The BYD Yangwang Altior is a four-motor electric limousine aimed at the Rolls-Royce Ghost, with 621+ miles of CLTC range, tank-turn maneuvering and a reported 2.08 million yuan (about $310,000) launch price. Specs, price and markets.
Photo: Yangwang / BYD
BYD has built a 3,000-horsepower hypercar and an SUV that can float. Now it wants the back seat of the world's most expensive limousines. The Yangwang Altior, unveiled at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on November 7, is a 220-inch, four-seat electric sedan aimed squarely at the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. BYD claims more than 621 miles (1,000 km) of range on China's CLTC test cycle, and the car can spin on the spot like a tank.
The Altior is the new flagship of Yangwang, BYD's luxury brand, and its most expensive model yet. In China it will be sold as the Dingyao. Here's what we know, what's still unconfirmed, and how it compares with the cars it's chasing.
The name comes from Latin for "higher," according to Yangwang sales chief Hu Xiaoqing. The car borrows the "ding" design language first used on the Yangwang U8 SUV, with a front end inspired by an ancient Chinese bronze vessel, a tall grille, chrome trim and rear-hinged coach doors. A lidar sensor sits on the roof for BYD's God's Eye driver-assistance system.
It is not a stretched version of an existing Yangwang. The Altior rides on BYD's e4 platform (called Yi Sifang in China), the four-motor architecture behind the U8 SUV and U9 supercar. It sits above the Yangwang U7 sedan, which starts at 658,000 yuan in China.
BYD executive vice president Stella Li called the Altior "luxury in every fibre and power in its soul," adding that it "represents our vision for the future of Chinese luxury."
| Spec | Yangwang Altior |
|---|---|
| Length | 5,600 mm (220.5 in) |
| Width / height | 2,030 mm (79.9 in) / 1,590 mm (62.6 in) |
| Wheelbase | 3,500 mm (137.8 in) |
| Seats | 4, with rear "zero-gravity" massage seats |
| Rear legroom | 1,209 mm (47.6 in) |
| Trunk | 532 liters (18.8 cu ft) |
| Drivetrain | Four independent motors, e4 platform |
| Battery | Second-generation Blade (LFP); capacity not disclosed |
| Range | More than 1,000 km (621 mi), CLTC |
| Charging | BYD Flash Charging; full details to come |
| Suspension | DiSus active suspension with road-scanning camera |
| Chip | BYD Xuanji A3 (4 nm), its first application |
Not yet official: horsepower, battery size, 0-60 mph time and weight. Several outlets report output above 1,000 hp, which would be in line with the four-motor U7, but BYD has not confirmed a figure. InsideEVs reports a 10-to-70% charge in about five minutes on BYD's megawatt-class chargers. BYD itself has said only that Flash Charging specifications will be announced separately.
About that range number
China's CLTC test is far more generous than the EPA cycle used in the US. A CLTC rating of 1,000 km does not mean 621 real-world highway miles. The Altior has no EPA rating, and it isn't sold in the US. Expect a meaningfully lower figure under EPA or Europe's WLTP rules.
Because each wheel has its own motor, the car can spin the wheels on one side forward and the other side backward. The result is a "tank turn": the car rotates in place instead of making a three-point turn. Yangwang first showed the trick on the U8 SUV. BYD says the e4 system also adjusts torque at each wheel more than 100 times per second, which it says helps keep the car stable if a tire blows out at high speed.
The Altior also carries BYD's emergency flotation function, designed to keep the car afloat briefly if it ends up in water, another feature borrowed from the U8. In everyday use, the four motors matter more for traction and stability than for party tricks, but few cars in this class can claim either one.
This is a chauffeur car first. The two rear seats recline into a "zero-gravity" position with massage. A 21.4-inch screen drops from the ceiling, a 39-speaker Dynaudio system fills the cabin, and there are refrigerators for front and rear passengers. Umbrellas hide in the doors, a familiar Rolls-Royce touch. The cabin decor leans on Chinese motifs, with jade-finish vents and embroidered cloud patterns.
BYD has not published an official price list. Chinese media report that the Yangwang app lists the first limited edition, the Shanhe Dingyun, at 2.08 million yuan, with a 300,000-yuan deposit (about $45,000). That is roughly $310,000 at current exchange rates. At least one outlet has cautioned that the app figure is a configurator total rather than a formal price. Electrive reports that edition is limited to 399 units and that presales have opened in China.
The car will come in two versions, Executive and Bespoke. InsideEVs reports deliveries are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2027.
Here is where the Altior sits in Yangwang's lineup, using official China starting prices:
| Model | Type | China price (yuan) | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yangwang U7 | Large sedan | 658,000 | $98,000 |
| Yangwang U8 | Off-road SUV | 1,008,000 | $150,000 |
| Yangwang U8L | Long-wheelbase SUV | 1,300,000 | $194,000 |
| Yangwang U9 | Supercar | 1,800,000 | $269,000 |
| Yangwang Altior | Flagship sedan | 2,080,000 (reported) | $310,000 |
USD figures are approximate, converted at about 6.7 yuan per dollar, and exclude taxes and import duties.
The Altior is aimed first at China and the United Arab Emirates, where Yangwang is sold through the Al-Futtaim group. The Abu Dhabi reveal was Yangwang's first brand event outside China. The brand plans to enter the UK and Europe, possibly as early as 2027, but BYD hasn't said whether the Altior will be part of that lineup. There are no US plans; Chinese-built cars face steep tariffs and import restrictions here.
How it measures up
"ALTIOR represents our vision for the future of Chinese luxury."
Stella Li, BYD executive vice presidentThe bottom line: The Yangwang Altior is BYD's boldest bid yet to sell Chinese luxury at Rolls-Royce prices: a 220-inch electric limousine with four motors, tank-turn maneuvering, a claimed 621-plus miles of CLTC range and a reported launch price of about $310,000. Key numbers, including horsepower and battery size, are still missing, and the range figure will shrink under stricter tests. With deliveries expected in mid-2027 and sales focused on China and the Gulf, Americans will be watching this one from a distance.
Related: BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme hits 312 mph · BYD Da Han EV launches at $35,200
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