BYD U8 luxury SUV coming to Australia

Startlingly successful Chinese electric car brand BYD plans to have its YangWang U8 ultra-luxury and hyper-expensive plug-in hybrid SUV on sale in Australia before the end of 2025.

Luke Todd, the managing director of local BYD importer, EVDirect, reached the deal in direct discussions with BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu at the Japan Mobility Show this week.

Pitched at the equivalent of $240,000 in China for the launch Premium Edition, the 2025 BYD U8 shapes up as a huge step for the BYD brand in our market, even if pricing is far from set as yet.

So far, BYD has cracked the market with an affordable series of EVs, opening with the BYD Atto 3 small SUV and now following up with the Dolphin hatch and Seal mid-size sedan.

A BYD ute and the Seal U mid-size SUV are expected in 2024.

But Todd is confident there is a market for the upmarket BYD U8.

“We know how good that vehicle is and we know that there’s a very strong market in the right-hand drive segments,” he insisted.

YangWang is the newly established luxury subsidiary brand of BYD Group and the Toyota LandCruiser-sized U8 is its debut model along with the U9 supercar.

But it is yet to be decided whether the U8 will be a YangWang in Australia.

“We’ll bring the U8 to Australia whether it’s under [the] BYD [badge] or YangWang,” Todd confirmed to carsales on the BYD stand at the Japan Mobility Show.

“It’s got to have a right-hand drive development program to make that happen.

“I’m in there with the chairman trying to push as hard as we can to get as much as we can for Australia and that’s definitely one of the first questions I asked is: ‘When can we get the U8?”

The answer is – pretty darn soon!

“It’s not going to be more than two years,” Todd confirmed. “That’s what I know, we started the conversation today.”

If it does arrive in Australia by the end of 2025 then it could beat hybrid versions of the Toyota LandCruiser or yet-to-be-launched Y63 Nissan Patrol on sale here.

Mind you, the BYD U8 is potentially $100,000-plus more expensive than those two large SUV stalwarts, so it is more realistically a Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz rival.

While Chinese media report a pure-electric U8 is coming as soon as 2024, the launch U8 powertrain combines a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that recharges the 49.05kWh LFP Blade battery, while four independently torque-vectored electric motors rated at a combined 880kW and 1280Nm drive the wheels.

It is claimed to reach 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and attain a 200km/h top speed.

Weighing in reportedly at an incredible 3460kg, the U8 is claimed to have a 180km electric-only range and a 1000km range when fully charged and fuelled (based on Chinese domestic CLTC measurement). The maximum DC fast-charge rate is 110kW.

The U8 is a bona fide off-roader with height-adjustable hydraulic suspension and the ability to perform tank turns. It has a 1000mm wading depth but can float if it gets in too deep.

Handily, it also comes with 6kW vehicle-to-load capability to run your cooking gear at the campsite.

Measuring up at 5319mm long, 2050mm wide, 1930mm high and with a 3050mm wheelbase, the U8 seats only five people despite its length. The boot swallows 1031 litres of luggage.

The cockpit features a 12.8-inch OLED Galaxy Curved Center Display, dual 23.6-inch longitudinal screens for the driver and front passenger, and high-end Nappa leather seats combined with Sapele wood from Africa.

There are three wireless charging spots compatible with 50kW fast charging, while a Dynaudio Evidence Series high-end audio system pumps out the sound via 22 speakers.

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