Is this plug-in hybrid pick-up truck the ultimate family car? I think it could be, if you’re open-minded

I can’t emphasise enough how much I love a silly car. Silly is a pretty broad term, but seeing as the only car I currently own in this economy is a 4.4-litre V8-powered BMW 740i from 2001, my favourite flavour of daftness is clearly big and head-turning.

The BYD Shark fits that description to a tee, especially in the luminous orange paint scheme you can see around these words. It also makes for a pretty good family car, especially if you’re bored of the generic SUVs that have taken over the school run.

Now, you may be thinking that I’ve lost my mind – and I would argue that I never really had it in the first place. Nonetheless, I spent a day driving a Shark in town, on the motorway and on some country roads, and I can really see myself living with this big ol’ truck as an only car.

For starters, I really like how it looks. Pick-ups are an acquired taste of course, but the Shark does a great job of channeling its inner-Americana with its boxy corners, upright grille and chunky wheel arches. By that I mean BYD has clearly taken inspiration from the USA-spec Ford F150 Lightning, but seeing as the Shark looks better than the British Ford Ranger, I’m not mad about that.

Obviously, looking like a ranch hand doesn’t make the Shark a good family car – even if you won’t lose it in the car park during parents’ evening. The interior, however, does.

Unlike the BYD Seal, Sealion 7 and Dolphin, the Shark isn’t upholstered in lots of easily-stainable light-coloured artificial leather of questionable quality. No, instead the Shark is well-assembled with dark trim and a very solid feel to it all.

Sure, it could be a bit more plush and it could do with some physical shortcut buttons to work around the fiddly infotainment. But if you’re the type to go on a muddy hike with the family (as I do from time to time) or your kids are particularly rambunctious, the Shark makes perfect sense.

It’s spacious inside, too. Not only up front, which is to be expected, but also in the back where masses of legroom, nicely-reclined backrests, big windows and a pair of USB-C chargers mean the little ones ought to remain comfy no matter how long the drive.

A bed, rather than a boot, isn’t necessarily the most practical solution – but BYD offers a range of tonneau covers and bed caps to keep your items safe and secure, while the pull-out step and built-in tailgate lights improve ease-of-use. There are even a pair of plugs, which you could happily use to power a kettle on a camping trip.

Considering I managed to cross a literal river and deal with some rather muddy, boggy fields during my day in the Shark, you’ll be able to reach some pretty remote nature spots in one, too.

Don’t think that means the Shark is no good on the road, though. It’s the most car-like pick-up truck on sale thanks in large part to its 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid engine under the bonnet. With a claimed 55 miles of electric-only range (I saw most of that during my testing), it’s a surprisingly pleasant thing to waft about town in.

Granted, it shakes and shimmies over bumps and potholes, but with a seating position to make even a Range Rover driver feel insignificant and excellent all-round visibility, you’ll be less hampered by the Shark’s 5.5-metre length than you might expect.

It’s also surprisingly refined on the motorway, with little wind noise and the suspension settling down at higher speeds. It’s pretty composed on a twisty road for such a big lump, but even with 436hp, don’t mistake it for a sports car.

So, does the BYD Shark make for a good family car? Well, yes, it actually does. It comes with pretty much all of the standard kit you could want and a slick plug-in hybrid system that ought to cost you little to run if you can make the most of its electric range with a home charger.

There are definitely more comfortable and easier-to-park options around, such as the Peugeot 5008, Jaecoo 8 or Skoda Kodiaq, but if you want to stand out from the crowd and you want some proper off-road ability – you won’t go wrong with the big BYD.

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