Under the bonnet
BRUCE NEWTON: This is the thing that's just about broken the internet, there's so much interest in it …
- '2025 BYD Shark 6 First Drive', Carsales.com.au, 15 October 2024
TOBY HAGON: …it is supremely grunty. You've got no shortage of punch at all in this car.
- 'BYD Shark ute tested in the bush', News.com.au, 15 November 2024
Last year, BYD brought the Shark downunder and seeking to ingratiate itself to car buyers began buttering up motoring writers at its lavish launch, complete with one Daryl Braithwaite standing in the back of a ute.
But BYD's approach to public relations has a darker side too:
BYD sues 37 influencers over online defamation …
… and has placed an additional 126 under internal monitoring for alleged disinformation and damaging content.
- CarNewsChina.com, 5 June 2025
In China, write-ups deemed defamatory by BYD has seen it race off to court launching legal action against the authors of those reviews who have been slugged penalties worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The car-maker has even established a dedicated tip off line, which offers informants:
… rewards ranging from 50,000 to 5 million yuan approx. (6,900 to 690,000 USD) for verified leads related to suspected online disinformation targeting the company.
- CarNewsChina.com, 5 June 2025
BYD has insisted it's not trying to quell legitimate criticism, others are not so sure:
JAMES MARTIN: I am likely going to be barred entry from China, permanently for making this video …
I'm not a war reporter, I don't go to places in conflict, I don't cover political events, I talk about cars for crying out loud …
- JayEmm on Cars, YouTube, 21 June 2025
In June, British motoring journalist James Martin tore the veil from BYD's attempts to establish a rather transactional relationship with those who review its cars:
JAMES MARTIN: … this email here that I received in March …
… from a company representing now, BYD …
… 'We are hosting an exclusive launch event for the BYD Sealion 7 …
… Also I'd love to understand your' - and this bit's in bold by the way - 'rates for potential collaboration including content deliverables that would work best for you …'
It's pretty clear, isn't it? 'We want you to come to this event, we want you to say nice things, how much are you going to charge us?'
- JayEmm on Cars, YouTube, 21 June 2025
Rather naked, no?
Back home, BYD's new ute was put through its paces in the red dirt of South Australia's Flinders Ranges by veteran motoring journalist Toby Hagon
who handed down some gentle criticism of its fuel consumption before praising the hybrid offering:
TOBY HAGON: Early indications are that this is a pretty solid thing. This is certainly very capable. It has been properly engineered.
- 'BYD Shark ute tested in the bush', News.com.au, 15 November 2024
And with his own review for carsales.com.au another experienced motoring reporter Bruce Newton who also drove the car through the wilds of South Australia.
Like Toby Hagon, he identified a few niggles, underdamped suspension, questionable towing capacity, but generally gave it the thumbs-up:
BRUCE NEWTON: … I am genuinely shocked that BYD has done such a good job of its first ute.
- 'Can Australia's first plug-in hybrid ute cope with the outback?', carsales.com.au, 14 November 2024
Toby Hagon has also recommended the ute on ABC radio:
TOBY HAGON: …that ute is pretty impressive…
...it's got about double the power of your average ute, more torque than most utes, or all of the mainstream utes on the market.
- Nightlife with Dom Knight, ABC Radio Sydney, 7 November, 2024
But keen eyes noticed the journalists' video reviews seemed eerily similar to BYD's own glossy marketing, also shot in the rugged South Australian outback—the very same footage complete with local fauna starred the very same ute.
But what really set tongues wagging in the motoring world was the fact that these pictures were not the result of the commonplace press junket arranged by car companies.
In fact, Toby Hagon and Bruce Newton had entered into what was previously a secret commercial arrangement with BYD and its Australian distributor.
Through their own private companies the freelance reporters accepted the offer of a job from BYD to arrange their own outback trip, provide the company their footage, be reimbursed for their expenses and at the end of the day to trouser a handy little chunk of profit.
And yet none of this arrangement had been declared to their audiences or their publishers.
So when several months ago some of those outlets caught wind something was awry in the men' s dealings with BYD they suspended their relationship with the writers.
News.com.au told us it has not published Toby Hagon's articles since March and Victoria's RACV said it no longer engages Bruce Newton or Toby Hagon:
Independence and our members and customers trust is at the core of RACV and has been for 122 years …
… we confirm the journalists referenced are no longer engaged by RACV for any future work.
- Email, RACV Spokesperson, 6 July 2025
Both carsales.com.au and the ABC are now examining the revelations.
In a joint response Toby Hagon and Bruce Newton confirmed their private companies Axelerate Media and Mumbo Media had entered into a commercial deal with BYD and its distributor:
In October/November 2024, at the request of BYD Australia/EVDirect, Axelerate Media and Mumbo Media organised and paid for an outback media drive in the BYD Shark 6 …
… BYD Australia/EVDirect subsequently paid the agreed fee and gained access to images and video.
There was no BYD/EVDirect oversight or influence on any editorial produced.
- Email, Joint response from Toby Hagon and Bruce Newton, Motoring Journalists, 4 July 2025
The pair declined to reveal how much money they made from the deal, while BYD told us the agreement was not about trying to skew coverage in its favour:
Any suggestion that BYD paid money to influence the coverage of its car or editorial input into the car review is categorically false and misleading.
- Email, BYD Australia Spokesperson, 4 July 2025
Toby Hagon and Bruce Newton are two experienced journos and we have no evidence before us to cast doubt on the authenticity of their reviews of the BYD vehicle.
But the untidiness of this affair and the fact that both men are still reluctant to set out precisely their upside from the deal has cast a pall over their relationship with readers and publishers.
Lavish press junkets in which motoring journalists are whisked about the globe in great style may be commonplace but it's another thing entirely when some of the cash being splashed about finds its way into the journalist's back pocket.
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