BYD’s YangWang aims at Range Rover and McLaren

A new high-performance luxury electric vehicle brand, YangWang, has emerged from Chinese powerhouse BYD, firing an opening salvo towards Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and McLaren – among others – with an all-new large SUV and supercar.

With Range Rover clearly in sights, and possibly even the Mercedes-Benz EQG, the 2023 YangWang U8 is a full-size 4x4 luxury off-roader that measures 5300mm long and features a quad-motor powertrain and a skid-steer function (as seen on EQG) that allows it to pivot within its own length.

According to BYD, the drive system develops 820kW and will launch the YangWang U8 from 0-100km/h in less than three seconds.

The U8 is underpinned by the BYD Group’s latest ‘Yisifang technology’ platform and is fitted with an arsenal of features that make it as refined and capable as possible, including active suspension/body posture control and a floating water mode that’s a safety net for flooded roads and trails.

Full details are not yet available for the U8, nor the 2023 YangWang U9 supercar, which is a dramatic coupe with some apparent McLaren design influence at the rear-end and SSC cues at the front, although the front and rear lighting signatures are unique.

More drama is added by the butterfly doors and the Lamborghini-style fin running down the spine of the vehicle behind the cabin.

The U9 uses the same ‘blade’ lithium-ion phosphate battery technology as other higher-end BYD models, including the U8.

It also features the same quad-motor drivetrain found in the U8, which BYD says will launch the supercar from 0-100km/h in 2.0 seconds.

There’s no indication of an Australian launch at this stage, but given the car-maker’s global sales target of four million units in 2023, and BYD’s arrival here last year, we wouldn’t be surprised if either model was eventually offered Down Under.