BYD’s premium brand YangWang lands in Europe, but will it come to the Netherlands?

YangWang is a sub-brand of Chinese colossus BYD. With YangWang, BYD says it is targeting the premium corner of the car world. At the beginning of 2023, we were virtually introduced to YangWang for the first time, which then presented the U9 and U8. The U9 is an electric supercar, the U8 an electrically powered SUV with an impressive drivetrain. Last year, the Dutch BYD importer (Louwman) indicated that BYD had no plans to bring YangWang to Europe. During the Geneva Motor Show, BYD introduces its sub-brand YangWang to the European public with appropriate fanfare. It lifts the YangWang U8 onto the podium.

YangWang U8.

The YangWang U8 is a 5.32 meter long plug-in hybrid SUV with a relatively modest turbocharged 2.0 four-cylinder on board. That four-cylinder engine produces 272 hp, but in no case does that power source drive the wheels. The 2.0 acts as a generator and charges a 49.05-kWh battery. The battery in turn powers four 299 hp electric motors, each of which is responsible for one wheel. The result: a system power of 1,196 hp and 1,280 Nm. This means that the U8, which weighs almost 3.5 tonnes, reaches 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. Fiercely.

Is YangWang coming to the Netherlands? That is still the question. For the time being, the brand is present in Geneva to introduce itself to the European public and to show what it has to offer. YangWang – whose name means something like ‘admire’ – parks all its models on BYD’s e4 Platform. The YangWang U8 has been available to order in China since November 2023. More than 3,600 units have been delivered since then.

This YangWang U7 may (also) come to Europe.

BYD has established the design of the U8 and supercar U9 in Europe. AutoWeek recently showed you the YangWang U7: an electric sedan whose design has now also been established on our continent. So don’t be surprised if the U7 comes to Europe (also). Maybe even to the Netherlands!