BYD Yangwang U9 Reviews

There’s now officially a new best-selling Chinese brand in Australia.

BYD has revealed its new "Blade" battery capable of charging its electric vehicles in rapid time, according to reports.It is the second generation of the signature Blade battery, which is found on all of BYD’s electrified vehicles.Targeted charge times range from 10-70 per cent in five minutes, with a charge from 10-97 per cent taking just nine minutes.For reference, the BYD Sealion 7 currently on sale in Australia charges from 10-80 per cent in 38 minutes, so BYD’s latest battery offers a marked improvement.The battery has also been given some other boosts, including a five per cent higher energy density.One of the models it will debut on is the Denza Z9 GT, which is an all-electric wagon earmarked for Australia within the next year. It features a 122kWh unit offering a driving range of more than 1000km according to the more lenient CLTC measuring process.The Denza Z9 GT will take a little more than 5 minutes to charge from 10-70 per cent on a charger capable of the required output, while a 10-97 per cent charge will take roughly nine minutes.The brand said its new battery can also operate effectively in extreme temperatures, with 20-97 per cent charges at -20-degrees and -30-degrees both taking 12 minutes.The boosted charging times on these new batteries are in tandem with BYD’s recently-unveiled T-shaped megawatt-level charger. It is capable of adding around 400km of driving range in five minutes or a charging speed of two kilometres every second.It is claimed this new charging system is the first mass-produced liquid-cooled megawatt terminal for passenger vehicles. It has an overall bigger design, with dual-plug charging ability, which is enabled by the use of a buffer battery to operate without megawatt grid support.Even without the use of these super fast chargers, BYD claimed its new Blade battery charges 30-50 per cent faster than conventional EV batteries.BYD is targeting 20,000 of these new ‘Flash’ charging stations by the end of 2026, giving the brand a greater charging infrastructure landscape compared to rivals such as Tesla.Locally the boss of its Denza luxury arm has earmarked the possibility of BYD entering the charging hardware game, specifically to deploy the tech-leading megawatt-level chargers.Stay tuned for more on BYD's ambitious plans in 2026 as it plots a top-three finish for the year. The brand has already leapfrogged GWM in the first two months of the year to become Australia's current favourite Chinese brand.

China is now the biggest country of origin for new-car sales in Australia, leapfrogging Japan in what is a seismic shift in the Australian automotive industry.

New data collated from across the world illustrates just how quickly BYD has become the world leader in new electric car sales.Nikkei Asia has used data between 2020 and 2025 to highlight countries that have gone from EV markets dominated by Tesla to those BYD has the better grasp on.The data from S&P Global Mobility shows only a handful of nations where BYD was the bigger new EV brand of the two in 2020, including parts of South America, West Asia (mainly Egypt and Saudi Arabia) and of course China.But by 2025, BYD was the dominant force compared to Tesla, with much of the ‘Western’ world including Australia embracing BYD more than Tesla.The USA (Tesla’s home market), Canada, and parts of Europe are the biggest Tesla holdouts.The report comes as BYD’s global sales slow overall, with factors at play including the Chinese government reacting to BYD’s alleged ‘sales pricing war’ where cars are sold below cost to boost numbers.Geely has become China’s biggest car brand, overtaking BYD, with total sales including its subsidiary brands like Zeekr too.But BYD’s ability to overtake Tesla is also helped by Tesla’s decline due to its limited model line-up and the company’s increasingly controversial CEO making ownership of a Tesla seem like acceptance of a political stance.The path BYD has taken to maintain success is has been decidedly risky, but much of it has paid off due to the brand’s ability to work quickly.BYD’s founder and Chairman, Wang Chuanfu, said in 2021 that rapid development will be the biggest ingredient in challenging the slower legacy brands."Toyota Motor and Volkswagen are a little slow in electrifying their vehicles, but once they make a leap, the impact will be huge," he said at the time. "BYD absolutely has to be faster."In Australia, BYD has sold 10,324 new vehicles so far in 2026, while Tesla lags behind with 3775 in the year so far. Both brands have increased over the same January-February period last year, Tesla being up 61.9 per cent and BYD up a whopping 161.0 per cent.

BYD has officially thrown the covers off of its upcoming flagship hybrid SUV via its Chinese social media channels.Previously known as the Dynasty D in pre-reveal form, and suspected to be called the Tang 9 since then, the large SUV, which BYD dubs the ‘Great Tang’ is well over five meters long and competes in an emerging luxury large SUV battleground.Not only will the new SUV be BYD’s largest new car (even larger than the LandCruiser-rivalling Denza B8), but it will also use the company’s new 'Super e' platform which supports a 1000-volt architecture with charging speed targeting 1MW to match the brand’s new ultra-fast charging stacks.While no further spec details of the flagship SUV were revealed, the brand recently told Chinese media its launch would be delayed until the second quarter of 2026 as the company moves to make improvements to ensure its offering is better than its competitors in this emerging Chinese luxury large SUV space.It was spotted in pre-production form recently wearing a 4.9S badge, which in BYD parlance usually indicates the 0-100km/h sprint speed. Some specs, revealed thanks to the vehicle’s filing with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, indicate that it will weigh nearly three tonnes and offer a seven-seat configuration.It will offer either a single motor RWD version with a 300kW output, or a dual-motor version offering a 370kW rear motor and a 215kW front motor.Other features include either 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and the option of air suspension. At this stage it is unclear if BYD will take this flagship offering in Australia, or whether it will leave space for its Denza luxury arm. Chinese media is speculating the Great Tang will cost in excess of A$90,000 in China, which would put this SUV in significant overlap with Denza’s local offerings.In China, the Great Tang will face off against some much-hyped competition like the Zeekr 9X, IM LS9, Leapmotor D16, and the upcoming GWM flagship SUV. All of which are over five-meters long and are plotted to be luxury flagships.Locally, BYD will continue to launch a flurry of new models into the Australian market as it targets at least one car in every segment in order to compete with Toyota.Stay tuned for more on BYD’s plans in Australia later this year.

Denza, the luxury arm of BYD, has unveiled an updated version of its earmarked-for-Australia Z9 GT, with a staggering driving range in excess of 1000km.The Denza Z9 GT electric wagon boasts a driving range of 1036km, from its 122kWh battery, which makes it one of the longest-range EVs in the world. It should be noted that this figure is using the CLTC testing system, which is known for being significantly more lenient than other testing methods. Even using a more stringent testing method, the Z9 GT still has an eye-catching driving range in the EV space, as Chinese automakers compete for the biggest number in each category.The Xiaomi SU7, for instance, has seen its driving range also upgraded to more than 900km, according to CLTC testing.For reference, the longest range EV sold in Australia as of publishing is the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, which has a driving range of around 750km on a single charge, although this is to the more accurate WLTP testing cycle.The Z9 GT could be set for an Australian launch, given it has already been confirmed for right-hand drive production. Denza Australia Chief Operating Officer Mark Harland also recently told CarsGuide the car could make its way to Australia within the next year. "If you look to Europe, they have launched the Z9 GT, and that will be available in right-hand drive as well," Harland said. "We haven't confirmed that, but that is one of the cars that is available to me within the next 12 months. And that's a car where if we go 'we see some volume in Australia', which I think there is, then that's definitely the car that I can get here."In Australia it would shape up as a rival for the Porsche Taycan or Audi e-Tron GT.The battery used in the Z9 GT is one of BYD's signature 'Blade' batteries, which means it is made in-house has a lithium-iron-phosphate make-up. It was previously thought that a new type of battery technology was needed to achieve such high driving ranges, such as solid-state or semi solid state, which not only BYD, but Chery and others have announced projects in. The LFP battery from BYD demonstrates 1000km-plus driving ranges are possible without the use of solid-state, which have proved costly to implement. It is not clear which variants of the Z9 GT might be available in Australia, but in China, there are rear-wheel and all-wheel drive variants.Along with the 122kWh battery, there is a smaller 102kWh battery, with driving range sitting in the 800km bracket according to CLTC numbers. The rear-wheel drive variant has a single electric motor, producing 370kW, while the all-wheel drive has three motors, producing a combined 850kW.There is also a plug-in hybrid version available in China.Stay tuned for more on Denza's range expansion imminently. Currently the brand offers the B5 and B8 off-road plug-in hybrid SUVs, and has just announced pricing for its D9 luxury people mover.It plots five models on sale (meaning two more to be confirmed) before the end of 2026.

China’s BYD has revealed details of the forthcoming Seal 07 EV sedan ahead of its imminent launch in the domestic market.The 2026 BYD Seal 07 EV is a fully electric counterpart to the Seal 07 DM-i plug-in hybrid sedan which is already offered in China.Slotting above the Seal and Seal 06 EV, the Seal 07 EV measures in at 4995mm long, 1910mm wide and 1495mm tall, with a 2900mm wheelbase. This makes it a fraction larger than a Toyota Camry.Power comes from a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 240kW and is fed by a 69.07kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) 'Blade' battery.BYD claims the Seal 07 EV can travel up to 705km on a single battery charge, according to lenient CLTC testing. It also has a CLTC claimed energy consumption of 10.8kWh/100km.For context, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD offers up to 750km of electric range and a claimed energy consumption of 12.5kWh/100km, both according to more stringent NEDC testing.In terms of design, the Seal 07 EV shares many of its highlights with the Seal 07 DM-i. These include a closed-off front fascia with narrow headlights, a full-width rear light bar, flush door handles, a panoramic glass sunroof, plus a roofline that plunges down at the rear.Inside there is a digital instrument cluster, a 15.6-inch central touchscreen multimedia system, wireless charger, dual cupholders and a row of physical buttons for key vehicle controls.At this stage it’s unclear whether the Seal 07 EV will ever come to Australia. BYD already offers the smaller Seal electric sedan which is more of a rival to the Tesla Model 3.However, BYD has previously been spied testing the Seal 06 DM-i sedan, as well as Seal 06 DM-i Touring wagon in Australia.Both of these are notably plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and were approved for local sale by the government regulator in January 2026. This approval usually happens only a few months before a vehicle goes on sale.BYD currently doesn’t offer any plug-in hybrid sedans or hatchbacks in Australia. It only sells the Sealion 5, Sealion 6 and Sealion 8 PHEV SUVs, as well as the popular Shark 6 PHEV dual-cab ute.

BYD's global sales numbers are in trouble as Geely makes up ground in a changing Chinese market, making export locations like Australia more important.

Denza is planning a new-model attack in Australia that will see five Denza-badged models rolling on Australian roads by early 2027, with one of the model's still billed as a "mystery".We have a fairly solid idea of four of those models – including the B5 and B8, obviously, as well as the expected introduction of the Z9 GT shooting brake, and the D9 electric people mover.But the fifth model remains something of a mystery, so we have done some detective work.Denza Australia Chief Operating Officer, Mark Harland told CarsGuide: "There may be a fifth, but the fifth may or may not make it by the end of the year."The fifth one is probably 12 to 18 months (away) at the most."Typically, Denza export vehicles are launched in China first, before being rolled out in right-hand drive about 12 months later. That suggests our mystery vehicle is either on sale in China, or just about to be. One alluring option would be the new Mei-7 or Mei-9 Sedan, the former of which will launch in China shortly. Details remain under wraps for now, but international reports suggest it will offer a version of the Z9's ballistic EV and PHEV powertrains.In the Z9, the EV version is powered by a single electric motor producing 370kW, or offered as a tri-motor monster producing a combined 850kW. A plug-in hybrid variant also makes use of three electric motors, only this time paired with a 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid, promising 600-plus kilowatts and an all-electric driving range of around 300kms on the WLTP cycle.Neither the Mei-7 or Mei-9 are currently confirmed for Australia, but Denza here is confident it can access any international models it wishes."I just don't want to overpromise, overcommit. If I took too many cars too quickly without having a dealer network set up, I would get myself in trouble because we wouldn't have the ability to deliver and service all the cars," Mr Harland says.Stay tuned for more as the brand continues to plot an aggressive roll-out as part of an emerging Chinese premium trend, which also includes its primary rival in Australia, Geely's Zeekr.

BYD is one of three Chinese brands which have broken into the world’s top 10 best-selling automakers, according to end-of-year financial figures.The brand finished up in sixth place on the list, selling more than 4.6 million units in 2025. BYD was not the only brand to make serious sales progress last year, with SAIC and Geely also pushing into the top 10 for global sales.Chinese brands’ successes globally have come at the expense of established players, such as Ford, with the Blue Oval dropping to eighth overall, and Honda just holding onto 10th position.BYD has had other success, including surpassing Tesla at the top of the electric car sales charts for the world at more than 2.2 million in 2025.The Chinese giant has experienced a similar sales increase in Australia, being the eighth best-selling brand in 2025, with more than 52,000 vehicles sold.The brand narrowly trailed rival Chinese carmaker GWM last year, which has been in Australia for much longer, while having around 10,000 units more sold than MG.It lines up with BYD’s ambitions to be "around top-three" in Australia by the end of this year, according to Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins.Among the best sellers for the brand Down Under are its all-electric Sealion 7 SUV and plug-in hybrid Shark 6 ute.BYD will strengthen its position further in the Australian market over the coming years thanks to its strong New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) position, compared to fellow big sellers such as Mazda.It will bring across several new models in 2026, such as the soon-approaching B5 and B8 off-roaders under its luxury arm Denza, as well as what appears to be the Seal 05 plug-in hybrid sedan and wagon pair.It is a different story for BYD in its home market of China, where the brand suffered a drop in sales year-on-year, as competitors grew.These challenges are likely to increase for BYD and other big brands in China, following the Chinese government’s recent banning of below-cost car sales domestically in order to end a years-long bruising price war.This will give smaller brands an opportunity to contest with larger automakers on price, which theoretically creates further competition.