BYD's New Flagship Sedan Wants To Be China's Most Luxurious Car Yet
For when you need two fridges and 39 speakers inside your car.
BYD's Yangwang sub-brand has had a busy week. After setting a world record for the fastest production car at 312 mph, the Chinese luxury marque is back in the headlines with something entirely different. Meet the Altior (Latin for “higher”), an electric flagship sedan that swaps outright speed for extravagant luxury, with four motors, two refrigerators, 39 speakers, and enough jade and silk inside to make a Rolls-Royce blush.
Unveiled in Abu Dhabi, the Altior is BYD's attempt to take Chinese luxury to a new level. Developed over three years, the imposing sedan takes inspiration from the ancient Chinese ding, a ceremonial bronze vessel associated with strength and dignity. Whether you see the resemblance is another matter, but there's no denying this is a seriously large vehicle.
It measures 220.5 inches (5,600 millimeters) long, 79.9 inches (2,030 mm) wide, and 62.6 inches (1,590 mm) tall. The wheelbase stretches 137.8 inches (3,500 mm), giving the Altior the sort of proportions you'd expect from an ultra-luxury limousine. It's actually a bit longer than the standard-wheelbase Phantom and has a Rolls-Royce-esque coachline running 189 inches (4.8 meters) along the body.
2027 Yangwang Altior
As Flashy As Sedans Get
The imposing front grille features individually polished elements arranged to catch the light from different angles. Twelve lighting elements rotate and illuminate one after another as the owner approaches. The doors are equally theatrical, opening up to 80 degrees at the front and 90 degrees at the rear. The rear coach doors also make getting in and out easier.
BYD has even tucked bespoke umbrellas into the doors, taking the Rolls-Royce inspiration a step further. As for the 21-inch wheels, their disc design and polished finish immediately remind us of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and its flashy take on the monoblock.
Moving all that car are four independently controlled electric motors, allowing torque to be adjusted at each wheel more than 100 times per second. BYD is keeping the power figures under wraps, but with a quad-motor setup, we wouldn't be surprised if the Altior packs more than 1,000 horsepower.
Then there are the Altior's party tricks, including tank turns and an emergency flotation function designed to help the driver get out of a sticky situation if the vehicle accidentally ends up in water. Hopefully, owners won't feel compelled to demonstrate that last feature. A fully active suspension also works with a camera that reads the road ahead, making real-time adjustments to keep the cabin isolated from bumps and unwanted body movements through corners.
Range is another big selling point. BYD claims more than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers), but since that figure is based on China's lenient CLTC cycle, an equivalent WLTP figure, and especially an EPA rating, would be considerably lower.
2027 Yangwang Altior
China's Rolls-Royce Has A Posh Interior
The interior is where things get properly extravagant. Yellow Hetian jade is used for the air-vent detailing, while the upholstery combines traditional Suzhou embroidery with precision perforations. Split silk threads form cloud patterns, complemented by cloud-and-thunder motifs in the perforated sections.
48 decorative pieces are spread across 11 locations in the cabin. BYD went through more than 30 design iterations to get their light-reflecting properties just right. Even the metal switches received special attention, with engineers tapping them using small hammers to compare their sound and feel. That's a level of scrutiny we wouldn't normally associate with window switches.
Full-grain semi-aniline leather, pure-wool floor mats, and natural wood trim complete the interior. But the real priority is rear-passenger comfort. The four-seat layout provides 13.9 inches (354 millimeters) of knee room and 47.6 inches (1,209 mm) of legroom. Rear occupants also get aviation-style zero-gravity seats with mechanical massage systems featuring four ball-shaped massage heads.
2027 Yangwang Altior
A Luxury Cocoon
A dedicated relaxation mode does most of the work. At the press of a button, the seats recline, leg rests rise, sun blinds close, and ambient lighting softens. Massage and fragrance functions are also part of the package.
Then there's the 39-speaker sound system, whose tweeters rotate and rise when the vehicle starts. A powered 21.4-inch overhead screen handles entertainment and video calls, while two refrigerators handle refreshments. The rear unit holds 1.5 gallons (5.5 liters) and can either cool or warm its contents. Even the luggage compartment is reasonably generous, offering 18.8 cubic feet (532 liters).
While the materials may be exquisite and everything looks like it feels solid to the touch, the all-screen dashboard will probably age terribly. Perhaps BYD's Yangwang would have been far better off with an analog instrument cluster and a smaller screen. Then again, jumbo displays are all the rage in China.
2027 Yangwang Altior
Performance figures and availability outside China remain unknown, but we do know pricing starts at 2,080,000 yuan, or about $311,000 at current exchange rates. Still, the Altior makes one thing clear: BYD isn't content with competing against mainstream luxury brands. It wants a seat at the same table as Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
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Source: Yangwang
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