BYD coming after Audi e-tron GT and Mercedes EQE with its latest YangWang U7 luxury performance sedan revealed in China

BYD has revealed the third model under its luxury performance YangWang sub-brand, which has thus far already seen a Mercedes-Benz G Wagon and Land Rover Defender rivalling plug-in hybrid super SUV dubbed the U8, and a fully electric supercar dubbed the U9.

Joining this range will be the U7 super saloon, which has been revealed in new pictures.

Sharing its face with the U9 and looking at a glance like an enlarged version of BYD's existing Seal sedan, the U7 adopts a longer body with a more aggressive rear design, similar to an Audi RS7.

However, it can be seen from the images that it maintains a traditional 'three-box' sedan layout with a boot seam rather than a liftback design which has become more common in the last few years.

Few other details on the U7 were announced, although BYD is promising "over one thousand horsepower (746kW)" and that it will use the same 'Yi Sifang' technology as the rest of the YangWang range, meaning a four-motor all-wheel drive system allowing more accurate torque vectoring, among other benefits.

Like the other two vehicles in the YangWang range, the U7 is set to use the same signature 'Blade' battery tech as the rest of the wider BYD family.

The sports luxury YangWang sub-brand is part of an aggressive expansion by BYD which is now the world's best-selling electric car brand, having overtaken Tesla in the final quarter of 2023.

The expansion, which started in 2023, includes a raft of new or updated models as part of BYD's core Ocean (Seal, Dolphin) and Dynasty series (Atto 3) vehicles, as well as another sub-brand dubbed Fangchengbao in China which will focus on off-road performance vehicles.

While a Chinese ultra-luxury performance brand like YangWang might initially seem unlikely for an Australian launch, BYD's local division confirmed work had begun on right-hand drive development for the U8 off-roader and thanks to the success of BYD's initial offerings in Australia thus far - we're on its global radar.

Speaking to CarsGuide in late 2023, the brand's local representative, Luke Todd, said "We'll bring the U8 to Australia - whether it's under BYD or YangWang" saying "It's not going to be more than two years. That's what I know."

"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 costs around the equivalent of AU$235,000 in China, and uses a unique plug-in hybrid drivetrain which pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine to a relatively large 49kWh battery and quad electric motors for peak outputs of 880kW/1280Nm.

YangWang says the U8 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds despite its 3.5-tonne weight, and can travel 180km in electric mode. It can even float and propel itself slowly in deep water, according to the brand.

Whether Australia will only see the U8 or all three YangWang vehicles remains to be seen, with the brand also promising we'll see a BYD-branded dual-cab plug-in hybrid ute in the near future.

Next for the brand in Australia looks to be a plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV. This car has been spotted testing Down Under and pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor.

It's scheduled for Q2 of 2024 according to the most recent information from the brand, although its name has not yet been decided. It is called the Song Plus in China, or Seal U in Europe.