See how much the Kardian Evolution costs and check the price of the Shark, BYD’s first pickup truck

While some cars are no longer offered with manual transmissions in the country, Renault has launched a configuration with a clutch pedal for the Kardian. It may seem like a step back, but this is the best driving version of the brand’s new crossover. The new transmission option equips the Evolution version, has a suggested price of R$106,990 and features the same equipment as the automatic configuration of the same name, offered for R$118,090.

Produced in Portugal, by Horse, the JX22 is the new generation of six-speed manual transmissions, with a focus on mechanical efficiency and fuel consumption. This gearbox works in conjunction with the 1-liter turbo engine, which powers the entire Kardian line and delivers 125 hp. With the driver controlling gear changes, it is much more enjoyable to extract the 22.4 kgfm of torque, with 20.4 kgfm (90% of maximum force) already available at 1,750 rpm.

As standard, the Evolution version has six airbags (two front, two side and two curtain airbags), speed controller, speed limiter and rear parking sensors and reversing camera, among other items. All driving information is displayed on the seven-inch digital instrument panel interface, which has the option of an additional display mode highlighting speed with a minimalist design. The multimedia center is eight inches and offers wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connection.

BYD RELEASES SHARK PRICE

In May, I attended the global presentation of BYD’s first pickup truck, the Shark, in Mexico. At the time, the company did not disclose the price for Brazil, but in direct conversion between the Mexican Peso and the Real, the top of the line would cost R$295,000.

However, in the Brazilian market the utility was launched for R$ 379,800, a higher value than the most expensive versions of the competition: Chevrolet S10 High Country (R$ 311,990), Fiat Titano Ranch (R$ 259,990), Ford Ranger Limited (R$ 326,990), Mitsubishi L200 HPE-S (R$ 316,990), Nissan Frontier Platinum or Pro4X (R$ 312,590), Volkswagen Amarok Extreme (R$ 354,990) and Toyota Hilux SRX (R$ 324,690).

In common, all the aforementioned competitors have 4×4 traction and diesel engines, while at Shark, BYD opted for a plug-in hybrid package. The Chinese model’s trump card is its combined power. There are 437 hp, which provides acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds, the fastest in the category, and with a maximum speed of 160 km/h, the slowest among all. Torque per axle is 31.6 kgfm at the front and 34.7 kgfm at the rear, with a combined 65 kgfm. According to Inmetro, this utility can travel 57 kilometers in electric mode.

Conservatively, consumers of medium pickup trucks in Brazil stopped buying models with flex-fuel engines and their manufacturers (Ford, Mitsubishi and Toyota) eliminated these versions. The durability of the diesel engine is more important than comparing the price of the fuel in relation to the value of gasoline or ethanol.

BYD made a mistake when launching the pickup and made available an owner’s manual that said that the Shark could lose its warranty if it was constantly driven on unpaved roads. Afterwards, he corrected the material.

In any case, the brand maintains a warning on page 125: “As the traction battery is located in the lower part of the vehicle, it is recommended to drive carefully on bumpy roads.” The common thing is that this type of vehicle has inferior protections, as the consumer does not have many options when faced with unpaved roads.

Fiat confirmed the Fastback and Pulse as the first Stellantis flex hybrids produced in Brazil. However, the company did not detail the performance of the engine, which will be based on the 1-liter engine from the T200 line, which delivers up to 130 hp of power and 20.4 kgfm of torque.