In one of the photos, the still-unnamed and camouflaged BYD off-roader stands next to a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a clear hint that the company now intends to compete against European premium vehicles.
The boxy exterior is complemented with impressively sized bumpers, large wheel arches and a deeply stamped hood cover. The front grille looks solid, so the powertrain could be fully electric.
Rumored to be 5 meters long with 2.8 meters between the axles, the newcomer could be smaller than BYD’s current flagship, the Yangwang U8 shown in the video below. If so, then it is also going to be slower than the recently revealed Great Wall Haval H5, its direct competitor.
Unofficial sources are reporting that the SUV will ship with hybrid and all-electric powertrains rated up to 680 PS (671 hp / 500 kW) and will offer up to 1,200 miles (745 miles) of driving range. It will allegedly also feature inter-wheel differential locks, but have a normal unibody construction without a dedicated frame.
The pricing is rumored to lie in the range of 400,000–600,000 Yuan, which is quite a lot by China market standards. However, the Yangwang U8 is expected to pack 1,100 horsepower (820 kilowatts) and cost even more at around a million Yuan.