WeeklySA_AdminYANGWANG: Newest Chinese brand takes on the likes of Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Land Rover and hypercars Ferrari, Lamborghini etc.
By Ali Mphaki
The Shanghai Auto Show in China has come and gone. I was not there, but from the seat of my battered jalopy it would seem the “wise men” from the East stole the show.
It being the first auto show post the stringent Covid-19 lockdowns since 2020, it was an opportune moment for every manufacturer which takes itself serious to make an appearance. All the culprits were there, from the likes of Volkswagen’s Tesla-rivalling flagship ID.7 sedan, BMW’s 2024 i7 M70 xDrive electric limousine, the rear-windowless 2024 Polestar 4 EV, and Porsche’s third-generation 2024 Cayenne SUV, and while they’ve been dominating coverage from the event, there have been an impressive number of other reveals that are worth checking out.
All in all there were over 1 000 stalls and 100 new car models launched – a feat which seriously makes one wonder why the 2023 Shanghai Formula 1 shinding was cancelled early last month.
But among the plethora of sparkling new models on display, what caught my discerning eye like those smart alecs who think like me, was Chinese company BYD’s newest brand called YangWang.
Its going to be intersting to hear a Mosotho man pronouce the word YanWang…. In 2022, Shanghzai -base BYD became the world’s leading maker of electrified cars, including pure-electric ones and plug-in hybrids, selling nearly two million cars in the same year.
To make their spectacular debut in the cut-throat motoring scene the company launched its first model in China, a fully electric ladder-frame luxury off-roader – the new Yangwang U8 in January 2023, after a year of behind-the-scenes activities.
The silhouette of the new U8 looks to be heavily inspired by the Land Rover Defender, although the styling is unique to the YangWang brand.
Notable features include the LED headlights that merge with the illuminated grille, the boxy fenders and squared-off wheel arches over 20-inch alloy wheels, the flush door handles, the hexagonal spare wheel cover on the tailgate and the futuristic split LED taillights. Unfortunately, there are no shots of the interior, but a peak from the windows of camouflaged prototypes during testing in China showed a wide digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment touchscreen.
The U8 combines rugged looks with a quad motor layout and sophisticated technology assisting with its off-road capabilities Besides the U8, YangWang surprised everyone in its launch event by unveiling the U9 electric hypercar.
Now here we taliking serious tech. The YangWang U9 , wait for it, is a supercar that can drive on three wheels like a Citroën DS. Using a variant called DiSus-X, hailed by its makers as the “most advanced in the global industry. it apparently allows the U9 to drive short distances on just three wheels.
YouTube shots show this EV, which travels 0-100 km/h in 2.0 seconds, can actually jump up and down.
A little history about YangWang which literally means “looking up” or “envy”[citation needed]) is a Chinese luxury electric car brand owned by BYD Auto.
The brand logo is “Lightning” in oracle bone script. It is the first car brand to introduce BYD’s proprietary individual wheel drive (IWD) technology platform called “e4”.
It’s not certain if the brand will make its way down South Africa, but with BYD already beginning to show its dance moves” at the Shanghai Auto Show, there is hope in Mzansi.
After all, what is the whole BRICS story about?
motoring:
Briefs
TOYOTA GOES BEYOND ZERO
Auto Shanghai welcomed two of the 10 BEVs that Toyota plans to release to the Chinese market by 2026. Toyota is so invested in its pursuit of an all-electric future that it’s created an entirely new sub-brand, BZ (for “Beyond Zero”). The pair of all-new electrified concepts includes the BZ Sport Crossover and BZ FlexSpace.
The former, a sleek-looking coupe-SUV, will target the younger side of the market with its sporty silhouette and intuitive tech that will “continue to evolve after purchase,” according to the brand, thanks to intelligent features like driver assistance and automatic parking.
Meanwhile the FlexSpace is being positioned as a family- and couples-friendly EV with utility top of mind. Toyota used the words “cozy home” to describe the comfortable space it’s planning to create inside.
IN THE RED
According to motoring safety experts at Road Angel, drivers who own a red vehicle are most likely to be in danger on the roads.
Research has revealed that a staggering 60% of red cars have reportedly been in accidents, making it the most dangerous colour vehicle to drive.
The next most dangerous car colour is brown, where 59% of car owners have reportedly been in an accident.
Motorists with a black car should also take extra care, as 57% of drivers with the car colour have reported incidents.
So, it makes some sense that white is one of the safer colours cars to purchase, as the shade makes vehicles highly visible and easy to spot on the roads.-The Sun UK
WAITING FOR LAND ROVER
Land Rover buyers are being told they will need to wait for up to two years for new car orders to arrive, according to dealers who stock their vehicles.
Orders placed on Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery models will not arrive until 2025 due to 24-month lead times on these models, says the recent market study. These are the biggest delays across all car makers, with the next longest being a 12-month waits for some Audis, Maseratis and models from Land Rover’s sister brand, Jaguar.
BMW ICE CREAM SCREECH
BMW has been slammed over a video which shows staff at a Shanghai car exhibition appearing to tell Chinese guests they are out of free ice cream – while happily giving some to Western visitors.
The German company is facing accusations of discrimination amid claims that the workers at its Mini booth favoured foreign over domestic visitors during an ice cream giveaway promotion. Mini apologised for the incident, saying in a statement on its official Weibo account that it was caused by poor internal management and that it would improve training.
The topic ‘BMW Mini’ became the second most-searched topic on China’s Weibo social media platform, with over 93 million views amid rising backlash to the footage.The incident took place on Wednesday at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, according to local media.- MAIL ONLINE UK
PETROL GOES UP IN MAY
Petrol price increase remains on the cards for May. The daily snapshot from the CEF is pointing to increases of 60 cents for 95 Unleaded petrol and 65 cents for 93 Unleaded, but the over-recovery situation is eating away at this. Should the trends persist until the end of the week when prices are finalised, the increase will probably fall between 40 and 50 cents.
Things are looking rosier on the diesel front where we’re seeing the average over-recovery for the month is pointing to decreases of 28 cents for 50ppm and 54 cents for 500ppm. But given that the latest daily numbers are more than R1 in the green, respective price cuts of between 40 and 65 cents are certainly possible.
A 50 cent petrol price increase will raise the cost of 95 Unleaded to R22.82 at the coast and R23.47 inland, where 93 Unleaded will rise to around R23.14.
Published on the 96th Edition
