For most Mzansi motorists the name Yangwang is completely unknown. BYD’s luxury arm has already shown what it can do with the floating U8 and the U9 hyper car. But apparently the forthcoming Altior marks a bolder statement for the brand and BYD as a whole. This is the brand’s first true executive flagship sedan, and it is being prepared to occupy the same conversation as the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
Officially named in late October, the Altior (Dingyao in China) is scheduled for its global debut in the United Arab Emirates in pretty soon. At roughly 5.5 metres long with a 3.3m wheelbase, it occupies proper chauffeur territory. Teasers reveal rear-hinged coach doors that open nearly 90 degrees, a first for any BYD model, plus a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor and a broad, upright front end that is rumoured to have taken more than 100 design proposals to settle. The proportions are deliberate: long, formal and unapologetically imposing.
Technical details remain under wraps until the reveal, though the expectation is a sophisticated electric and/ or plug-in Hybrid architecture drawing on Yangwang’s existing e4 quad-motor and DiSus suspension technologies. A solid-state battery system has been speculated, but BYD has previously pointed to 2027 for its first production solid-state vehicle, so timing may be dicey on that front.
We obviously don’t know what the price is going to be yet, but do expect it to undercut its European and American counterparts quite significantly, while offering a suite of Chinese-definition luxury, tech and comfort levels.
