Ford Ranger Raptor Takes On BYD Shark: Video

December 22, 2024 2:31 am

The Ford Ranger Raptor is no slouch. The muscular midsize pickup smoked the competition when turned out on track against the Volkswagen Amarok and the Toyota Hilux, and as a roadgoing vehicle, it’s picking up speed as one of the more popular options in its class in Australia. However, the BYD Shark – a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) from China – might pose a threat to the internal combustion engine (ICE) powered Ranger Raptor. That’s exactly what Australian publication CarExpert set to find out.

For reference, the Shark utilizes a hybridized 1.5L I4 engine, good for 430 combined horsepower. The Ford Ranger Raptor, meanwhile, harnesses the twin-turbocharged Ford 3.0L V6 EcoBoost engine, rated to produce 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

The team gets right down to business. Paul Maric, driving the Shark, switches pickup to “Sport” mode and dropping the hammer. It shakes on the start as the pickup struggles to limit wheel slip as the electric motors engage, but once it gets its wheels under it, the Shark powers to the lead and leaves the Ford Ranger Raptor in the dust.

However, they expect some degradation as they continue to pull the two trucks, and that fall-off is evident right away. The second race is much closer as the battery gets “exhausted,” and the Ranger Raptor gallops within striking distance of the Shark by the time they flash across the line. After a third matchup with similar results, the crew shifts gears and races from a rolling start.

The two pickups seem relatively evenly matched this time. In fact, the Ranger Raptor crosses the line first, winning by a hair over the BYD Shark.

“I think the theory is, if you’re ever at a traffic light, or a designated drag race area against a Shark, if you’re in a Raptor, you’re going to lose every time even when the battery’s exhausted,” Maric explains. “But if you’re rolling next to a Shark and you both punch the throttle, it’s going to be so close.”