Yangwang U8 is offered in two versions, both priced at RMB 1,098,000, with deliveries set to begin in September.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Yangwang, BYD's premium brand, began pre-sales of its first model, the U8, at the Shanghai auto show today at a price of RMB 1,098,000 ($160,000).

The car will be available in two versions -- the Premium Edition and the Off-road Master Edition, the difference between the two is that the former is more richly equipped, while the latter has more room for modification.

The Yangwang U8 has a maximum power output of over 1,100 horsepower and takes 3.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. The vehicle has a pure electric range of 180 km on CLTC standard.

The car supports fast charging, taking 18 minutes to go from 30 percent to 80 percent. It is equipped with an external discharge function with a maximum discharge power of 6 kW.

The vehicle has a wheelbase of 3,050 mm and is equipped with BYD's technologies including e⁴, DiSus-P and blade battery.

The e⁴ technology allows the model to float on the water and in emergency situations and make U-turns on the spot.

The DiSus-P system allows the vehicle to achieve autonomous height adjustment with a total suspension adjustment travel of 150 mm and a maximum wading depth of 1,000 mm.

DiSus-P also supports continuous adaptive adjustment to respond to road conditions through intelligent adjustment, enhancing body stability during aggressive driving such as high-speed cornering.

Deliveries of the Yangwang U8 Premium Edition will begin in September, and deliveries of the Off-road Master Edition will start later.

On January 5 BYD officially launched the Yangwang brand and officially unveiled the Yangwang U8 and Yangwang U9 models, both of which will be equipped with e⁴ technology.

e⁴ is China's first mass-produced quad-motor independent drive technology platform, able to achieve precise control of vehicle four-wheel dynamics by virtue of four-motor independent vector control technology, BYD said at the time.

On April 10, BYD announced a body control system called DiSus, which is divided into three branches, including the Intelligent Damping Body Control System (DiSus-C), the Intelligent Air Body Control System (DiSus-A), and the Intelligent Hydraulic Body Control System (DiSus-P).

DiSus-P is the most advanced of these three branches, and BYD says it is the world's first intelligent hydraulic body control system that allows both synchronized lifting of all four wheels and independent lifting of a single wheel.

($1 = 6.8769 RMB)

BYD officially launches Yangwang brand, debuts hardcore off-road SUV U8 and supercar U9