BYD Yangwang U8 Off-road Player Edition hits market, starting at 1.098 million yuan

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 25, the Yangwang U8 Off-road Player ("Wanjia" in Chinese Pinyin) Edition officially went on sale at the Auto China 2024 with a price tag of 1.098 million yuan. 

Built upon the U8 Premium Edition, the new edition delivers heightened off-road performance and style for a million-yuan-level new energy off-road vehicle. It offers an optional cutting-edge integrated drone system for an additional 100,000 yuan. The vehicle aims at catering to the diverse needs of avid off-road enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, and those with a passion for off-road activities. Deliveries will commence gradually upon its market launch.

Photo credit: BYD

The U8 Off-road Player Edition provides an optional integrated drone system jointly developed by BYD and DJI. This drone system includes a full-stack self-developed onboard drone compartment, an exclusive drone, precise control strategies for onboard drones, a vehicle-mounted app, and a customized controller.

In addition to the drone's built-in battery, the new model also includes two extra batteries stored in the onboard drone compartment, enabling automatic battery swapping and charging for the drone. Via the dedicated app on the infotainment system, users can initiate one-touch takeoff, intelligent tracking shots, and one-touch return. They can also create videos instantly using preset templates and share them to social media platforms through the operating system of the vehicle.

The Yangwang U8 series is driven by two core technologies of BYD, namely the  e⁴ Platform and the DiSus-P technologies. The e⁴ Platform is a mass-produced four-motor independent drive technology platform. It precisely controls the dynamics of all four wheels through four-motor independent vector control, enabling stable driving on flat tires, emergency floating, pivot turns, and agile steering, further bolstering the vehicle's off-road prowess. 

Photo credit: BYD

The DiSus-P technologies, with its 3-level stiffness adjustment and continuous adaptive damping, can swiftly respond to challenging road conditions through rapid intelligent adjustments. The total adjustment travel of the vehicle’s suspension reaches 150mm, effectively improving vehicle trafficability.

For off-road scenarios, the U8 Off-road Player Edition is equipped with 17+1 driving modes, allowing it to effortlessly handle various types of challenging terrain. With standard 20-inch forged off-road wheels and all-terrain tires, its off-road adaptability is significantly enhanced.

The carmaker said the new edition introduces an unprecedented off-road safety system, providing users with comprehensive safety assurances in three major scenarios: water fording, poor visibility, and remote areas.

Photo credit: BYD

Just like the U8 Premium Edition, the Off-road Player edition also features emergency water fording capabilities and come standard with snorkels, allowing for a maximum fording depth of 1.4m.

The Off-road Player Edition comes standard with a long-range infrared night vision system. With a maximum detection distance of 300m and dynamic recognition from 10-120m, it ensures all-weather perception and clear imaging even in high-temperature environments. Additionally, it provides precise collision warnings while ensuring accurate identification of people and vehicles.

To ensure reliable communication during intense off-road adventures, the U8 Off-road Player Edition comes equipped with an all-scenario onboard satellite communication system. This system enables nationwide two-way calling and messaging, automatically aligning with satellites in any position for quick and convenient connections. With a tilt angle range of ±70°, it ensures rapid connectivity regardless of the vehicle's status, allowing usage while in motion or when the satellite communication device is removed from the vehicle. The satellite system onboard the U8 Off-road Player Edition meets automotive-grade standards, operating within a temperature range of -40°C to 85°C, ensuring both stringent safety and reliability. In emergency situations such as airbag deployment, the satellite communication system immediately triggers a rescue response, enabling users to make unlimited calls for their safety.

Photo credit: BYD

In comparison to the Premium Edition, the Off-road Player Edition incorporates a distinctive interior and exterior design tailored specifically for off-road enthusiasts, blending wild style with functionality. Furthermore, to meet the personalized customization needs of off-road enthusiasts, the new edition offers a variety of official modification kits, including an integrated drone priced at 100,000 yuan, as well as loading kits, towing kits, and luxury comfort kits. 

Inside the cabin, the Off-road Player Edition boasts a 12.8-inch curved Galaxy screen, paired with a symmetrical dual-ring star cockpit, presenting a distinctively luxurious ambiance unique to new energy vehicles (NEV). It also features a custom 4nm 5G chip jointly developed by BYD and Qualcomm, offering 16GB of read-only memory and 512GB of operational memory. With a GPU computing power exceeding 260 billion calculations per second, it ensures users a silky-smooth interactive experience. Moreover, it comes standard with a 70-inch AR-HUD head-up display for the front row, comprehensive intelligent voice control, in-car refrigerator, and an audio system of Dynaudio Evidence Platinum series,  ensuring a comfortable journey throughout.

The Yangwang U8 Premium Edition, which began deliveries earlier, has performed impressively in the market. Following three consecutive months as the top-selling million-yuan-level new energy SUV in China, it achieved 5,000 units of deliveries in 132 days.