BYD’s premier luxury sub-brand Yangwang has officially unveiled its newest flagship electric vehicle—the Yangwang Altior—at a grand global debut in Abu Dhabi.
Also known as Yangwang Dingyao in native China, the Altior blends ancient ceremonial design motifs with cutting-edge EV architecture, set to go against the likes of Rolls-Royce Ghost and Bentley Flying Spur as the brand’s flagship limousine.
Yangwang’s Flagship Limousine
According to Yangwang, the name Altior stems from the Latin word for “higher,” while its Chinese name, Dingyao, draws inspiration from the ding—an ancient Chinese ceremonial bronze vessel.
Up front, the Altior gets an intricately designed grille that takes cues from fine jewelry that is made up of 137 individually polished gems, while the brand’s oracle-bone-script emblem is made of 24K gold. Complementing the design are the 12 lighting elements at the front fascia that rotate and light up in sequence as the owner approaches the car, plus a Lidar sensor mounted on the front part of the roof.
Access to the cabin is via ceremonial coach doors—opening up to 80 degrees at the front and 90 degrees at the rear—housing bespoke umbrellas inspired by Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. Rounding off the exterior bits are the two-tone champagne and black exterior colorway, three-wheel options all measuring 21 inches, slim LED taillights, and many more.
Size-wise, the Altior spans 5,600 mm long, 2,030 mm wide, and 1,590 mm high, with a massive 3,500 mm wheelbase, thus putting it on par with some of the world’s most renowned luxury sedans and limousines.
First-Class Cabin with Handcrafted Bits
And thanks to its generous wheelbase, the Altior gets an expansive cabin laced with tons of luxury amenities. Steering clear of generic minimalist luxury, the Altior’s cabin emphasizes traditional craftsmanship with several handcrafted elements, including:
- Yellow Hetian Jade: Integrated into the air-vent controls, hand-polished to offer a tactile connection to historical art.
- Suzhou Embroidery & Perforated Leather: Silk threads form flowing cloud motifs alongside structured geometric perforations on full-grain semi-aniline leather.
- Jewelry-Inspired Controls: 48 decorative pieces across 11 interior focal points showcase refined optical finishing.
- Acoustic Tactile Feedback: Real-metal switches engineered with precise weight and sound tuning.
The four-seater executive layout features twin aviation-style zero-gravity rear seats, equipped with a 4-head ball mechanical massage system. A one-touch relaxation mode reclines the seats, raises leg rests, shuts sunblinds, and dims ambient lighting.
Audio is delivered by a 39-speaker Dynaudio Platinum Evidence sound system featuring motorized rotating tweeters. Rear passengers also enjoy a powered 21.4-inch overhead ceiling screen, an executive center console with built-in controls, and a 5.5-liter dual cooling/warming refrigerator.
Quad-Motor E4 Platform with Over 1,000 km CLTC Range
Underneath its well-sculpted body lies BYD’s proprietary e4 platform with a quad-motor setup—the same architecture used on many other Yangwang models, including the manic Yangwang U9 hypercar.
The four independently controlled motors adjust the torque at each wheel more than 100 times per second, helping to keep the car stable after a high-speed tire blowout, as well as enabling it to execute tank turns. And just like the U8 SUV, the Altior also comes with an emergency flotation function.
No exact power outputs were given to us for now, but the Altior does feature BYD’s second-gen Blade battery pack that promises over 1,000 km of travel range, at least according to the more lenient CLTC standards.
Despite using this latest battery tech, it appears that the Altior does not support BYD’s Flash Charging technology, as it only uses a 1,000-volt platform, with more technical details regarding its charging performance and powertrain outputs set to be announced in the near future.
Orders Opened in China, Limited to 399 Units
In native China, the new Yangwang Altior will be offered in two configurations, Executive and Bespoke, with the latter known as Shanhe Dingyun, and it is limited to just 399 units.
Order books for the Altior Bespoke Shanhe Dingyun are now open in China, where interested parties need to place a deposit of CNY 300,000 (RM182,100), although the final price of the car has yet to be announced. Chinese media report that Yangwang’s app lists the car at CNY 2.08 million (RM1.262 million).
Deliveries for the new Yangwang Altior are expected to commence later in Q2 2027 in China, with no updates given regarding its availability in overseas markets.
