BYD’s first pickup truck which is coming to the Philippines soon (reservations have already opened) scored the following at the ANCAP:

• Adult Occupant Protection – 85 percent
• Child Occupant Protection – 87 percent
• Vulnerable Road User Protection – 74 percent
• Safety Assist – 86 percent

Comparing the Shark 6 DM-O’s performance with its rivals, it scored better in Adult Occupancy Protection and Safety Assist Technology versus the Ford Ranger which scored 84 percent and 78 percent, respectively. It also tied with the Ranger in terms of Vulnerable Road User Protection.

As a pickup truck designed for global markets, the BYD Shark 6 DM-O is equipped with an extensive range of standard safety features including dual frontal airbags, side chest and side head-protecting airbags.

In the frontal offset crash test, the passenger cabin remained stable, with all key body regions recording a ranking of Good protection rating, except for the driver’s chest which was Adequate. In the full-width frontal test, protection for the driver’s neck and chest was Adequate, while rear passenger chest protection was Marginal and neck protection Adequate. Other critical body regions for both the driver and rear passenger were Good.

However, due its size, weight and front-end design, the Shark 6 DM-O poses a higher risk to occupants of oncoming vehicles, resulting in the full 8.00 point penalty being applied in the MPDB (Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier) test (which assesses vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility).

The 87 percent score for Child Occupant Protection was driven by the Shark 6 DM-O’s performance in the frontal offset and side impact tests, where protection for both the 10-year-old and 6-year-old dummies was Good, and the vehicle earned maximum points. It’s also fitted with a Child Presence Detection (CPD) system for all three rear seating positions, with the vehicle able to automatically intervene by activating the air-conditioning to cool down the cabin if an unattended child is detected.

Assessed within the Vulnerable Road User Protection pillar, the Shark 6 DM-O features an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system designed to detect and respond to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. The system demonstrated Good performance in AEB Pedestrian scenarios, though it showed Marginal performance in reverse (AEB Backover) tests. In AEB Cyclist scenarios the system successfully avoided or mitigated collisions at all test speeds, including during turning maneuvers. Additionally, the vehicle provides alerts when a bicycle is approaching from behind to prevent cyclist ‘dooring.’