It’s no secret that Chinese automaker BYD has been harbouring ambitions to enter the luxury car market for quite some time, and the 3.5-tonne, 1,200HP, plug-in hybrid Yangwang U8 SUV is the brand’s magnum opus.
Priced from 1,098,000 RMB (AUD$225,000+) in China, the BYD Yangwang U8 is coming to Australia in the next two years with right-hand-drive production to start before the end of 2025, according to local representative Luke Todd.
“We’ll bring the U8 to Australia, whether it’s under BYD or Yangwang,” said Todd in an interview with CarsGuide at the Tokyo Mobility Show. “It’s not going to be more than two years. That’s what I know, we started the conversation today.”
The news comes as Australia solidifies itself as one of the key global markets for Chinese-made vehicles. Europe and the USA have implemented strict tariffs that make the sale of these vehicles financially impossible, which means Australia will need to prop up global exports. So far this year, Chinese-made vehicle sales have fallen by 5.1 per cent, according to VFACTS industry data. Watching Australia’s appetite for these cars in the luxury sector will be interesting, as it’s a segment typically dominated by European players.
Lotus is the only Chinese brand that offers luxury alternatives to names like Porsche and Audi with the Eletre SUV and Emeya GT. However, despite being very good, those vehicles have failed to attract meaningful sales. BYD hopes the Yangwang U8 can change consumers’ appetite for Chinese luxury vehicles, and it’s throwing everything at the vehicle to give it the best chance possible. Here’s what you can expect from the BYD Yangwang U8 when it arrives in Australia.
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While it’s unclear if these features will come to our market thanks to strict ANCAP safety regulations and a strict ADR approval process, the new Yangwang U8 SUV is available in China with a series of unique features that no one expected. We all expect luxury vehicles to house a fancy touchscreen and driver-assisted technology, but floating water mode isn’t usually on the menu.
Chinese media have reported that the Yangwang U8 can float on water and cross rivers by protecting its engine, sealing the windows, and using its wheels as propellers to move the 3.5-tonne SUV around like a boat. However, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and the official press release for the vehicle does not include any further information about this floating capability.
What has remained is the tank-turn feature that allows the Yangwang U8 to turn its four independently controlled wheels individually and spin the vehicle around on a dime. This would be useful in off-road situations where space is an issue, and when we’re talking about a vehicle that measures 5,319mm in length, 2,050mm in width, and 1,930mm in height, you would have to rely on this feature often. The wheelbase of 3,050mm is even longer than that of a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series (2,850mm).
Look inside the YangWang U8 SUV, and you’ll find a 12.8-inch OLED Galaxy Curved Center Display, dual 23.6-inch longitudinal screens for the driver and front passenger, Nappa leather seats, and Sapele wood from Africa. Three wireless chargers at up to 50kW are also included, and finally, a Dynaudio Evidence Series high-end audio system with 22 speakers is also included. It delivers everything you would expect from a vehicle at this price point and more on paper.
Design-wise, the square wheel arches house large 20-inch wheels, but those massive proportions somewhat dwarf them. You can’t look past the LED-infested front end juxtaposed against a large, toothy grille; slab-sided lines accentuate the sense of size. Overall, the design nods to the Land Rover Defender 130 and Toyota LandCruiser, and inspiration is evident in the side profile. However, we think there are enough unique design elements to stand out.
Power is provided by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, which is further enhanced by four electric motors (one at each wheel) to reach that mental 1,200HP power figure. Torque vectoring and an electronic four-wheel drive system are joined by a raft of driver-assisted features and other gadgetry, and the result is a mind-bending 0-100km/h acceleration time of just 3.6 seconds.
The battery system provides energy for the electric motors and the YangWang U8 SUV can travel up to 180 km on a single charge. When it’s time to top up the battery, you can simply use the engine to charge it or plug the vehicle into a 110kW fast charger, which replenishes the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in 18 minutes. Once the battery is fully charged, there are more than 1,000 km of total driving range to play with.
When it eventually arrives in Australia, the BYD YangWang U8 will be one of the most expensive Chinese-made vehicles on sale in the country. If it is to follow the overseas price of 1,098,000 RMB, we should expect the BYD YangWang U8 to cost more than AUD$225,000 before on-road costs in Australia. Right-hand-drive production is set to begin by the end of 2025, and we expect an introduction to our market soon after.
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