The Yangwang U8 could spearhead BYD’s luxury push in Australia, with a right-hand drive example of the electric SUV being spotted testing once more – this time in the Northern Territory.
Photographed in Alice Springs, this camouflaged Yangwang U8 clearly has its steering wheel on the right-hand side of the vehicle, identical to a prototype spied in the Victorian town of Warragul earlier this month.
Examples of the U8 have been displayed at BYD dealerships around Australia, though they’ve all been left-hand drive and without camouflage.
This indicates BYD is ramping up hot-weather testing of the U8, given temperatures reached the low 40s in Alice Springs last week.
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BYD’s Australian distributor, EVDirect, has previously expressed interest in bringing the U8 to Australia, though no Yangwang product has been locked in yet despite confirmation BYD’s premium Denza brand will come Down Under.
Overseas reports have indicated Yangwang will begin right-hand drive sales of the U8 in other markets this year.
Measuring 5319mm long, 2050mm wide and 1930mm tall on a 3050mm wheelbase, the U8 is about 300mm longer, 50mm wider and 20mm shorter than the largest Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series variants.
It’s even larger than luxury SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Range Rover, however unlike its counterparts it doesn’t use a petrol engine to drive its wheels directly.
As an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), it features four electric motors, fed by a 49.05kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery which can be charged externally or by an onboard 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The four electric motors produce up to 880kW of power and 1280Nm of torque and give the U8 a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.6 seconds, while delivering 180km of electric-only driving range or more than 1000km combined – both against China’s lenient CLTC test cycle.
Despite tipping the scales at a whopping 3460kg, Yangwang claims it can float in deep water for up to 30 minutes.
There is a price to pay however, with prices in China starting from RMB 1,089,000 – equivalent to almost $240,000 in Australian currency.
BYD’s most expensive vehicle in local showrooms is the Seal Performance, which starts from $61,990 before on-road costs.
The Chinese brand has been making its vehicles more affordable recently, announcing pared-back versions of existing models or simply cutting prices.
Last year BYD experienced a 64.5 per cent increase in deliveries compared to 2023, moving up five spots to 17th on the overall sales charts.
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