Yangwang, BYD’s luxury brand, has revealed the Altior, a large four-seat saloon aimed at the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. It made its world debut in Abu Dhabi on 7 November, six days after the brand’s U9 Xtreme hypercar set its 503km/h speed record on a closed public road in the same emirate.

Price and the first edition

Pre-orders have opened in China for a launch edition called Shanhe Dingyun. It has four seats, and CnEVPost reports that it is limited to 399 cars worldwide. The indicative price is CNY 2,080,000 (about £223,000 at 7 Nov 2026 rates), with a deposit of CNY 300,000 (about £32,000). CnEVPost says the price is not yet final. A five-seat version is due later. Neither report gives a delivery date.

Size and cabin

The Altior is 5,600mm long, 2,030mm wide and 1,590mm tall, on a 3,500mm wheelbase. CarNewsChina reports that it is 201mm longer than a Rolls-Royce Ghost. The rear doors are rear-hinged coach doors that open to about 90 degrees, with an umbrella stored in the door.

The rear is laid out as two individual seats split by a centre console, with leg rests, holders for champagne glasses and electric privacy blinds. CarNewsChina lists further details, including two fridges, a fold-down roof screen for rear passengers and a 39-speaker Dynaudio sound system.

Battery and technology

Yangwang says the Altior uses BYD’s second-generation Blade Battery and supports its flash-charging system. The claimed range is more than 1,000km (about 620 miles), but that is on China’s CLTC test, which gives much higher figures than the WLTP test used in the UK. No battery capacity or official power output has been given. CnEVPost notes that Yangwang hasn’t said whether the car is fully electric or a hybrid; CarNewsChina describes a four-motor electric drivetrain and a roof-mounted lidar sensor for BYD’s God’s Eye driver-assistance system.

Yangwang is still a small brand by volume: CnEVPost counts 3,546 sales in the first ten months of 2026. Its China debut is expected at the Guangzhou Auto Show, which opens on 27 November, according to a report by Chinese site Autohome cited by CnEVPost.

What it means for UK buyers

Nothing directly, for now. Yangwang doesn’t sell cars in the UK, and no UK plans for the Altior have been announced. We list the Yangwang U8 SUV as a possible arrival around 2027, but that isn’t confirmed either.

The car is worth watching for two reasons. It shows BYD pushing into a price bracket held by Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Maybach, which would have seemed unlikely a few years ago. And the technology in it, from the second-generation Blade Battery to fast charging and lidar-based driver assistance, tends to reach BYD’s more affordable models later. Range figures above are Chinese test numbers; CarNewsChina estimates the WLTP equivalent at about 800-820km (roughly 500-510 miles), and an official figure would be needed if the car ever comes to Europe.