BYD Yangwang U8: Luxury off-roader with swimming mode

BYD is now the fastest growing brand in the Old Continent – at least if you look at the Chinese company’s expanded model portfolio. There are now six models available from German dealers and car number seven looks like it won’t be long in coming. This addition is the Yangwang U8 luxury all-electric highway, which has been available on the Chinese domestic market since autumn 2023.

Attractive lighting design

Visually, the design of the Yangwang U8 was partially inspired by the new Land Rover Defender. This is especially noticeable on the sides of the line, columns and roofs of black color, and the rear elevation and the large spare wheel well. When it comes to the radiator grille and lighting design, however, they take a more cynical approach than the British. To the left and right of the radiator, LED lights run from the apron to the hood. There are also small orange LED lights above the flat and tapered wheel arches. Things are getting worse back there. There are large-sized, almost square lights in the form of LED pixels. In addition, thin strips of LED light run along the rear window.

Although the exterior of the BYD Yangwang U8 has an angular design, the cockpit looks more rounded. Half of the bow extends symmetrically across the dashboard on the driver and passenger sides, each with a display. Another third screen is placed in the middle. As befits a luxury commuter, BYD ensures comfort with plenty of leather, Alcantara and high-quality trim such as sapele wood. Since the Chinese, which are about 5.32 meters long, 2.05 meters wide and 1.93 meters tall, only come as five seats, the back space should be very generous.

Range extender with 360 degree rotation

The 3.5-ton car is powered by a total of four electric units, which distribute power to all four wheels and allow it to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. According to BYD, the system’s output is a staggering 1,196 hp and 1,280 Newton meters. Range is said to be around 1,000 km, although this can only be achieved with a range extender option in the form of a 2.0 liter petrol engine.

To be able to match its future competitors Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class, a differential steering wheel is installed on the Yangwang U8, in which the left wheels turn in one direction and the right wheels turn in the other direction, therefore. enabling 360-degree turning of the vehicle. Mercedes introduced this feature to the new all-electric G-Class at the beginning of the year and called it “G-Turn”. When it comes to swimming depth, the BYD Yangwang U8 surpasses the Land Rover Defender by 50 millimeters and comes to 1.40 meters. This is achieved through a special water protection system that completely shuts down the car when a certain trigger limit is exceeded, closes all the windows and switches the ventilation to the internal circuit. In the so-called emergency swimming mode, Yangwang U8 can be deeper in the water and can even swim forward at up to 3 km / h for a maximum of 30 minutes.

The manufacturer has not yet announced the exact date of the market launch in Europe. The model may hit the streets in this country this year. Prices can be expected to be around 140,000 euros.