BYD YangWang U8 is an electric 4x4 with 1100hp

Right on schedule BYD unveiled its new premium brand YungWang and showcased its first vehicle. The new U8 SUV was driven on stage by the chairman of BYD, Wang Chuanfu himself.

The YangWang U8 is 5.3 meters long with a wheelbase of 3.05m - a properly imposing vehicle. However there's plenty of power to move it around as the Yisifang platform features four motors - one for each wheel. Each of those delivers between 220kw and 240kW and 320Nm to 420Nm of torque. They can propel the huge beast from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 3 seconds.

Interestingly, the U8 can use those individual wheel motors to perform a 360-degree turn in place. The company claims the car even has so much smarts and a reaction time 100 times faster than traditional AWD systems so it can stabilize the vehicle in the event of tire blowout or steering wheel malfunction. The flat tire mode allegedly allows you to continue driving at 120 km/h.

The Yisifang platform is entirely developed by BYD and it will be powering all YangWang vehicles. It's even compatible with hybrid platforms, but we suppose its reaction time might be less impressive there.

The Yangwang U8's motors are rated IP68 for water and dust protection, while its body offers such sealing technology that allows the SUV to float when driven through water.

Moving beyond the technical side, the designed is done by Wolfgang Joseph Eiger and the goal was to blends futuristic elements with old-school off-road styling. It's certainly recognizable with unique lights on all sides and front grille.

The announcement didn't include much detail on the interior of the YangWang U8. Earlier spy photos suggested that the SUV will be equipped with a full LCD instrument panel and an integrated central touch screen, but we'll have to wait a bit more to see what it looks like.

Unfortunately, pricing and availability weren't parts of the YangWang U8 launch. Hopefully the company will fill us in on those soon.

Via