BYD Yangwang U8 Exhibited In Australian Dealer, Launches Next Year?

Yangwang U8. (Doc. BYD Global)

Interesting news came from BYD. This well-known automotive manufacturer from China brought the large-body SUV Yangwang U8 and was exhibited in all showrooms in Australia.

Although displayed on the left steering wheel, it is likely that the car will be present in Australia next year with a right steering regulation. This flagship SUV is exhibited at Cremorne dealers in Melbourne and Fortitude Valley in Brisbane in recent days.

Launching from Drive, Wednesday, July 3, the Yangwang U8 model has been developed in the form of a right steering wheel and is expected to arrive for the Australian market no later than the end of 2025.

"I often talk about investment that can bring it to this country, but the segment is also very small," said EDD Direct Managing Director or Australian BYD distributor Luke Todd last year.

Despite entering the luxury vehicle market, the company will seek that Yangwang U8 will be one of the models most popular with Australian consumers.

"We want to see more Australians able to buy EVs and Yangwang are sold for around $220,000 in China," added Todd.

However, other latest news from the distributor has not officially confirmed the presence of the model. However, the opportunity for the model's presence in the country's market is still open.

The BYD experience center is an environment for clients to explore our advanced technology capabilities. The vehicle being exhibited is currently a prototype that demonstrates these capabilities and the future of this brand," they said.

The SUV has a length dimension of 5,319 mm, a width of 2,050 mm, a height of 1,930 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,050 mm. Despite being large and tough, the car is only available with a five-seater configuration and does not offer a three-line option.

The U8 Yangwang has a unique ability that other vehicles do not have, which can float on water and sail at a speed of 3 km/hour or make a 360-degree tank spin.

Another interesting thing is that this car carries an Electric Range Extended Vehicle (EREV), meaning that YangWang U8 still relies on a 2.0 liter turbo combustion engine serving as a battery power plant and not connected to the wheel axis.

Meanwhile, the car has an LFP battery with a capacity of 49.05 kWh which can reach 180 km. When combined with a 75 liter gasoline tank, this model can run as far as 1,000 km without stopping.

Then, the SUV is also supported by four electric motors each with a magnitude of 220 kW, resulting in a combined power of 880 kW and a torque of 1,280 Nm. Thus, the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds with a maximum speed of 200 km/hour.

Unlike hybrid vehicles from China in general, Yangwang U8 is positioned on top of other SUV models from BYD and will compete with Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Toyota Land Cruiser, Lexus LX, Jeep Wagoneer, and Land Rover Range Rover.