A heavily camouflaged prototype of Yangwang’s new executive sedan beside a BYD flash charging station. Credit: Wu Ying/Weibo.
- The new model is said to measure about 5.5 meters long, with an estimated price above 2 million yuan ($296,440).
- Yangwang’s existing U7 sedan starts at 658,000 yuan, while the new model could further expand the brand’s ultra-luxury lineup.
Spy shots of a new executive sedan from Yangwang, the ultra-luxury brand of BYD (HKEX: 1211), have emerged, signaling a further push upmarket.
Several prominent automotive bloggers, including Wu Ying, shared spy shots of the vehicle on Weibo on Wednesday, citing an estimated price above 2 million yuan ($296,440).
The model, said to be nearing production, is estimated to measure about 5.5 meters long, putting it close in size to the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, according to the bloggers.
The price and dimensions remain the bloggers’ estimates. The available material includes no confirmation from Yangwang of the model’s official name, pricing or launch timing.
The heavily camouflaged vehicle has a relatively boxy silhouette. It is expected to feature a front-end design similar to the Yangwang U8 SUV (sport utility vehicle), with roof-mounted LiDAR.
Its side profile reveals a long hood and wheelbase, along with large rear doors. Some bloggers speculated that the model could feature coach doors.
One of the spy shots shows the vehicle using BYD’s latest flash charging infrastructure, suggesting it will feature BYD’s latest second-generation Blade Battery and support flash charging.
Yangwang general manager Hu Xiaoqing previously said the brand wants each model to have distinctive characteristics and introduce forward-looking technologies.
Yangwang already offers the U7 sedan, which starts at 658,000 yuan and is available in plug-in hybrid and battery-electric versions. The battery-electric version has a CLTC range of 1,006 kilometers.
If the new executive sedan is ultimately priced above 2 million yuan, it would exceed 3 times the U7’s starting price, further widening the positioning gap within Yangwang’s sedan lineup.
Yangwang has recently expanded its executive luxury lineup. On August 5, the brand launched the 4-seat U8L Dingcang Edition flagship SUV, starting at 1,458,000 yuan.
The new sedan points to a continuation of that expansion, though Yangwang’s sales remain modest. The brand sold 442 vehicles in August, up 9.14% year-on-year but down 8.87% from July, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
The U8 series accounted for 233 vehicles, the U7 for 205 and the U9 for 4. Yangwang’s cumulative sales totaled 2,899 vehicles in the first 8 months of this year.
Yangwang U9 Xtreme becomes the most expensive model sold at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, with a price tag exceeding 20 million yuan ($2.9 million).
($1 = 6.7468 yuan)
