BYD's answer to the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol, the Yangwang U8 full-size hybrid SUV, caught in right-hand drive hinting at an Aussie market assault

We know it’s in line for local launch “by the end of 2025” but there’s nothing like spy snaps of the BYD Yangwang U8 in pre-production right-hand drive form to put established players in the Aussie three-row 4WD market like Toyota’s LandCruiser 300 and the Nissan Patrol on notice.

China’s pcauto has managed to capture the large ladder-frame SUV wrapped in close to full camouflage, and for the first time, with the steering wheel clearly positioned on the right-hand side.

Measuring just over 5.3m long, over 2.0m wide and more than 1.9m tall (with a 3050mm wheelbase) the U8 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine working in unison with an electric motor at each wheel for overall outputs of no less than 880kW and 1280Nm.

Thanks to the four-motor set-up the U8’s signature party trick is an on-the-spot ‘tank turn’ and despite its 3.5-tonne weight the luxury three-row SUV is claimed to blaze from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds.

And its off-highway credentials are solid with a 37.5-degree approach angle, 26.5-degree breakover and 38-degree departure angle as well as 20-inch rims shod with hardcore all-terrain tyres. A standard snorkel means stated wading depth is 1.0m.

The U8 is also equipped with an intelligent hydraulic body control system, managing height, stiffness and damping as well as infrared thermal imaging and an on-board satellite phone.

But the big-ticket item is what BYD says is the world’s first vehicle-mounted drone system with a four-rotor, high-def camera-equipped unit remotely launched from under a sliding roof shell.

The U8’s 'Blade' battery allows it to travel up to a claimed 120km in pure EV mode, with a combined petrol-electric range of 780km. And thanks to its 110kW fast charging capacity 30 to 80 per cent charge time is just 18 minutes. A 6.0kW vehicle-to-load system is on-board, too.

Inside the treatment is premium with suede and Nappa leather trimmed seats and wood veneer elements included as well as multiple screens - a 23.6-inch LCD instrument panel, a 23.6-inch ‘co-pilot’ entertainment screen, 12.8-inch central multimedia screen and dual 12.8-inch screens in the second row.

When asked at the recent Tokyo Mobility Show about the U8’s prospects for the local market, BYD’s Australian distributor EVDirect’s Luke Todd told CarsGuide, “We'll bring the U8 to Australia, whether it's under BYD or Yangwang.”

“It’s not going to be more than two years. That's what I know, we started the conversation today.

“And part of what I do is demonstrate there is a viable market that would love that vehicle in right-hand drive,” he said.