4 hours ago
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The first images of BYD’s plus-sized flagship SUV have emerged in China.
Electric Cars
A new flagship electric SUV model has been revealed, from Chinese automaker BYD.
Revealed in patent images, the BYD Great Tang will sit at the top of BYD’s ‘Dynasty Series’ of cars.
While Australia mostly offers ‘Ocean Series’ version of BYD cars, positioned as more sporty models aimed at a younger demographic, the Dynasty cars are designed with more luxurious, ‘traditional’, and conservative positioning.
In a filing lodged with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Great Tang is revealed to be between 5263mm and 5302mm long, depending on the variant, with a 3130mm wheelbase.
Those dimensions mean it dwarfs cars like the Hyundai Palisade (5060mm long, 2970mm wheelbase), sizing up closer to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLS (5215mm long, 3135mm wheelbase).
To help make the Great Tang more manageable, Chinese media reports that the big SUV will be the first BYD model with four-wheel steering.
The styling for the Great Tang is designed to emphasise its proportions, and looks similar to the monolithic styling of a growing selection of high-end large SUVs from Chinese brands, like the Zeekr 9X, XPeng GX, Nio ES8, and Li Auto L9.
A full-width light bar at the front evolves into a sleeker and more streamlined version of the visor face seen on the Atto 2 and Atto 3 in Australia, themselves Dynasty cars in the Chinese line-up. Headlights are pushed down into the front bumper in vertical housings styled to look like air intakes.
A horizontal belt line with a strong shoulder crease elongates the Great Tang’s visual length, with sharply defined wheel arches the only prominent styling features on the upper body. Lower down, a sculpted sill and light catcher in the lower door serve to keep the big SUV from looking too tall.
At the rear, the Great Tang features a full-width light bar with an enclosed BYD badge, a pronounced rear spoiler at the top of the tailgate, and no visible rear wiper.
The Great Tang is based on BYD’s ‘Super e-Platform’ electric vehicle architecture, and while the specifics have not yet been revealed for the Great Tang, the 1000-volt electric system has the potential to charge at up to 1000kW, resulting in a 400km range top-up in as little as five minutes.
The Great Tang will launch with three drivetrain versions, including two rear-wheel drive single-motor variants with 300kW and 370kW outputs, and a dual-motor version that pairs a 215kW front motor with the high-output 370kW rear motor.
The Great Tang is set to become one of two upper-large SUVs in the BYD line-up, with another model, the Sealion 08, itself distinct from the Sealion 8 sold in Australia, set to launch later this year.
As part of BYD’s Ocean Series, the Sealion 08 will likely offer a slightly more rounded look and be positioned as a more family-oriented, but still high-end model, to slot in alongside the more luxurious and conservative Great Tang.
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A 2024 Monash University Media Communication graduate, Hayley Coulter joined the Drive team as a Content Coordinator in 2025. She brings a wide range of experience, from the sidelines of the VFL to the wings of the theatre. When she’s off the clock, Hayley is usually found driving her 2015 Suzuki Swift manual, affectionately nicknamed Sadie, with her dog Lacey riding shotgun.
