BYD Shark 6 vs Geely EX5

What's the difference?

The BYD Shark 6 is not just a huge step for BYD, it’s possibly one of the most important products launched in Australia in recent years.

Make no mistake, it’s not the toughest ute out there with the best hauling specs, and of course it’s also yet to prove its longevity. But it’s also not doing things in the way we’ve come to expect from utes like the HiLux and Ranger.

Instead, BYD has built a ute its own way, offering enviable levels of technology and an innovative powertrain. I’ve never driven a ute as mould-breaking as this. BYD is offering revolution rather than evolution.

The Geely EX5 has good bones. It’s well packaged, sturdily built, efficient and jam-packed with technology. But questions remain. The EX5 really needs work on its safety systems and another round of chassis revisions to be competitive. 

Pricing, too, will be crucial for the EX5 to succeed in today’s savage new electric car market. 

If the list of nagging complaints can be fixed and Geely is able to back up its product with solid aftersales support, it could be a winner. The jury is still out on the EX5.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

You have to behold the Shark 6 in the metal to appreciate it, in no small part because of its sheer size. It’s wider and taller than you expect, lending its boxy visage an imposing stance and a commanding presence on the road.

The exterior design is a little bold. There’s more than a hint of Ford F-150 in the Shark’s face, and the overt BYD badgework is a statement. The Chinese brand is clearly happy to stake its growing reputation on what the Shark offers.

Inside is next-level for the light commercial vehicle segment with the screen-centric design theme and lashings of soft-touch finishes and leather trims. Even the seats are plush and comfortable in both rows with convincing synthetic upholstery.

There is one argument which says a cabin as well appointed as this is a hindrance for work purposes. Chucking tools and equipment around will scuff things up, or at worst, potentially damage all the delicate equipment strewn throughout the cabin.

There’s definitely stock in this argument. I can hardly see the Shark 6 being used as a replacement for a work-spec ute destined to live a hard life.

On the other hand, it’s worth remembering the dual-cab is now the default family car choice for many buyers whose primary concern is how well equipped it is for life with kids and a dog, with its secondary purpose being as a work vehicle (with the ‘work’ largely confined to the tray) or as a weekend recreational off-roader.

I think the Shark 6 primarily appeals to this sort of buyer. It all feels just a bit too fragile to see an impact drill thrown into the passenger seat or a toolbox covered in concrete dust tied down to the rear bench.

BYD has made some perhaps tokenistic effort to 'tough' the cabin up, with its chunky steering wheel and some cool switchgear in the centre console rounded out by a blocky design theme.

There are built-in fitted weatherproof mats for the floor which is a nice touch, but it’s maybe the opposite design ethos from something like the Ineos Grenadier which reverts to a hose-out interior. Maybe don’t get too much moisture near the screen.

Just quietly, I'm a bit disappointed there aren't more Shark references in the cabin as there are Dolphin or Seal references in BYD’s namesake models.

Still, the plush cabin design is impossible to beat in this segment, so if you’re a family buyer first and a work or play buyer second, it’s impossible to do better in the light commercial vehicle space.

The Geely EX5’s exterior design is conservative verging on anonymous. Perhaps that’s because the brand is unknown here, but forgettable details like the six-rectangle badge rear and haphazard ‘Geely EX5’ badge placement aren’t the height of fashion.

Inside, though, the EX5 improves. The two screens are presented well, as is the cabin with upholstery that isn’t just boring black. The design language is more conventional — in a good way — than, say, a BYD Atto 3 or Tesla Model Y and doesn’t seem to unashamedly copy elements from established carmakers.

Key touch points, such as the rotary volume control, the (wrong way around) window switches and door handles appear to be made of real metal, with knurling in some cases. The dash and door tops are all encased in squishy rubber, too.

As for sizing, the EX5 is the exact same length as a Toyota RAV4, at 4615mm long, though being wider (1901mm) and riding on a longer 2750mm wheelbase should mean more cabin space.

The cabin is massive, with the Shark making the most of its boxy dimensions, and it also offers impressive adjustability for the driver and front passenger seats.

The high seating position provides a commanding view of the road with great overall visibility thanks to large mirrors and expansive window real-estate.

Entry and egress is bolstered by large side-steps and a multitude of grab-handles in the A-pillar and centre console and for long trips the seats are some of the most comfortable in the class.

Storage is also plentiful, with large bottle holders and pockets in the doors, a further two with adjustable ridges in the centre console, alongside a wireless phone charger and an immense armrest storage box.

The console is also home to an array of buttons for various drive-modes alongside the shift lever, but in terms of multimedia functions there’s only a physical on-off switch, a de-fog shortcut switch for the climate and a volume dial.

In what could be a bit of a deal-breaker for some, the rest of this car’s many functions are controlled exclusively by the touchscreen, which can, at times, have a confusing array of menus.

For example, the controls for fan speed, temperature, recirculate, and various other functions like the regenerative braking and steering modes are touchscreen only.

The climate screen is at least straightforward, but other features require some figuring out as the array of menus are inconsistently labelled (as with many other Chinese vehicles).

It’s not as bad as Tesla, at least offering a digital instrument cluster, and some physical control features, but it might be a bridge too far for some ute buyers.

Additionally, the software is okay but not great. It’s fast and looks reasonably good which beats out most Chinese rivals, but it’s a pretty blatant Android reskin which feels a little unfinished around the edges.

Particularly the digital dash looks pretty ordinary and only has one theme, with the information overload it offers on either side of the speedo being of questionable value.

Hopping in the second row it feels as though the Shark 6 offers unrivalled space compared to the usual crop of dual-cabs. I have leagues of kneeroom behind my own (182cm) driving position, and the cabin feels as wide as a big SUV also featuring a flat floor, making the middle position usable by an adult. Headroom is also good and the plush trims continue, too.

While the rear row also scores big grab handles and makes use of those side-steps, it also has an odd issue with the thickness of the B-pillar eating into entry space. I got my feet caught on it despite the amount of room you have once inside. Weird.

Storage for rear passengers is also good, with a large bottle holder in each door, and two more large ones in the drop-down armrest. There are also soft pockets on the backs of the front seats, adjustable air vents, a USB-C and USB-A port as well as a full-size household power outlet.

Additionally, the rear bench has some flexibility built in. You can raise the base to make for a larger storage area if you don’t need the seats, or you can fold the back forward revealing some limited space behind (good for charging cables, towbars and your V2L adapter, for example).

The tray measures 1200 litres according to BYD, with a large square space provided between the wheel arches. Keep an eye out for a future payload test for more on this, but the Shark 6 has a payload of 790kg.

Not bad considering it also has to lug around 30kWh of battery packs under the floor, but it’s also a far cry from the coveted one tonne payload rating achieved by some rivals.

However, the Shark 6 offers some other neat additions, like built-in LED lighting for the tray area and no less than three full-size power outlets which could be good for powering worksite equipment or household appliances even when you’re far from the power grid.

Towing specs are also off-the pace, as you might expect. The Shark 6 can tow 2500kg braked, which is a full tonne down on the accepted 3500kg segment standard, so it’s worth considering this if there’s the possibility you’ll need to tow significant loads.

Finding a comfortable driving position is easy in the EX5 Inspire with the octagonal steering wheel tilting and telescoping through a broad range of motion. The seats are supportive and well-bolstered, too — not a given in this class.

While we wish the front passenger seat was height adjustable, the Inspire’s leg rest and ability to lie the seats fully flat while charging is appreciated. The massage function has six modes, three intensity levels and is remarkably powerful. 

Between the EX5’s front seats is a floating centre console as gear selection is done via the right-hand stalk. It has two small cup holders on top, while under that is a generous, rubberised storage space perfect for handbags, cameras, or the like. It’s where the USB-A, USB-C and 12-volt socket are located for device charging.

There is a wireless charging pad that sits ahead of a large central storage box cooled by the air-conditioning. The Geely EX5’s door cards will easily accept a 600mL camping bottle.

Where the Geely EX5 falls down is the control layout. It is nice to have four physical switches beneath the touchscreen as shortcuts to switch the air-conditioning on or off, engage air recirculation and the front demister, but where’s the hazard light switch? It's on the ceiling.

Then there’s the large rotary dial which generally functions as a volume knob. Press it down and you can choose to have it adjust the temperature, fan speed, or — for some reason — one of several desktop backgrounds, including a computer-generated kitten playing with some wool. In this mode it also works as cursor for the multimedia screen, but never at any other time. Peculiar.

The convoluted menu structure has a strange control hierarchy. There's a shortcut target for the rear fog light, for example, yet to disable the lane-keep assist or adjust the regenerative braking power you need to jump through at least three sub-menus. And some of the text in the Geely EX5’s digital driver’s display is so small it’s almost illegible.

Then there are the typos and grammatical errors that should have been an easy pre-launch fix. A few include: ‘Distractive. Drive carefully’, ‘Keep safety distance’, ‘Driver is facial detection is missing’ and, a personal favourite: ‘The current battery is low, whether to enable super battery life?’ None of this inspires much confidence. At least the EX5’s processor is responsive for smooth tapping between the many menus.

The Geely EX5’s 1000-watt 16-speaker sound system is punchy and has presets – borrowed from Volvo and Polestar — which promise to emulate the sound quality of a recording studio, concert hall and other locations. Gimmicky in practice, plus, with the volume over 30 per cent, the EX5’s sound quality is disappointingly muddy.

Connectivity promises to be strong in the EX5 but the cars we drove were not fitted with 4G sims for live navigation, app downloads and remote smartphone control. Apple CarPlay will be added via a software update in July and Android Auto before the end of the year, says Geely. 

The Geely EX5’s back seat is very generous, at 188cm tall I had plenty of leg room, respectable toe room and excellent head room even underneath the standard panoramic sunroof. The floor is totally flat and, rarely, the middle seat is usable for adults.

Two more USB chargers can be found along with air vents, door pockets and a fold-down central armrest. There’s even a hidden sliding draw for storing valuables out of sight.

The Geely EX5 has ISOFIX child seat connectors on both outboard seats and three top tether anchors on its 40/60 split-fold backrest. 

The EX5 Inspire has a standard power tailgate which opens up to a total of 410 litres of boot space. If it looks a little shallow in pictures, that’s because the total space accounts for the large under-floor area (108L on its own) where Geely skipped a spare tyre.

There is one LED boot light, two shopping bag hooks and a wet storage area off to the side but, curiously, no parcel shelf.

The EX5 joins a new Chinese competitor set that’s bringing electric car prices down to — and below — size-equivalent combustion and hybrid-powered cars. 

Problem is, we still don’t know the exact price, but Geely has at least provided a guide. The Geely EX5 will be priced between $49,000 and $55,000. It has either 430km (Complete) or 410km (Inspire) WLTP-rated driving range and enough power to get out of its own way. 

When you consider high-spec combustion-engined mid-size SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser ($51,410, before on-road costs), the Geely EX5 is shaping up to offer stellar on-paper value.

The entry grade EX5 Complete features 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, full LED exterior lighting with auto high-beam, rear parking sensors and roof rails that accommodate up to 50kg.

Inside, a huge 15.4-inch touchscreen with built-in navigation and 10.2-inch digital driver’s display should embarrass any combustion-engined rival. The upholstery is artificial leather, the front seats are heated and power-adjustable, the sound system has six speakers and there’s keyless entry with pop-out door handles.

Moving up to the tested Inspire brings larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate, front parking sensors and a sunroof. Cabin niceties improve with illuminated vanity mirrors and 256-colour ambient lighting, though it notably lacks dual-zone climate control.

Veritable luxury features include driver’s seat memory and an ottoman for the front passenger, ventilation and massaging for both front seats, a 16-speaker sound system putting out 1000 watts, 13.4-inch head-up display and optional ‘Cloud’ cream upholstery colour.

With exact pricing still to be revealed, it’s impossible to say whether the Geely EX5 is better value than the Leapmotor C10, Deepal S07, Kia EV5, BYD Sealion 7 or XPeng G6, but it certainly shapes up well against the updated Tesla Model Y that has climbed north of $60,000.

Five paint colours are available; Arctic White is no cost, while Shadow Black, Volcanic Grey, Moonlit Silver and Aquatic Green attract an extra charge.

The Geely EX5 is capable of outputting electricity either to a load like hairdryer, coffee machine or power tools at 3.3kW and to another vehicle at 6kWm adding 40km of driving range in an hour.

Here’s where things get really loopy. Australian ute buyers are used to the idea of a rugged diesel engine up front, connected to the wheels via a chunky traditional transmission and usually a low-range capable transfer case.

BYD does things differently. It has a comparatively small 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which primarily acts as a range-extending generator, although it can provide drive to the front wheels in certain conditions from 70km/h.

The wheels are otherwise driven by two separate electric motors on each axle, and draw their power from a combination of the engine and a large 30kWh battery pack mounted centrally under the floor.

BYD says this is the world’s first longitudinally-mounted range-extender hybrid set-up, although usually the benefit of longitudinal mounting for the engine is a more direct connection to the rear axle, so outside of potential packaging benefits, I’m not sure what the upside of this is.

Regardless, the peak combined power of the electric motors is said to be 321kW/650Nm which is in some cases double the outputs of the Shark’s diesel rivals. As a result, BYD claims the Shark 6 can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds (only slightly slower than a hot hatch), an impressive feat considering its 2710kg kerb weight.

Geely claims the EX5’s front axle-mounted 11-in-one motor, transmission and power unit is the lightest and most compact in class. Though power and torque outputs of 160kW and 320Nm are nothing groundbreaking it was perfectly adequate for the EX5’s 1765kg tare mass.

In Eco, Standard and Sport modes the tip-in response is intentionally dulled to minimise wheel spin. Three are three regenerative braking levels; medium felt most natural, though High was acceptable. There’s no one-pedal drive mode in the Geely EX5.

The front-drive Geely EX5 Inspire's claimed 0-100km/h time is 7.1 seconds and its top speed is limited to 175km/h.

Like all plug-in hybrids, the Shark 6 has a headline-grabbing official/combined fuel efficiency number of just 2.0L/100km.

Is this number achievable in the real world? The answer is maybe, because a huge battery pack grants the Shark 6 an NEDC electric-only driving range of 100km.

Now, usually NEDC is straight-up impossible to get in real driving conditions. The more accurate WLTP tends to be more possible (and has a correspondingly lower range number on most vehicles), but in my real-world test, the results were surprising.

As part of this test, I charged the Shark up to 100 per cent then drove it in electric mode only until it reached the reserve level and the engine was forced to turn back on, and was surprised to find it managed to travel a smidge over 90km in pure-electric mode. Considering its official number is NEDC I was expecting something like 70km, at most.

If you can charge it to 100 per cent each time, then it seems reasonable to get at least close to the official fuel consumption number.

On the topic of charging, the Shark 6 is a mixed bag. On the one hand, unlike many PHEVs, the BYD can charge on a fast DC connector at a rate of up to 55kW, which is necessary considering its large battery size.

This should get you from 25-80 per cent in around half an hour. My single charging session took the battery from 25-100 per cent (yep, you can charge BYD’s LFP battery to 100 per cent on DC), in just over 40 minutes.

On the other hand, the slow AC charging leaves a little to be desired. At a max rate of 7.0kW it’s faster than most PHEVs but the sheer size of its battery means you’ll need to plug in for four and a half hours to get it close to full.

In this case, an 11kW AC inverter could nearly halve this time, making it a simple task to top the Shark up at a public AC location.

Charging at home via a wall socket, meanwhile, will be a laborious task, taking in excess of 10 hours.

An additional part of my testing was a 400km loop from Sydney to regional areas and back. Set to 'Hybrid' mode, the battery ran out about a third of the way into the drive, and I had to rely on engine power for much of the journey.

Even with the battery depleted, though, a 140km freeway journey saw average fuel consumption of 9.5L/100km, just as good as most diesel utes in such conditions.

All in all, with a combined freeway portion and EV city driving portion, the car was reporting around 6.5L/100km of fuel consumption. Not bad at all, and with the near-genuine 100km electric driving range, for some use-cases, this could be close to zero.

Real-world efficiency is one of the EX5’s most impressive attributes, with the Inspire’s WLTP-range being 410km dependent on returning energy consumption of 14.7kWh/100km.

Over a 100km distance taking in suburban, motorway and country roads, the EX5’s dash showed a lower-than-rated energy consumption of 13.5kWh/100km, representing nearly 460km of real-world range from Geely’s 60.22kWh ‘Aegis’ lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

Along with the motor, some of the efficiency can be put down to the Geely EX5 Inspire’s quality 235/50R19 Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres.

Charging is middling for this pack, with the EX5 using a 400-volt architecture that allows DC power up to 100kW. Rejuicing from 20-80 per cent takes 28 minutes, says Geely, which is faster than the Deepal S07 and Leapmotor C10 but a long way short of the XPeng G6 and Model Y.

Three-phase AC charging caps out at 11kW, meaning you can take the EX5 from flat to full in around five and a half hours at home.

It takes about thirty seconds behind the wheel to realise the Shark 6 is bringing something entirely new to the ute segment. I can guarantee it is like nothing you have ever driven before.

Yes, it has the same elevated driving position, and a hint of the ladder frame ruggedness underneath, but that's where the similarities to most utes ends.

The cabin is near dead quiet, especially at city speeds. The combination of primarily electric drive and acoustic glass in the front makes the Shark 6 about the opposite of the usual ute cabin ambiance which is defined by diesel engine clatter and constant mechanical feedback from the gearbox or tyre rumble.

Instead, the Shark 6 offers a better cabin ambiance than some luxury SUVs. It’s so quiet and composed it’s almost uncanny. The road feels distant, power is delivered without the hesitancy of turbo lag or a reluctant transmission, and even the suspension, which consists of coil rather than leaf springs, is nice and quiet.

The ride is surprisingly smooth. Sure, the tune has a firmness to it, as does the frame, to help control the additional weight of the batteries. But unlike most dual-cabs, the Shark 6 is nice and balanced over both axles largely due to the all-coil set-up and a chassis design which places the weight of the batteries in the centre.

The steering is alarmingly light in its standard ‘Comfort’ setting, feeling much more like an EV than the usual mechanical feeling of ute steering.

It makes the big Shark 6 easy to manoeuvre and betrays its enormous kerb weight, but it has the side-effect of feeling artificial and detached from the road.

It could be a deal-breaker for some ute buyers, particularly off-roaders looking for a more organic feel. I found the heavier ‘Sport’ mode added a little feel and necessary heft back.

The light steering combines with the coil springs to make for a ute which drives far closer to an SUV than anything else in the class (even the Ford Ranger!).

It also handles corners relatively well, and soaks up most road imperfections with an almost magic-carpet like feel.

This is also helped along by a smart tyre choice offering lots of sidewall, and unlike BYD’s initial Atto 3, comes with a good Continental tyre from the factory.

As a result it handles urban duties with impressive ease, and I was also taken aback by how little gravel trails impacted it. In my adventures, corrugations and rough road textures were dispatched without fuss, with only the largest potholes being communicated with a stiff hit into the cabin, proving the limitations of the suspension.

When it comes to hybrid driving, the Shark 6 remains impressive. Due largely to it keeping a whopping 25 per cent battery in reserve, even when it reaches this level the engine makes minimal impact on refinement, for the most part just buzzing away at idle.

However, when more is asked of it at the reserve battery level, for example a sustained hill with a tall gradient, the engine will suddenly roar up to high RPM as it tries to keep the battery level stable. The result is an unpleasant buzzing engine tone entering the cabin.

It’s still more distant than when you ask a lot of a Toyota hybrid, but noticeable regardless. A bit hard to complain when you’ll hear it a fraction of the time, or perhaps never, in regular driving situations.

On the whole the Shark 6 is immensely impressive, especially considering the price. Not only is it a good plug-in hybrid, it does a remarkable job of showing what ute owners have been missing out on. Australia’s favourite dual cabs should be worried.

Underpinning the Geely EX5 is the new Global Intelligent Electric Architecture, or GEA for short. It is a newer and lower-cost version of the group’s SEA platform as used in Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr and Smart products and the bones are good.

The Geely EX5’s body doesn’t rattle, creak or shimmy over nasty road surfaces. Some solid knowhow has made its way into the brake pedal calibration which is light but delightfully smooth. It’s impossible to detect where regenerative slowing ends and hydraulic begins.

It has allegedly undergone Australian suspension localisation but don’t expect outright handling excellence, the EX5’s ride is still pillowy — verging on melted marshmallow — soft. Some will find this acceptable, however there’s plenty of potential for improvement.

Over large bumps both in town and at speed it takes the Geely EX5’s rear end between two and four rebound cycles to settle. There’s also a large amount of lateral ‘head toss’, with both attributes key ingredients in making back seat passengers car sick.

I also experienced a low-frequency boom in the EX5's cabin over concrete and rough coarse chip surfaces common on Sydney roads. Otherwise, the EX5’s is a mostly quiet car.

The sharp steering is light around town but weighted up unnaturally through corners. With high quality tyres and stability control that intervenes very early, you’re unlikely to get out of shape in the EX5 on a twisty road at least.

That said, with good bones like McPherson struts up front and multi-link rear suspension we would love to see Geely revise the EX5’s chassis to bestow the sort of fluency that makes the Kia EV5 and combustion equivalents like the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 so much more pleasant to drive. Doing so would provide the EX5 a clear point of difference from the XPeng G6, BYD Sealion 7, Deepal S07 and Leapmotor C10.

The Geely EX5 is yet to be tested by ANCAP or other relevant safety testing body. 

The EX5 has seven airbags including a front centre one, a Short Blade battery that has been extensively tested to minimise fire danger along with 16 advanced driver assistance features including auto emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and more.

It is all well and good to tick the safety aid boxes but in practice, the EX5 leaves a little to be desired. Various mysterious beeps and bongs are semi-constant but more soothing than some rivals.

The EX5’s lane-keep assist worked well enough in the morning but was flummoxed by brighter afternoon light and shadows, once grabbing control of the wheel and pointing the car at an upcoming vehicle, another time towards the grass. Sometimes the system simply didn’t work to keep the EX5 in the lane at all.

The adaptive cruise control has an ‘Intelligent’ program that convincingly changes lanes by itself when prompted by the indicator. Unfortunately, like the lane-keep system, shadows on the road caused a few phantom-braking episodes.

Activating the adaptive cruise control is not intuitive because the steering wheel controls are poorly labeled. It’s the left directional and ‘ok’ button set, if you’re wondering, and you cancel cruise by hitting the cross button below the similar looking asterisk customisable hot key.

The standard surround-view camera is high quality with plenty of different angles to minimise kerb strikes.

Like the suspension tuning, Geely ought to send out engineers with a fine tooth comb to iron out issues with the safety systems before hitting start on public sales.

BYD offers the Shark 6 with a six-year and 150,000km vehicle warranty, which is a little different from the usual five-year and unlimited kilometres most rivals are covered by. Additionally, the high-voltage battery is covered for a more industry-standard eight-years and 160,000km.

The service schedule is posted on BYD’s website and extends all the way out to 11 years or 220,000km. Most scheduled visits during this time cost $360, however there are some pretty significant stings along the way. The 40,000km service comes in at $788, while the 80,000km service costs a whopping $1727 in a single visit.

All said and done, over the life of the six-year warranty, the Shark 6 will cost an average of $778 per year, which is surprisingly expensive for a vehicle with a primarily electric powertrain.

Geely is doing its best to ensure smooth parts supply from launch, having run around for 12 months stocking inventory and partnering with DB Schenker for logistics.

To promote the EX5, Geely’s launching with three years complimentary servicing and one year (or 1000kWh) of free charging on the Evie network for those who order an EX5 before February 28.

Geely has yet to announce warranty details. The brand will want to aim for more than five years, as seven years is fast becoming the minimum standard for new vehicles.

Service pricing is also yet to be confirmed, though maintenance will be due every 12 months or 20,000km.