The Yangwang U8 is the car of the moment in China. With its massive size, sumptuous interior and a supremely powerful range-extended electric powertrain, it doesn’t want for much. But there will be people for whom just being the new energy 4×4 to end all new energy 4x4s isn’t quite enough.
Fear not, because at Auto Shanghai this week, BYD’s luxury offshoot will unveil the ultimate U8, widely tipped to be called the U8L. Yangwang has released the first photos of the mammoth SUV and literally nothing else, but we can spot a few changes.
The “L” part of its rumoured name refers to the extended wheelbase, as evidenced by the lengthened rear doors. The rear overhang also looks to have been stretched, hinting at the fact that the U8L will not only offer more second-row legroom but also the option of a third row of seats, similar to the also-ginormous Land Rover Defender 130.
Other changes include the removal of the external spare tyre (presumably to make the U8L a trite less cumbersome to park) and an octagonal “shield” design for the huge alloy wheels (we can only assume the designers do not know what the Umbrella Corporation is). The standard U8’s distinctive strakes aft of the wheel arches have also been smoothened out for a more refined look.
Again, no information on the car has been released just yet, but one can expect the U8L to have the option of either six or seven seats, the former adding captain’s chairs befitting of the car’s flagship status. The mechanicals are also likely to have been left unchanged – four electric motors discharging 1,196 PS (880 kW) and 1,280 Nm of torque, juiced by a 49.05 kWh Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and a 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol generator.
Yangwang quotes a pure electric range of 180 km and a total range of 1,000 km of the standard U8, both on China’s ridiculously lenient CLTC cycle; expect both figures to be lower for the presumably heavier U8L. The car comes with BYD’s DiSus-P Hydraulic Body Control suspension and is capable of tank turns, driving on three tyres if one of them suffers a blowout and even floating on water.
GALLERY: Yangwang U8 at Auto China 2024
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