Confirmed! Hardcore BYD Yangwang U8 SUV locked in for Australia where it will take on everything from the LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol to the Range Rover Sport

BYD will have a luxury-soaked answer to the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Range Rover Sport in Australia, with the brand confirming right-hand-drive development is about to begin on the rugged, and expensive, Yangwang U8 SUV.

A flagship product for the brand – sitting below only the U9 supercar – the U8 scales new heights for BYD, with Chinese pricing now confirmed and converting to around $235,000 AUD.

The brand’s ongoing success in Australia, thanks to models like the Atto 3 and demand for the Dolphin and Seal, have given its local representative, Luke Todd, a sizeable seat at BYD’s global planning table, and “one of the first questions” he asked was when he could secure the U8 for Australia.

Read More About BYD

'Best in class' BYD Ute detailed: Big power for China's Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival that's coming in 2024 - but don't call it a hybrid Would you pay nearly $250k for a BYD? Bentley Bentayga-rivalling Yangwang U8 gets official pricetag! Cleared for launch: Bargain BYD LandCruiser Prado rival one step closer as Fang Cheng Bao 5's incredible specs revealed

The answer, he has confirmed, is within two years, with right-hand-drive development now set to begin and a launch to occur by the end of 2025, at the latest.

“We'll bring the U8 to Australia, whether it's under BYD or Yangwang,” Mr Todd told CarsGuide at the Tokyo Mobility Show.

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

BYD will have a luxury-soaked answer to the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Range Rover Sport in Australia.

"I'm in there… 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.

“And part of what I do is demonstrate there is a viable market that would love that vehicle in right-hand drive.”

The U8 falls under BYD’s luxury brand Yangwang, but the range-extender plug-in hybrid aims to blend comfort with capability.

Its mega powertrain pairs a small 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with four electric motors — one at each wheel — to deliver a staggering 880kW and 1280Nm.

That’s a lot of grunt, and it helps counter the U8’s 3.5-tonne weight, with the big SUV capable of clipping 100km/h in a performance-car rivalling 3.6 seconds.

The U8 scales new heights for BYD, with Chinese pricing now confirmed and converting to around 5,000 AUD.

There’s a 49kWh 'Blade' battery on board, and — in pure EV mode — the U8 will travel up to a claimed 180kms. But with the help of the fuel tank and petrol engine, the total driving range is boosted to 1000kms in total.

When it comes time to plug in, the U8 is set up for 110kW fast charging, and the brand says you’ll go from 30 to 80 percent charged in 18 minutes.

In what might be another global first, the U8 is fitted with wireless charging receivers underneath its body — allowing for wireless 50kW charging, provided you can access the right infrastructure — and there’s a 6kW vehicle-to-load system, too.

Further helping justify its price is a luxurious leather interior (think Nappa leather and Sapele wood trimming), the brand’s highest-calibre tech (there are three screens, twin 23.6-inch units frame a third 12.8-inch screen) and a comprehensive safety suite which includes eight radars, 14 ultrasonic sensors and 16 cameras.

It will also mark a bold change of strategy for BYD in Australia.

But perhaps its wildest party trick is the ability to transform into a boat. Yes, it sounds bonkers, but Chinese media report the U8 is able to survive in unexpected flash floods — or cross deeper rivers — by floating, protecting the engine, sealing the windows and the transforming its wheels into little propellers that will keep you moving at just under three kilometres per hour.

The Yangwang U8 measures 5319mm in length, 2050mm in width, and 1930mm in height, and it rides on a wheelbase of 3050mm, with those dimensions delivering enough interior space for three rows of seating for seven people.

It will also mark a bold change of strategy for BYD in Australia. The Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal all compete with sharp pricing, where the U8 will push into uncharted, and luxurious, territory.