Look out Land Rover: the floating, tank-turning Yangwang U8 is coming to Europe

The Geneva International Motor Show is set to be a shadow of its former self when it kicks off on 26 February, perhaps thanks to the challenging decision to host it in Qatar (which is apparently quite a long way from Switzerland) last year. Still, Chinese megacorp BYD will be rocking up to actual Geneva in full force for the 2024 show.

We’re told that it will use the show for the “European premiere of a diverse variety of models, sub-brands and innovative NEV technology”. So, keep scanning below to see what’s coming. 

Oh yes. TopGear.com cannot wait for the fantastically-sized Yangwang U8 to make its European debut. BYD hasn’t officially confirmed that its tank-turning plug-in hybrid Land Rover Defender from Wish is coming to our shores, but the fact it’s showing off the U8 in Geneva surely means its arrival is imminent. Heck, they won’t even need to transport these things over on a boat – it can literally float…

Another of BYD’s sub-brands is the luxury offshoot Denza. Founded in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes, the Germans reduced their stake from 50 to just 10 per cent in late 2021. Will that prove to be a mistake? The D9 is an all-electric Lexus LM rival which seats seven and will arrive in Europe at some point this year. 

“Within just six months of its launch in the Chinese market, the Denza D9 secured its position as the best-selling MPV,” says erm… Denza.

Ever tried to draw a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo from memory? You probably ended up with something that looked quite like the Denza D7.

We’re told that this is “a premium sleek and sporty full electric mid-size crossover SUV”, so presumably it’ll sell like the hottest of hot cakes when it lands in Europe. It was launched in July 2023 in China and shares its powertrain with the BYD Seal, meaning you can have 308bhp and rear-wheel drive or 523bhp and all-wheel drive.

We must apologise, because apparently this is the facelifted version of the second-generation BYD Tang, but we weren’t actually aware of the existence of the first-generation BYD Tang until today. Still, every day is a school day and all that…

Anyway, this Tang is a seven-seat, all-wheel drive electric SUV with a range of 329 miles and “powerful performance”. BYD is also keen to point out that it has just been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Ah, finally a car that we actually recognise. The Tesla Model 3-rivalling Seal has already made its UK debut in all-electric form, but Build Your Dreams is bringing a new plug-in hybrid powertrain to Europe in what it describes as “a game-changing evolution in intelligent PHEV technology”.