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These monster SUVs and luxury off-road vehicles come from China

They are all huge models with plug-in hybrids including range extenders or pure electric vehicles with over 1,000 PS

Chinas neue Super-SUVs und Geländewagen

By: Fabio Gemelli

Published by: Brian Potter

Mar 5, 2024 at 6:01am ET

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Super SUVs with powerful engines and breathtaking capabilities have always been quite popular in markets such as the Middle East, the United States and, to some extent, Russia. But for some years now, this class of vehicle also seems to be becoming increasingly popular in China.

The local manufacturers have therefore started to present huge SUVs and off-roaders that have more than 1,000 PS and can even move in deep water.

But what are these Chinese super SUV off-roaders that challenge historic models such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class or the most powerful Range Rovers? Will they ever come to us? Let's find out together ...

Polestones 01
Tank 700 Hi4-T
Fang Cheng Bao 5
M-Held 917
YangWang U8

Polestones 01

Let's start relaxed. With a new Chinese SUV that is blessed with high but not exaggerated performance. It is the Polestones 01 and thus the first work of a brand that has been owned by the start-up Rox Motor since 2023. A company that established its success in China with robot vacuum cleaners.

Polestones 01

The Polestones 01 is a huge car with plug-in hybrid range extender designed by Pininfarina. It is 5.29 metres long, has 6 or 7 seats and weighs 2,580 kg. This giant is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine whose sole task is to charge the 56 kWh battery that powers the two 476 PS electric motors.

The range in the CLTC approval cycle is 146 miles, while the combined range of the battery and petrol tank is 831 miles. The base price of the Polestone 01 in China is 349,900 yuan, which corresponds to around £38,300 at today's exchange rate.

Tank 700 Hi4-T

The Tank brand, which specialises in off-road vehicles and large SUVs with off-road ambitions, comes from Great Wall Motor. The latest and most ambitious model is the Tank 700 Hi4-T. A 5.09 metre long and 3,110 kg off-road vehicle designed as a plug-in hybrid, which is to be supplemented by a petrol version.

Tank 700 Hi4-T

The engine of the Tank 700 Hi4-T is a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with 360 PS, which is supplemented by a 163 PS electric motor to achieve a total output of 523 PS, which is transferred to an all-wheel drive system.

The 37.1 kWh battery enables an electric range of 56 miles in the WLTC cycle and 684 miles in total. The Chinese price list starts at 428,000 yuan, the equivalent of £46,900.

Fang Cheng Bao 5

The list of the most powerful new Chinese off-road vehicles also includes the Fang Cheng Bao 5 or Leopard 5, which was created under the wing of the parent company BYD under the new Fangchengbao (or Fang Cheng Bao) brand.

Fang Cheng Bao Bao 5

Fang Cheng Bao 5

The Bao 5 is a plug-in hybrid off-road vehicle that is slightly more compact than the other models on our list at 4.89 metres in length, but is equipped with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors that deliver a total of 687 PS with a kerb weight of 2,890 kg.

It has all-wheel drive and accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds, while the electric range of the 31.8 kWh battery is 78 miles in the CLTC cycle. The Chinese price of the Fang Cheng Bao 5 is at least 289,800 yuan (around £31,700).

M-Hero 917

One of the two most impressive monsters in the new wave of Chinese super SUVs is the M-Hero 917 from the Mengshi brand of the Dongfeng Group.

With a length of 4.98 metres and a kerb weight of an impressive 3,293 kg, the M-Hero 917 is also designed for international markets (including Europe), where it could be launched in a 100% electric or plug-in hybrid version in the next few years.

M-Hero 917

The electric M-Hero 917 has four motors with a total of 1,088 PS, a WLTP range of 280 miles with the 142.7 kWh battery and in 4.2 seconds it goes from 0 to 62 mph. The EREV (i.e. the PHEV model with range extender) has a 197 PS petrol engine in combination with three electric traction motors with a total of 816 PS. In this case, the 65.8 kWh battery offers an electric range of 96 mph and a total range of 466 miles. In China, it will cost at least 637,700 yuan (approx. £69,800).

YangWang U8

The most over-the-top of them all, however, is the YangWang U8. A plug-in hybrid range extender off-roader that can also travel in water and represents the pinnacle of BYD's new luxury brand.

YangWang U8

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The YangWang U8 is 5.31 metres long, has an unladen weight of 3,460 kg and is powered by four electric motors, which also enable it to turn like a tank while the battery can be charged at a charging station or by the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine.

The total output is 1,200 PS with a torque of 1,280 Nm and enables a sprint from 0-62 mph in just 3.6 seconds. The 49.05 kWh battery enables an electric range of 112 miles in the CLTC cycle and a total range of over 621 miles. The YangWang U8 will be sold on the Chinese market at a base price of 1,098,000 yuan (£120,000 at today's exchange rate).

More new products from China (for Europe):

MG3 compact hybrid to conquer the B segment

A new plug-in hybrid SUV arrives in Europe: the BYD Seal U DM-i

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