BYD YangWang U7 Unveiled in China with Over 1,000 HP

BYD’s YangWang U7 arrives in China as the marque’s flagship EV saloon, featuring up to 1,000 HP.

BYD has a new flagship EV saloon under its belt, and it is set to make the Tesla Model S Plaid sweat. Touted as the U7, this EV saloon was revealed in China under BYD’s new luxury division, YangWang.

Initially known as the U6 during its prototype phase, the U7 EV saloon joins YangWang’s newly-established EV lineup, which currently consists of the versatile U8 SUV and the manic U9 EV hypercar. Similar to the latter, the U7 is penned by BYD’s design boss and former Audi, Lamborghini, and Alfa Romeo designer Wolfgang Egger.

As a result, the U7 borrows some design cues from its hypercar sibling, including the C-shaped LED headlights and front nose, as well as the full-width LED taillights at the back. Though not as sporty as the U9, the U7 still boasts a fairly impressive drag coefficient rate of 0.195, promising very good aerodynamic performance and decent energy efficiency.

Besides that, the U7 also gets several external sensors and a LiDAR sensor on top of its roof, which allows it to have Level 3 autonomous driving capability. Topping off the U7’s exterior equipment list are the flushed door handles and the massive 21-inch wheels with multi-spoke design, shod in Continental EV-specific tyres.

BYD's e4 EV platform 

Similar to both the U8 and U9, the U7 underpins BYD’s proprietary e4 platform, which allows it to house a quad-motor electric drivetrain setup. With all four motors working together, the U7 boasts a manic total system output of 1,006 HP (750 kW). Though neither BYD nor YangWang have published the straight-line performance figures, we’d reckon the U7 would bring a serious challenge to its apparent main rival, the Tesla Model S Plaid.

Battery figures, however, have not been revealed by the automaker. According to CarNewsChina, however, the U7 will also be available in an extended-range EV (EREV) variant, just like the U8 SUV. For the U8 EREV model, its main EV battery pack is supplemented by a 2.0-litre petrol mill that acts as a range extender, though we’d reckon the U7 EREV would carry a smaller EREV mill.

With its first deliveries set to commence any time this year, the new BYD YangWang U7 is slated for a price tag of around the CNY 1 million (approximately RM600,000) mark for the local Chinese market. We’ll learn more about this sleek EV saloon once we get closer to its actual debut date in China.