BYD pick-up truck teased – PHEV Toyota Hilux rival with 1.5L turbo, 687 PS, 760 Nm, 1,200 km total range

Having conquered the electric vehicle market with its range of SUVs, hatchbacks, sedans and even supercars, BYD is now turning its attention towards pick-up trucks. The company has released teaser images of its own offering, which has already been confirmed for global markets.

Unsurprisingly, the as-yet-unnamed truck is tipped to be a competitor to the likes of the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton, and judging by leaked details of the powertrain and interior, it’s likely to be based on the Bao Leopard 5, a body-on-frame 4×4 that recently made an appearance at the Bangkok Motor Show.

While the truck seen here is covered in striking blue and orange camouflage, the usual pick-up cues are visible, including vertical headlights (with dual projectors, split by a horizontal daytime running light bar), a giant grille, a beefy front skid plate, prominent fender flares and vertical taillights.

Coupled with these images are a bunch of spyshots and patent images published by Autohome that give us an even better look at the truck. Details include a full-width light bar at the front and rear (similar to the electric F-150 Lightning), a terrifyingly massive BYD front badge and blacked-out A- and C-pillars.

Inside, the truck shares plenty with the Bao Leopard 5, including a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, vertical corner air-con vents and chunky switchgear that includes a wide gear selector and a row of toggle switches. The design of the dashboard itself, however, is quite a bit different with large H-shaped panels.

No technical details as yet, but while BYD is mostly known for its EVs, the truck is widely expected to share its plug-in hybrid powertrain with the Bao Leopard 5. This consists of a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine making 194 PS and 273 Nm of torque, paired with two electric motors – one each at the front and rear – that produce 272 PS and 360 Nm at the front and 387 PS and 400 Nm at the rear. Total system output is rated at a whopping 687 PS and 760 Nm.

Juicing the electric motors is a 31.8 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that on the Bao Leopard 5 provides an all-electric range of 125 km on the CLTC standard; with the petrol engine factored in, total range swells to 1,200 km. Support for 100 kW DC fast charging allows the battery to be topped up from 30 to 80% in 16 minutes, while a 6 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) function is also included.

The BYD pick-up has already been confirmed for the Australian and South African markets and has been spotted in right-hand-drive form. This raises the possibility of it being sold in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia, although the company will have to win over buyers that typically favour larger, hardier and more fuel-efficient diesel engines.

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