Would you pay nearly $250k for a BYD? Bentley Bentayga-rivalling Yangwang U8 gets official pricetag!

While BYD revealed pricing for its cheapest EV, the Seagull, at the Shanghai motor show, it also released pricing for the Yangwang U8 large luxury off-roader, which comes in at a whopping $238,000.

Yangwang, which literally translates to “looking up” but is best interpreted as “Envy,” is the new sub-brand designed to be BYD’s shot at challenging traditional high-end brands like Bentley and Rolls Royce, while it is also easy to draw parallels between the U8 and the incoming Mercedes-Benz EQG.

The $238k price is even higher than initial estimates, which placed it at around the $200k mark.

As previously reported, the U8 has four electric motors on each wheel, each producing 240kW/420Nm, allowing a 0-100km/h sprint time of just three seconds, according to BYD. Total outputs are claimed at 820kW/1280Nm. Like the new Hummer EV shown overseas, the individual motor setup allows the U8 to turn on the spot or drive sideways in a so-called ‘crab mode’.

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Dimensions are massive at 5319mm long with a 3050mm wheelbase, and three-row seven-seat layout is also standard.

The same goes for the comprehensive safety suite which includes eight radars 14 ultrasonic sensors and 16 cameras. The interior is also clearly inspired by luxury rivals, with elements as-yet unseen on any BYD product, even previous luxury efforts, like the Tesla Model S-rivalling Han sedan, which itself was designed to be China’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Expect standard leather trim and massive screens for both the instrument cluster and multimedia suite.

The Yangwang U8's interior steps things up for BYD.

While BYD is just getting a handle on its limited range in Australia, it’s safe to say that right-hand-drive production or an Australian launch are far from the EV juggernaut’s radar. The question is: Will even Chinese consumers pay nearly $250,000 for a BYD? If the scale of this year’s Shanghai motor show is anything to go by, there’s a good chance they will.

Next up for BYD in Australia is the roughly Corolla-sized Atto 2 hatch which has had its arrival timing pushed back from late 2022 to mid-2023, and the Tesla Model 3-rivalling ‘Seal’ sedan, which is likely to be called the Atto 4 when (and if) it arrives in Australia.

Just don't expect to see BYD's ultra-luxury marque in Australia any time soon.

BYD is now the second largest EV brand in the world, selling a whopping 911,140 EVs over the course of 2022, behind only Tesla, which managed to ship 1.3 million units in the same period.