UK line-ups further down the track, suggesting a similar strategy will be adopted for the Australian market as well.