Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
I recently made a list of vehicles that I’ve owned for the past 40 years or so – from my very first car up to the latest vehicle that’s currently in our garage. I realized that while I’ve driven several pickup trucks, mostly media test drives and demo units, I have never really owned one. My wife Shawie and I plan to get a pickup truck when we revive our Quick Pro motorcycle repairs and maintenance business, but even then, it would be a shop truck and company vehicle that’s not solely for my personal use.
These are just some of the cars that I’ve owned over the years or currently own. From my first car (yellow 1977 VW Brasilia) to my current project car (green 1974 VW Super Beetle), I realized that I’ve never owned a pickup truck.
We plan to get a pickup truck when we revive our Quick Pro business but it’s going to be a shop truck for company use.
I guess I’ve been lucky that when we need to haul something on an open bed, I somehow get a slot to review a pickup truck, and haul bulky stuff without needing to buy or rent one. I guess I don’t have any regular need for a truck with an open cargo bed, which is why I haven’t considered owning one. That is, until I was able to test drive the 2026 BYD Shark 6 DMO Premium. Blame the skyrocketing fuel prices, but after a week with this plug-in hybrid midsize 4-door crew cab pickup truck, I’m beginning to rethink my priorities.
I’ve been quite lucky that when I need to haul something, it coincides with a scheduled test drive of a pickup truck so I get to haul my items on an open bed without needing to buy or rent a truck.
I hadn’t thought about owning my personal pickup truck until I got to drive a 2026 BYD Shark 6 DMO Premium.
Dual Mode Off-Road
The “DMO” in this pickup truck’s label stands for Dual Mode Off-Road, BYD’s proprietary term for their rugged plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and super-hybrid EV platforms. The Shark 6 DMO has two permanent magnet synchronous motors – a 170 kW (228 hp) electric motor that delivers power to the front wheels and a 150 kW (202 hp) motor at the back to deliver power to the rear wheels, making the Shark 6 an authentic 4-wheel drive (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) pickup truck.
DMO and AWD: Those 6 letters at the lower left side of the tailgate say it all and what this Shark 6 pickup truck is capable of.
The Shark 6 DMO’s cargo bed measures 1500 mm length x 1520 mm width x 571 mm height and can carry 835 kilos. It was really built to haul cargo, not to just look pretty.
The two electric motors get their juice from a 29.6 kWh BYD Blade Battery while a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine primarily acts as an onboard generator to recharge the battery. The gas engine also provides extra power during heavy acceleration or when towing heavy loads, instead of driving the wheels directly all the time. The DMO system automatically and seamlessly shifts between pure electric, hybrid, and internal combustion engine modes depending on real-time driving conditions.
1.5-liter turbo gas engine acts as onboard generator to recharge the BYD Blade Battery but also provides extra power during heavy acceleration or when towing heavy loads. The DMO system automatically shifts between pure electric, hybrid, and gas engine modes depending on demand and driving condition.
This BYD electrified pickup truck is elegant and handsome enough to drive to a glitzy resort club., such as the Caliraya Springs Golf and Country Club.
Intelligence and Strength
The Shark 6’s DMO system offers confidence and control during off-road driving. It features intelligent AWD, which distributes power independently to individual wheels for better grip on loose or uneven terrain. This simply means that the wheel with the best traction gets the power so the Shark 6 can move forward without drama, especially with a combined 430 hp and 650 Nm of torque on tap. This intelligent AWD system also allows this three-metric-ton BYD to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds, no fuss, no muss.
We experienced how Intelligent AWD delivers power independently to the wheel with the best traction for better grip on loose, slippery or uneven terrain.
This 3-metric-ton BYD pickup truck can accelerate like a muscle car, going from 0-100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds and hitting a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph).
Like a conventional pickup truck, BYD equipped the Shark 6 with a ladder-frame chassis to ensure high torsional rigidity. The 3.26-meter wheelbase of the rigid chassis works with the front and rear double wishbone independent suspension, and 256/65R18 Michelin Primacy SUV tires to provide a supple car-like ride while still capable of hauling an 835-kilogram / 1,200-dry liter payload on its short bed or towing a 2.5-metric-ton trailer behind it while seating 5 grown adults comfortably inside its cabin. Now, I think that’s mighty impressive…
The Shark 6 DMO is capable of towing a trailer with a 2.5-metric-ton payload while transporting 5 occupants comfortably inside its cabin.
Mounted on handsome 6-spoke 6-stud 18-inch alloy wheels, the 265/65R18 Michelin Primacy SUV tire handled well on asphalt, wet roads, sand, loose dirt, and rocky terrain.
Electrified Advantage
Sure, I’ve driven diesel pickup trucks that can haul a metric ton and tow a heavy trailer but the electrified Shark 6 DMO offers several advantages. First, the prices of regular and premium gasoline are now lower than diesel, thus it is cheaper to fill up its 60-liter fuel tank. Second, the Shark 6 DMO offers 100 kilometers of pure electric range with the battery fully charged, and 800 kilometers of combined driving range with a full tank and fully-charged battery. While it is faster to pump fuel into a diesel pickup truck, the Shark 6 DMO can be charged from 30% to 80% in about 20 to 40 minutes using a DC fast charger.
DMO can also mean “Drive More Often” because its allows you to go to far-flung places without worrying about “Range Anxiety” or off-road capability.
The 29.6 kWh BYD Blade Battery can be charged from 30% to 80% in about 20 minutes using a DC fast charger or overnight using an 220V AC home charger, to make good use of the Shark 6 DMO’s 100 km pure electric range.
At around 5 ½ meters long, around 2 meters wide and about 2 meters tall, it’s easy to drive the Shark 6 DMO around crowded roads, narrow streets, and even onto unpaved forest trails. Its 9-inch ground clearance can handle most obstacles on-road or off-road. Its 6.75-meter turning radius can make maneuvering around these tight areas a cinch while its 28-inch wading depth allows it to easily traverse shallow rivers or knee-high flood waters. Moreover, the Shark 6 DMO has a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) feature with 220V AC power outlets in the truck bed to run heavy-duty appliances or tools, or even light up a campsite. Most diesel trucks can’t match that.
Its midsize 4-door crew cab with short bed dimensions is ideal for most Philippine road conditions.
BYD encourages the use of the Shark 6 DMO’s V2L feature that they posted a how-to guide along with the required accessories for outdoor living.
Premium is the Way to Go
BYD Philippines lent us the Shark 6 DMO Premium variant for a week and we drove it from our residence in Quezon City to The Hamptons Caliraya in the mountains of Cavinti, Laguna. Once there, we drove the Shark 6 off-road to conduct an ocular inspection of potential campsites for a coming event and test its intelligent AWD system. Later in the afternoon, we took the scenic route around Marilaque and encountered some rain and foggy around the mountain roads. Our QC-Laguna-QC roundtrip covered around 280 kilometers but we didn’t feel tired, spent or weary after our long drive.
The AWD system of the Shark 6 DMO showed its impressive traction control at the twisty mountain roads.
Despite its tall stance, the Shark 6 DMO handled very well around the fast curves.
I found myself loving every minute of driving the Shark 6 DMO Premium – along a 2-lane highway by Lake Caliraya, on a lonely provincial road, on rough terrain, and yes, even in Metro Manila traffic.
And why would we? The Shark 6 DMO has a rigid Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) body structure, which integrates the battery pack directly into the frame for high structural rigidity and impact resistance. Aside from its 5-Star ANCAP rating and 7 airbags, the Shark 6 DMO Premium comes with DiPilot advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Predictive Collision Warning (PCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Emergency Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Braking (RCTA/RCTB), and Blind Spot Detection (BSD).
The interior of this BYD electrified pickup truck is a comfortable, safe and high-tech coccoon to take long trips in.
The cockpit is inviting and accommodates long, enjoyable driving stints, aided by DiPilot ADAS suit.
Riding shotgun in the front passenger seat gets the best view of the fast-moving scenery and the road ahead.
Three occupants can travel in relative comfort in the backseat. A folding center armrest with drink holder can be deployed when there’s less than 3 passngers at the back.
Fully Loaded Pickup Truck
It’s also equipped with a 360° Camera with a transparent see-through view for easier parking lot maneuvers, as well as active control and stability systems such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, Anti-Rollover and Traction Control System (TCS), Hill-Hold and Hill-Descent Control (HHC/HDC) and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Its 15.6-inch rotating infotainment touchscreen worked as advertised –it kept us informed and entertained throughout the journey.
Behind the multi-function steering wheel is a highly legible 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.
The rotating 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen display is mounted in the center of the dash. We tried the 360° Camera with the touchscreen in “portrait” position.
Gear selector automatically rises when the red power button is turned on and lowers when power is turned off. Switchgear is a modern take on vintage toggle switches.
We started our drive home from Cavinti as the late afternoon rains began to fall…
… and we drove through a thick fog as we were traversing the zigzags of Marilaque. Note the small heads-up display on the windshield.
After learning about all its features and after a week of driving it here, there and everywhere, I began to realize that I should have a pickup truck, especially since the wife and I enjoyed a bit of the outdoor lifestyle at Catmon Camping Grounds in Cavinti. Now, all I have to do is come up with P2,618,000 to get a BYD Shark 6 DMO Premium for myself and add “pickup truck” to my list of vehicles. After all, BYD is short for “Build Your Dreams”, and I’m building mine – one vehicle at a time.
After spending a week and more than 300 kilometers with the BYD Shark 6 DMO Premium, I’m beginning to think that I might need a pickup truck…
