BYD Yangwang U9 Reviews

BYD’s premium sub-brand Denza has pulled the covers off of its Z electric sports car concept at the Shanghai auto show.

BYD has officially revealed its new Yangwang U8L SUV ahead of its debut at the Shanghai auto show later this week.Positioned as an ultra-luxury, ultra-large, off-road-capable SUV, the U8L will arrive in China as a longer-wheelbase version of the U8, which is set to launch in Australia before the end of this year.The U8L is expected to welcome significant design and technology updates over its smaller sibling, some of which have been previewed by CarNewsChina.Starting with dimensions, the U8L is expected to grow to a staggering 5600mm long from an already large 5319mm to accommodate a more spacious three-row, six-seat configuration.For comparison, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan lines up at 5314mm long, while a seven-seat Range Rover Long Wheelbase is 5213mm long.The larger frame will drop the U8’s rear-mounted spare wheel in favour of a flat tailgate paired with a black roof, golden exterior paint, newly designed alloy rims and retractable door handles.A trio of displays on the dashboard, including a 23.6-inch driver’s display, a 12.8-inch central multimedia display and a 23.6-inch passenger screen, are expected to be carryovers from the U8, along with quilted leather upholstery, dual rear-passenger displays and a 22-speaker Dynaudio audio system.The U8’s standard trunk volume of 1031 litres, which expands to 2050 litres with the rear seats folded, is expected to grow even larger with the longer proportions, although an official figure remains unconfirmed.Changes to the powertrain haven’t been detailed, with the U8L not expected to sway too far from its U8 sibling. It packs a quad-electric-motor, four-wheel drive set-up with a combined output of 880kW/1280Nm.Additionally, the U8 carries a 49kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) ‘Blade’ battery pack and a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. Electric range is claimed at 180km, while comprehensive range is claimed in excess of 1000km (both under the CLTC protocol).The U8L will carry BYD’s Tesla-rivalling 'God’s Eye' advanced driver-assist technology, which uses a mix of cameras, Lidar sensors and artificial intelligence to provide semi-autonomous driving functions.Despite the U8's confirmation for the Australian market, a local debut for the U8L remains uncertain at this stage. Any prospective launch date is certain to depend on the U8's reception.The U8 launched under BYD’s luxury Yangwang sub-brand in China in 2023 with a price tag of 1.098 million yuan (A$231,500). The U8L's pricing in China is expected to exceed that figure, with more information likely to follow its official reveal in Shanghai this week.

Can you have too much of a good thing? Australians love utes and in recent years we’ve seen more and more brands look to capitalise on that, but it may not be a case of the more the merrier.

Is Toyota preparing two completely different utes to replace the ageing current HiLux in Australia from next year? The first is the widely-speculated but as-yet publicly unconfirmed facelift of today’s eight-generation HiLux, while the second is new-from-the-ground up production version of the EPU (Electric Pick-Up) dual-cab concept that debuted at the 2023 Tokyo motor show.

BYD has announced improved terms for its new-car warranty in Australia.

It was building for a long time, but now the giant wave of Chinese challenger brands entering the Australian new-car market has hit our shores with a vengeance.

BYD has officially launched its premium Denza sub-brand in Europe, where it is aiming to compete as a more affordable rival to Porsche and BMW.The formerly 50:50 joint venture with Mercedes-Benz will launch in the UK, a fellow right-hand-drive market, with the electric Z9 GT in early 2026 as a European-designed, tri-motor wagon capable of a staggering 710kW.Pricing is yet to be confirmed, although according to UK-based publication Carwow, the Denza Z9 GT will attract a price tag of about £50,000 ($104,105) in the UK.David Smitherman, CEO of BYD’s Australian distributor, EVDirect, confirmed to CarsGuide earlier this year that the Denza sub-brand was coming to Australia following the brand’s trademark of the model late last year.Higher transportation costs from Denza’s Chinese factory, as well as higher taxation in the UK, suggest it will receive a considerable price cut when it lands here, with pricing expected to be closer to the Chinese model. It starts at about $80,000.That would make it at least $16,000 more than BYD’s most expensive car in Australia, the Sealion 7 Performance, which retails at $63,990, before on-road costs.Punters may think that’s a high price to pay for a relatively unknown Chinese brand, however, its spec sheet suggests it will still be a bargain, especially when compared to its European rivals.In addition to its mammoth drivetrain, the Denza Z9 GT comes standard with an array of standard luxury features, including Nappa leather upholstery, standard massaging front seats, optional massaging rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, a 4.0-litre front fridge and a 10-litre rear fridge.There are also three dashboard screens, one each for driver’s display, central multimedia and passenger functions, while a voice-controlled virtual assistant works through the car’s 26-speaker sound system.Similar, albeit far less comprehensive, packaging on an entry-level Porsche Taycan or BMW i5 would set you back at least $174,500 or $155,900 (both before on-road costs), respectively.And still, neither of those can rocket from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds.The Denza Z9 GT is also offered in China in plug-in hybrid guise, which swaps the electric version's 100kWh Blade battery for a 38.5kWh unit, with the addition of a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.It is expected to join the European and UK line-ups further down the track, suggesting a similar strategy will be adopted for the Australian market as well.

BYD has continued its strong safety record in Australia with a five-star ANCAP rating for the electric Sealion 7 SUV, while newcomer Geely has also achieved top marks for its new EX5.The latest result means BYD’s entire Australian line-up, which includes the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, Sealion 6 and electric Seal, Dolphin and Atto 3 models, now carries the benchmark safety score.ANCAP, Australia’s peak vehicle safety testing body, noted the Sealion 7’s strong safety performance across all four key categories.Most notable was its performance in Child Occupant Protection, with the Sealion 7 achieving full marks in the frontal offset and side impact tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies.Full marks were awarded in Adult Occupant Protection tests, such as the side impact, oblique pole and far side impact tests.ANCAP noted “weak” chest protection for the rear adult passenger’s chest in the full width test, suggesting improvements on future cars are needed.High scores were also awarded for the Sealion 7’s performance in autonomous emergency braking (AEB) tests with a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, and other vehicles, contributing to strong scores for the Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist categories.The Geely EX5 was commended for its ability to avoid incidents in tests on its advanced driver assist systems, particularly in the lane support and car-to-motorcyle tests, where it received full marks.Physical crash testing also saw strong results, with full marks awarded in the side impact, whiplash and far side tests.ANCAP noted several welds around the car’s A-pillar became detached in the frontal offset test, causing a deduction in points. However, more severe testing didn’t cause any further structural damage.As with the Sealion 7, the EX5 performed strongly in Child Occupant Protection tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies, while protection of the rear adult passenger’s chest was similarly rated as “weak” in the full width frontal test.Overall, ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said it was refreshing to see electric vehicles performing strongly in crash testing.“As electrified vehicles continue to advance technologically, it’s encouraging to see equal investment in safety, ensuring that innovation and the protection of drivers, passengers and families go hand in hand,” said Hoorweg.On the Geely EX5’s performance, Hoorweg added: “Geely has made a confident entrance into the Australian and New Zealand markets with the Geely EX5, landing a five-star result right out of the gate.“The Geely EX5 delivers good overall safety performance and sets a benchmark for Geely’s local presence.”Both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 are shaping up as two of the Tesla Model Y's biggest rivals in Australia to date, with each brand offloading 730 and 188 units as of March 2025, respectively, since their arrivals on the Australian market earlier this year.Check out the full details of both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5’s safety tests on the ANCAP website.

The Ford Ranger might have found itself back on top of Australia’s sales charts in March, but a dig into the numbers reveal cracks in the sales ambitions of the Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.

One of BYD’s sub-brands, Fang Cheng Bao, has set pricing for its electric mid-sized SUV in its home market, China.The Fang Cheng Bao Titanium 3 not only comes with a host of unusual features as options, but also a price tag starting from 139,800 yuan, or A$30,700.While the electric mid-size SUV has already been seen via photos and some specifications revealed by the Chinese government’s approval documents, the competitive pricing and some of the more specific features of the Titanium 3 have been confirmed as pre-sale commences.The SUV is set to be offered in five variants in China, the most expensive of which is priced at 203,800 yuan (A$44,800) and comes with a roof-mounted drone pod with a DJI drone for aerial photography and video.The five variants range from rear-wheel drive to 4WD, and are equipped with either a 65kWh or 72kWh battery, but all five have the same claimed electric driving range of 501km.The Titanium 3 comes with a karaoke microphone in its top two variants, though the heating and cooling compartment that can act as a refrigerator is likely going to get more use.The Titanium 3’s specifications when it comes to drivetrain and performance are pretty standard on the numbers front, with the rear-drive version wearing a claimed 160kW/310Nm set of figures, and the 4WD variants a claimed total of 310kW and 510Nm.Most importantly, Fang Cheng Bao’s model line-up doesn’t seem to be off the cards for Australia.A BYD spokesperson didn’t confirm anything regarding the Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand, nor the Titanium 3 specifically.However, the larger Fang Cheng Bao 5 has been spied testing in Australia, and while it’s been speculated that it may launch here as the BYD Leopard 5, nothing has been confirmed.What has been confirmed is the incoming Denza sub-brand from BYD, which should target more premium rivals than BYD’s other models.