Yangwang Altior: the 5.5-meter sedan that BYD aims to compete with Rolls-Royce now has an official name.

28/10/2026 13:30

Updated to

28/10/2026 13:30

In Latin, altior means “higher.” It’s no coincidence that BYD’s luxury brand, Yangwang, chose this name for its most ambitious vehicle to date. It was previously known by its codename, HU, and will be sold in China as Dingyao. The brand has already released a first image and a short teaser video that give us some new details.

The official launch will take place in early November in the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi around the 7th. The Altior will sit above the Yangwang U8 SUV, the Yangwang U7 sedan, and the supercar U9. It is rumored to cost around 2 million yuan, approximately 260,000 euros, though this figure is not yet official.

A front end inspired by a bronze cauldron

The design, already revealed, follows the aesthetic introduced by the U8, the brand’s first model. The front end draws inspiration from a ding, an ancient Chinese ceremonial vessel with handles on the edges, giving rise to its massive grille with the logo at its center. The hood is very long, and the distance between the front axle and the cabin is ample—a classic proportion seen in large luxury sedans.

The profile features large chrome wheels, and most notably, rear doors with hinges at the back that open in the opposite direction to the front doors. This is a typical Rolls-Royce solution that makes it easy to get in and out of the rear seats without bending over. It has a lidar sensor on the roof, and the car has already been spotted camouflaged several times on Chinese roads.

F-segment sedan dimensions

According to the information available so far, the Altior is 5,500 millimeters long with a wheelbase of 3,350 millimeters. For comparison, the standard Rolls-Royce Ghost is 5,546 millimeters long and has a wheelbase of 3,295 millimeters, meaning the Chinese model is slightly shorter but more battle-ready. Yangwang has not yet confirmed these figures. Aside from the Ghost, its natural rivals will be Mercedes-Benz (Class S) and the Huawei-JAC partnership (Maextro S800), which is already competing in China within the same luxury sedan segment.

Four engines and hydraulic suspension, pending confirmation

In terms of technical specifications, there are still no official details available. It is likely that the Altior will use four electric motors, one per wheel, similar to other models from the YangWang division, along with hydraulic suspension. The battery capacity, range, and charging speed remain unknown, issues that should be clarified at the November presentation.

Middle East, the first target

The fact that the launch takes place in the UAE is no small detail. BYD is preparing this model to capture the Middle East market, though there is currently no official information regarding its sale there or in other countries. In terms of sales, Yangwang delivered 3,251 cars between January and September 2026, 38.9% more than in the same period last year. However, the sales pace has slowed down: according to BYD’s official figures, 389 units were sold in September, 48.68% less than a year earlier. Its most expensive model remains the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, limited to 30 units, one of which was sold for over 20 million yuan, roughly 2.6 million euros.