It’s time to figure out – are Chinese trucks any good? Should pickup truck manufacturers in the United States be worried about this truck? Will many of us be driving Chinese trucks soon? We explorer all of these topics in this first drive review of the 2025 BYD Shark. We take a close hands on look at this all-new pickup truck and drive it in Texas (although it’s not sold in the USA… yet.)
The 2025 BYD Shark 6 DMO is a midsize pickup truck by our size and capability standards. It has a wheelbase of 128.3 inches (which is 3.5 inches shorter than a 2024 Toyota Tacoma). This Shark is 214.8 inches long (which is about 1.8 inches longer than a Tacoma). It has a roomy four-door crew cab and a 5-foot bed. This truck is sometimes referred to as the “Shark 6” that hints at a possibility that other smaller or larger version of the Shark may be coming in the future. The DMO is the name for the powertrain and it stands for “Dual Mode Off-road” hybrid.
The Shark has boxy styling that reminds us a little of a Ford F-150 in the front, and a VW Amarok pickup truck front the rear. It has all-wheel-drive/4WD capability thanks to two electric motors (one in the front and one in the back).
This is primarily a range-extended electric vehicle with a gasoline generator. It has a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood that is ready to kick on at any time (below 70% state of charge) to provide plenty of juice to the 29.6 kWh battery and to the two electric motors. BYD rates the total power output at 435 bhp, but some sources put it closer to 450 horsepower (this from both electric motors combined).
BYD says that the truck will go for around 60 miles in all-electric mode, but the total driving range with a fully charged battery and a full gasoline tank is up to 520 miles. You don’t have to charge this pickup truck on a road trip. When you do charge it, you can use Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 DC fast charging of up to 44 kW. The Shark also has a 3 kW power export inverter in the bed, and an ability for bi-directional charging.
We ran several 0-60 MPH accelerations tests and got 5.6 seconds. This is a pretty quick for any pickup truck. The Shark 6 is not a light-weight vehicle. It has a GVWR of 7,700 lbs. We were unable to weigh it during this first drive, and we do not have an exact payload rating for it right now. BYD rates it at 5,500 lbs of maximum towing ability, which is at the lower end of the U.S. midsize pickup truck segment. The Toyota Tacoma is rated to tow up to 6,500 lbs. The Ford Ranger is rated to tow up to 7,500 lbs. The Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon/Jeep Gladiator are rated at up to 7,700 lbs of towing ability.
The Shark’s interior is not a copy of any other truck’s interior. The quality, fit, and finish look good. It’s roomy. I can sit behind myself without an issue and I am nearly 6’3” tall. The technology is also very good and easy to understand. We did not experience any errors or software glitches after several hours in the truck.
The suspension and the brakes need work. It’s not a well-tuned driving experience that we are used to. The four-wheel independent suspension spring feel fairly stiff, but the dampers feel a bit soft. It’s a bit bouncy. The brakes do not offer very aggressive regen feature when in “one-pedal” mode. This truck likes to coast. When you do need to slow down, the friction brakes bite very suddenly.
Our friend purchased this new 2025 BYD Shark you see here in Mexico for an equivalent of $47,000. There is nothing we can compare to it in the United States. Chinese made vehicles currently have a 100% tariff on them. If BYD builds a factory in Mexico, and starts producing Shark trucks there – we could see them in the United States. However, BYD will also need a store or dealership network. They will also need to overcome U.S. truck-buyer brand loyalty. This could take 10 or more years.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment below.
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TFLtruck has been reviewing every new pickup truck and full-size SUV for over 12 years. TFLtruck is home to the Ike Gauntlet (the world’s toughest towing test), the Denver 100 efficiency test, TFL Truck Toaster durability test, many Colorado off-road trail tests, new truck world debuts, and first drives.
