436 horsepower, lower fuel consumption than a city car, and arriving in Spain: BYD challenges the legendary Toyota Hilux 4x4 58 years later

It’s no secret that BYD has its eyes set on Toyota, as its executive vice president, Stella Li, acknowledged just a few weeks ago. To achieve this goal, BYD is ready to challenge the world’s leading automaker—whom it recently even gave its own “advice” to the EU—in some of its most iconic segments.

We’re no longer talking about the Land Cruiser, with which BYD also competes through this 4x4 model set to arrive in Spain before the end of the year. Instead, we’re referring to one of Toyota’s legends: the 4x4 pickup Hilux… which just celebrated its 58th anniversary and introduced its 9th generation, capable of pulling a 760 kg caravan. It also competes with the BYD Shark, a powerful 4x4 pickup equipped with a 436 HP plug-in hybrid engine that consumes less fuel than a gasoline city car.

436 HP and 675 km of range, thanks to its fuel efficiency of only 3.5 L/100 km.

The BYD Shark, whose price in Spain is still unknown but whose first units will arrive before the end of the year, is a massive pickup truck. It measures 5.45 meters long, features a double cab with 5 seats, and also comes equipped with a practical cargo area boasting a volume of 1,200 liters. It can carry up to 790 kg and has the capability to tow a load of up to 2,500 kg.

What really sets this rival to Toyota’s models, which just celebrated its 58th anniversary, apart is its fuel efficiency—lower than that of a conventional gasoline city car, as mentioned earlier. This is thanks to its plug-in hybrid engine with DMO (Dual Mode Off-road) technology, which even allows it to travel 90 kilometers purely on electricity.

We are talking about a plug-in hybrid unit based on a 1.5 T gasoline engine producing 150 HP and 240 Nm of torque, which functions most of the time as a power generator for its 32.2 kWh battery or its two electric motors: the first located on the front axle, delivering 231 HP and 310 Nm of torque, and the second on the rear axle, providing 204 HP and 340 Nm of torque. The system’s total power reaches 436 HP and 650 Nm of torque.

As we’ve seen, this 4x4 pickup competitor to the Toyota Hilux is equipped with a 32.2 kWh battery, which provides an electric range of 90 km and a total range of 675 km. With the battery fully charged, its fuel consumption is lower than that of an urban vehicle: only 3.5 l/100 km. Even when the battery is at its lowest charge level, its consumption remains reasonable considering its size and 436 HP: 9.6 l/100 km.

The best thing about this pickup, which will arrive in Spain before the end of the year, is its fast battery charging capabilities. It can reach 30% to 80% charge in just 21 minutes when connected to a fast-charging station, and 15% to 100% charge in slightly over 3 hours—specifically 3.2 hours—if connected to an 11 kW outlet.

In terms of its performance, it’s not just that this pickup accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in only 5.7 seconds or reaches a respectable top speed of 180 km/h. With a ground clearance of 210 mm at the front axle and 230 mm at the rear, along with a approach angle of 31º and a departure angle of 19.3º, it offers 4x4 capabilities reserved for very few vehicles and is fully comparable to that of its main rival, the legendary Toyota Hilux.

It relies on its traditional yet efficient frame of beams and crossmembers, along with the management of its four driving modes, which allow it to operate solely in 100% electric mode, as a hybrid with the help of its gasoline engine, or even just using its gasoline engine when that is most efficient—such as during highway trips.

This intelligent management system is combined with a full-time four-wheel drive that optimizes traction on four surfaces—sand, mud, snow, and gravel—or includes an effective standard downhill control system.

Highly equipped with very useful technology

When it goes on sale in Spain, the BYD 4x4 will come equipped with a full suite of features, including 18-inch tires, a 360º camera, and front and rear parking sensors; along with an interior more suited to a sedan than to a competitor of the Toyota Hilux. It will feature a 10.25-inch digital dashboard and a 15.6-inch central screen, the largest in its class.

In addition, its interior boasts refinements rarely seen in pickup trucks, such as keyless access and start, heated and ventilated sporty front seats, and rear seats whose usually very vertical backs can be adjusted up to 27º. It also includes vegan leather upholstery, a wireless charger for smartphones, and a Dynaudio sound system with 12 speakers.

And alongside this, there’s a feature that can be very useful. This BYD Shark comes standard with V2L technology, which allows connecting and charging electrical devices directly to the vehicle. Moreover, this competitor of Toyota offers two power outlets with this capability.