The latest sedan from BYD’s luxurious Yangwang brand will battle the likes of the Porsche Taycan with a quad-motor electric powertrain.
Details of the Yangwang U7 have been published in a Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filing shared by Car News China.
They reveal the U7 will feature an electric powertrain – unlike the U8 off-roader, which features a range-extender – like the U9 supercar.
There are four electric motors each producing 240kW of power, with the sedan good for a top speed of 270km/h.
There isn’t a specific combined power figure, but it looks set to shade even the most powerful Porsche Taycan Turbo S which pumps out 560kW.
The four motors are powered by a lithium iron phosphate battery of unspecified capacity, though Car News China reports it’ll use a 80kWh unit with range of around 500km on the more lenient CLTC cycle and carry a price tag of 1 million yuan (A$216,000).
The U7 weighs a hefty 3095kg, and measures 5265mm long, 1998mm wide and 1517mm tall on a 3160mm wheelbase.
For context, that’s around 800kg heavier than a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which measures 4963mm long, 1966mm wide and 1378mm tall on a 2900mm wheelbase.
It puts the U7 closer to the likes of the BMW i7, which is 5391mm long on a 3215mm wheelbase… though is still lighter than the Yangwang at 2695kg.
It’s slippery, though, with a drag coefficient of 0.195.
Up front, the U7 has a similar look to the U9 supercar with exaggerated C-shaped lighting assemblies and a sharply creased bonnet.
The headlights sit at the top of the lighting assembly, and feature three distinct, cube-shaped elements, while carbon fibre can be found on the front bumper and on the side skirts.
The U7 rides on sporty multi-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels, and there’s a distinctive fender vent with chrome trim that spears the driver’s door.
A sharp crease rises from the vent and connects with the U7’s muscular haunches, while down back there’s a sporty-looking bumper with more carbon fibre.
There’s a full-width lighting assembly with distinctive LED internals, with the tail lights broken up only by a slim and seemingly illuminated Yangwang logo.
The Yangwang brand was introduced early in 2023, with the large U8 SUV and U9 supercar revealed in January.
The U9 has been approved for sale in China, also packing four electric motors with a total power output of 960kW and a 100kWh lithium iron phosphate battery.
It measures 4966mm long, 2029mm wide and 1295mm tall on a 2900mm wheelbase, and weighs 2475kg.
For reference, that’s 480mm longer, 90mm wider and 80mm taller than the defunct hybrid Honda NSX on a 270mm longer wheelbase. It also weighs 695kg more.
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Yangwang U9 -
The U8 off-roader is already on sale in China.
It measures 5319mm long, 2050mm wide and 1930mm tall on a 3050mm wheelbase. For reference, a Range Rover is 5252mm long, 2047mm wide and 1870mm tall on a 3197mm wheelbase.
This full-sized off-roader features four electric motors making a combined output of 880kW of power and 1280Nm of torque.
Despite tipping the scales at a hefty 3460kg, the U8 is capable of blasting from zero to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 200km/h.
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Yangwang U8 -
The electric power is supplemented by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that powers a 49.05kWh Blade battery which is integrated into the vehicle’s chassis as part of BYD’s proprietary Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) technology.
It has an EV-only range of 180km, while claimed combined range with a full battery and 75-litre fuel tank is 1000km.
Sitting on the e4 platform, the U8 also features BYD’s DiSus-P Intelligent hydraulic body control system. This allows it to not only raise and lower by up to 150mm, but also perform a full 360-degree tank turn using an integrated electric motor developed in-house.
BYD’s local distributor has said it’s in discussions to bring the U8 to Australia, but it hasn’t been confirmed.
MORE: BYD’s Yangwang reveals U9 electric supercar
MORE: BYD wants to bring luxury quad-motor off-roader to Australia
