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Luxury Toyota LandCruiser or budget Mercedes-Benz G-Class rival? The 2024 BYD YangWang U8 is an off-roading full-size luxury SUV from China

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Measuring in at more than 5.3 metres, the U8 is anything but diminutive.
Measuring in at more than 5.3 metres, the U8 is anything but diminutive.
Chris Thompson
Journalist
30 Mar 2023
2 min read

Its face has a little bit of Mitsubishi about it, and the rear says 'Defender', but this massive electric SUV from China isn't that much like either.

It's the BYD YangWang U8, and its one of the first cars to come from the luxury-sub brand of BYD which launched in China at the start of this year.

There's no word on this brand for Australia just yet - BYD itself is still building itself up here - but some of the specifications and capabilities claimed for YangWang's models are impressive.

For a start, the brand claims the U8's four electric motors total 820kW and 1280Nm, and will launch the SUV to 100km/h in just three seconds.

According to reports from CarNewsChina, the brand will sell the U8 at a starting price around half that of the G-Class in China, which would be like BYD offering the large and luxe electric SUV in Australia for less than $150,000.

The brand claims the U8’s four electric motors total 820kW and 1280Nm, and will launch the SUV to 100km/h in just three seconds.
The brand claims the U8’s four electric motors total 820kW and 1280Nm, and will launch the SUV to 100km/h in just three seconds.

It's also claimed to be able to 'float' across rivers in a drive mode that allows it to wade deeper water than other SUVs, while its wheels are said to be capable of 'tank turning' by moving in opposite directions and decreasing the SUV's turning circle.

While BYD is seemingly testing it as a proper off-roader, its looks and luxe interior say less 'LandCruiser' and more 'G-Class'.

While BYD is seemingly testing it as a proper off-roader, its looks and luxe interior say less ‘LandCruiser’ and more ‘G-Class’.
While BYD is seemingly testing it as a proper off-roader, its looks and luxe interior say less ‘LandCruiser’ and more ‘G-Class’.

Still, it's much larger than both, reportedly 5319mm long, 2050mm wide, and 1930mm tall with a wheelbase of 3050mm.

It's set to debut at the Shanghai Auto Show in three weeks, on April 18.

Chris Thompson
Journalist
Racing video games, car-spotting on road trips, and helping wash the family VL Calais Turbo as a kid were all early indicators that an interest in cars would stay present in Chris’ life, but loading up his 1990 VW Golf GTI Mk2 and moving from hometown Brisbane to work in automotive publishing in Melbourne ensured cars would be a constant. With a few years as MOTOR Magazine’s first digital journalist under his belt, followed by a stint as a staff journalist for Wheels Magazine, Chris’ career already speaks to a passion for anything with four wheels, especially the 1989 Mazda MX-5 he currently owns. From spending entire weeks dissecting the dynamic abilities of sports cars to weighing up the practical options for car buyers from all walks of life, Chris’ love for writing and talking about cars means if you’ve got a motoring question, he can give you an answer.
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