BYD sub-brand Yangwang to launch ultra-luxe U7 sedan on March 27 with tons of new tech
Yangwang is gearing up to officially launch its long-teased U7 sedan—a third flagship model for BYD’s high-end performance sub-brand. When it hits the market in China later this month, the U7 promises competitive luxury and “groundbreaking technology.”
Yangwang, which directly translates to “looking up” or “admire” is a young luxury brand under the BYD umbrella introduced in 2023. The marque turned some heads out of the gate at that year’s Shanghai Auto Show, where it unveiled the U8 SUV, which can go amphibious in emergencies and crabwalk.
At that same event, the automaker showcased its new intelligent body control system, DiSus, and the unique usage of BYD’s proprietary individual wheel drive (IWD) technology platform, “e4.” Yangwang has followed up with a 1,200 horsepower electric supercar called the U9, which has hit the markets in China alongside the U8.
In early 2024, Yangwang unveiled its first sedan, the U7, to complete an initial trio of flagship models. Since then, we have covered several updates, including what appeared to be leaked performance specs detailing over 1,300 horsepower and over 500 miles of range.
The U7 hit showrooms in China last summer followed by a start of pre-orders in November, although pricing was not available at the time. We have since learned that the Yangwang U7 will start at a price of RMB 1 million ($138,000) and will come in BEV and PHEV variants.
Today, we learned when and where we will learn all the confirmed specs and pricing in regard to the Yangwang U7 – which will be on March 27 in Shenzen, home to BYD’s headquarters.
Yangwang U7 can remain stable if rear-ended at 100 km/h
Yangwang shared the launch event image seen above on its Weibo page today, detailing that the public will learn all there is to know about the sedan on March 27 at 7:30 PM Beijing time (7:30 AM EDT). Per its post, Yangwang is promising the U7 will hit the market with “groundbreaking technologies,” some of which it showcased in separate posts on the Chinese social media platform.
For example, Yangwang shared its new DiSus-Z technology, based on the DiSus body control system mentioned above. This will be the most high-end and best-performing version of the system, joining an intelligent vibration-damping body control system called DiSus-C, an intelligent air body control system called DiSus-A, and an intelligent hydraulic body control system called DiSus-P.
According to the post, DiSus-Z has completed research, development, and testing and is set to debut on the new sedan. Yangwang also teased some safety capabilities of the new U7, sharing that the sedan can get rear-ended while driving 100 km/h (62 mph) and remain in control without spinning out. Check out the brand’s Weibo for a video demonstration. Additionally, the U7 can still drive steadily after blowing out two tires on the same side while driving 160 km/h (99 mph).
According to previous statements by Yangwang, the BEV version of the U7 will feature a 135.5 kWh battery pack powered by BYD Blade batteries exclusive to the sedan, capable of delivering 720 km (447 miles) of CLTC range. Those performance specs and several other details should be confirmed on March 27 in Shenzen. We will provide a full recap once we learn more.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
The India-flagged oil tanker Desh Ujaala is pictured in the Gulf waters near Al-Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT), about 50 kilometres offshore of Iraq’s southern Faw peninsula, on August 5, 2025.
Hussein Faleh | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him New Delhi will stop buying oil from Russia, though the move will take time.
“[Modi] assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop.” Trump said at the press briefing in the Oval Office. “Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing.”
He added that Washington was unhappy with New Delhi’s purchases of Russian crude because it allowed Moscow to continue waging its “ridiculous war” in Ukraine.
However, the U.S. president also said that the halt will not be immediate, and there will be “a little bit of a process,” without giving a clear timeline.
India’s external affairs ministry said Friday that the country’s oil import decisions are driven by efforts to protect consumers by ensuring stable energy prices and securing supplies.
The ministry’s priority was to “safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
He added that India’s import policies are guided “entirely” by that goal.
Jaiswal said that India has sought for years to expand energy trade with the U.S. “This has steadily progressed in the last decade,” he said, adding that “the current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing.”
India and Russian crude
India’s imports of Russian oil have been a sticking point in the relationship between Washington and New Delhi. Trump slapped additional tariffs of 25% on India back in August, raising the total levy to 50%, while India has called out the U.S. for its trade with Russia.
“If India doesn’t buy [Russian] oil, it makes [ending the war] much easier,” Trump said. “They assured me within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they will go back to Russia after the war is over.”
On Thursday, Brent crude futures climbed 0.82% to $62.43 a barrel by 10:31 p.m. ET, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 0.89% to $58.79.
India is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil. Data from research firm Kpler shows Russia exports about 3.35 million barrels of crude per day, with India taking about 1.7 million and China 1.1 million.
New Delhi has defended those purchases, with Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Puri telling CNBC in July that New Delhi helped stabilize global energy prices and was encouraged by the U.S. to do so.
“If people or countries had stopped buying at that stage, the price of oil would have gone up to 130 dollars a barrel. That was a situation in which we were advised, including by our friends in the United States, to please buy Russian oil, but within the price cap,” Puri said.
Russian sales of crude oil have been placed under a price cap by the G7 nations and the European Union since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
That price cap, set at $47.6 per barrel, aims to limit Moscow’s revenue from oil exports, constricting the country’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.
Kia is about to go on the offensive. The automaker plans to nearly triple electric vehicle production in Europe within the next two years as it introduces the new EV2 and EV4.
Kia doubles down on EV2 and EV4 production plans
With the EV2 and EV4 joining the lineup, Kia will offer an electric vehicle for nearly everyone. The EV2 is Kia’s smallest, most affordable electric car, set to sit below the EV3.
Despite its compact size, Kia said the EV2 will “redefine urban electric mobility” with a flexible interior, its latest connectivity tech, and more.
According to Kia’s CEO, Ho Sung Song, the company plans to build about 100,000 EV2s at its Zilina plant in Slovakia.
“The average annual production of the upcoming EV2 is expected to reach around 100,000 units at the Zilina plant in Slovakia in 2027,” Song told Automotive News Europe earlier this month.
Kia is also scaling up output of its first electric hatchback, the EV4. By 2027, Kia plans to build over 80,000 EV4s at the Zilina plant. If you add in the EV4 Fastback or sedan models built in Korea, “the EV4’s combined global production is expected to reach approximately 100,000 units,” Kia’s CEO said.
Song explained that Kia aims to produce 100,000 EV2 and EV4 models globally each year, as this volume will be high enough to make them profitable.
The new production target is considerably higher than what Kia Europe CEO Marc Hedrich told Automotive News Europe in August.
Hedrich said that combined EV2 and EV4 production could account for 10% and 20% of the output at the Zilina plant in 2026, adding that a production goal of 20,000 to 30,000 EV4s “would certainly make sense” next year.
Officials from Kia Europe explained that production plans shifted after the EV4 received better-than-expected feedback following its launch in August.
Kia began EV4 production on August 20, marking a milestone as its first EV built in Europe. Kia is investing €108 million ($125 million) in the Zilina plant to produce the EV2 and EV4. The EV2 will join in 2026.
The facility has the capacity to build 320,000 vehicles, but Kia said output could be expanded to 350,000 with overtime.
Kia has yet to reveal final specs, but given the EV3 is about 4,300 mm (169.3″) in length, the EV2 is expected to be slightly smaller at around 4,000 mm (157″). That’s about the size of Hyundai’s entry-level EV, the Inster, at 3,825 mm (150″) in length.
Like the EV9 and recently launched EV5, Kia’s compact electric car features a more upright, crossover-SUV-like design.
Although Kia’s overall sales are down 3% in Europe through August, EV sales are up 56% to 71,179. The EV3 is driving growth as Kia’s second-best-selling vehicle behind the Sportage and as the seventh best-selling EV in Europe. Through the first eight months of 2025, Kia sold 45,269 EV3s in the region.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Honda’s electric SUV was the third most popular EV in the US in August, behind the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Offering over $12,000 in average incentives, the Honda Prologue scored big as buyers rushed to claim the federal EV tax credit.
Honda Prologue registrations surge with huge incentives
As the $7,500 credit expired at the end of September, automakers were offering pretty notable discounts, many in the five digits with combined incentives.
The Honda Prologue has been one of the most discounted EVs over the past few months. Last month, buyers could score up to over $20,000 in combined savings, including a $7,500 credit, $9,500 in financing bonuses, trade-in offers, and 0% interest for six years.
According to the latest registration data from S&P Global Mobility (via Automotive News), the incentives helped propel the Honda Prologue to become the third most popular EV in August.
A total of 138,457 EVs were registered in the US in August, up 24% from a year ago. Honda Prologue registrations surged 81% to 9,005 vehicles, the data showed.
Since some automakers don’t report monthly or US sales numbers, the S&P Global Mobility data offers a snapshot of sales performance.
The Prologue was yet again one of the most discounted models, with incentives of $12,704 in August, according to Motor Intelligence. Last August, Prologue incentives were just $5,813. Honda’s gas-powered CR-V had just $2,016 in incentives in August.
Although the $7,500 credit expired on September 30, Honda is still offering generous incentives for Prologue buyers and lessees.
The 2025 Honda Prologue is available with up to $16,550 in lease cash in most states. Alternatively, Honda is offering 0% APR financing for up to 60 months.
2025 Honda Prologue trim |
Starting Price* | EPA Range (miles) |
| EX (FWD) | $47,400 | 308 |
| EX (AWD) | $50,400 | 294 |
| Touring (FWD) | $51.700 | 308 |
| Touring (AWD) | $54,700 | 294 |
| Elite (AWD) | $57,900 | 283 |
Although the Acura ZDX will not return for a 2026 model year, Honda is planning to launch the 2026 Prologue. We have yet to learn prices, but we could see it priced slightly lower due to the loss of the $7,500 EV credit.
Hyundai announced earlier this month it’s reducing 2026 IONIQ 5 prices by up to nearly $10,000 on some trims. The 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 now starts at under $35,000. Will Honda match it?
Want to check out the Prologue for yourself? You can use our link to find available Honda Prologue models in your area (trusted affiliate link).
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024