The Yangwang U8 might spearhead BYD’s luxurious push in Australia, with a right-hand drive instance of the electrical SUV being noticed testing as soon as extra – this time within the Northern Territory.
Photographed in Alice Springs, this camouflaged Yangwang U8 clearly has its steering wheel on the right-hand aspect of the automobile, similar to a prototype spied within the Victorian city of Warragul earlier this month.
Examples of the U8 have been displayed at BYD dealerships round Australia, although they’ve all been left-hand drive and with out camouflage.
This means BYD is ramping up hot-weather testing of the U8, given temperatures reached the low 40s in Alice Springs final week.
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BYD’s Australian distributor, EVDirect, has beforehand expressed curiosity in bringing the U8 to Australia, although no Yangwang product has been locked in but regardless of affirmation BYD’s premium Denza model will come Down Below.
Abroad studies have indicated Yangwang will start right-hand drive gross sales of the U8 in different markets this yr.
Measuring 5319mm lengthy, 2050mm large and 1930mm tall on a 3050mm wheelbase, the U8 is about 300mm longer, 50mm wider and 20mm shorter than the biggest Toyota LandCruiser 300 Sequence variants.
It’s even bigger than luxurious SUVs such because the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Vary Rover, nevertheless in contrast to its counterparts it doesn’t use a petroleum engine to drive its wheels straight.
As an extended-range electrical automobile (EREV), it options 4 electrical motors, fed by a 49.05kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery which will be charged externally or by an onboard 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The 4 electrical motors produce as much as 880kW of energy and 1280Nm of torque and provides the U8 a claimed 0-100km/h time of three.6 seconds, whereas delivering 180km of electric-only driving vary or greater than 1000km mixed – each towards China’s lenient CLTC check cycle.
Regardless of tipping the scales at a whopping 3460kg, Yangwang claims it will possibly float in deep water for as much as half-hour.
There’s a value to pay nevertheless, with costs in China ranging from RMB 1,089,000 – equal to nearly $240,000 in Australian foreign money.
BYD’s costliest automobile in native showrooms is the Seal Efficiency, which begins from $61,990 earlier than on-road prices.
The Chinese language model has been making its autos extra inexpensive just lately, asserting pared-back variations of current fashions or just chopping costs.
Final yr BYD skilled a 64.5 per cent enhance in deliveries in comparison with 2023, shifting up 5 spots to seventeenth on the general gross sales charts.
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