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A right-hook version of BYD‘s luxurious rival to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Range Rover has been spotted in China, indicating that exports to right-hand drive markets could begin sooner rather than later.
Dressed in blue, white and purple wrapping, the right-hand drive Yangwang U8 was spied near the BYD factory, with images of the beast published by Car News China.
Luke Todd, chairman and managing director of BYD’s Australian distributor EVDirect, told CarExpert last year that the Yangwang U8 was under consideration for the local market.
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“Yangwang is the luxury brand for BYD and has only recently been released in China, so we can’t forecast the timeline of when those vehicles will arrive in Australia,” said Mr Todd.
“But we are in discussions about potentially bringing the U8 to Australia but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
Car News China reports sales in RHD markets will begin in 2025.
Left-hand drive versions were displayed in Australian BYD dealerships earlier this year.
BYD also displayed the U8 at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, which suggests it’s looking at multiple RHD markets.
The U8 measures 5319mm long, 2050mm wide and 1930mm tall on a 3050mm wheelbase, with a larger footprint than the Range Rover.
In contrast to the range of BYD electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrids, the U8 is an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) with four electric motors.
The electric power is supplemented by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that powers a 49.05kWh Blade battery which is integrated into the vehicle’s chassis as part of BYD’s proprietary Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) technology.
The powertrain makes a combined 880kW and 1280Nm, good for a 0-100km/h sprint of just 3.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 200km/h.
EV-only range is capped at 180km, although the U8 can travel 1000km between fuel stops courtesy of a 75-litre fuel tank.
The U8 supports 110kW DC fast charging, and can also power household appliances using its 6kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) capacity.
As well as offering performance on sealed surfaces, Yangwang pitches the U8 as an SUV with serious off-road capability.
Approach, departure and breakover angles measure 36.5 degrees, 35.4 degrees, and 25.5 degrees, respectively.
In standard form the U8 has a maximum wade depth of 1000mm, while the Master Edition ups that to 1400mm and features a snorkel.
Despite its 3460kg heft, Yangwang says that the U8 can remain afloat for up to 30 minutes in deep water, protecting occupants during river crossings or flash floods.
Inside, features include Nappa leather upholstery and six screens, including a 23.6-inch digital instrument display, a 12.8-inch infotainment display and a 23.6-inch screen for the front passenger.
Each rear passenger also has access to an entertainment display. In addition to the screen-fest, the U8 comes equipped with a 70-inch head-up display and a 22-speaker Dynaudio sound system.
In China, the Yangwang U8 is priced from 1,089,000 RMB, which directly converted to Australian currency is around $230,000.
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