The Yangwang Altior is BYD’s answer to the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
Unlike its British and German rivals, though, the Altior is electric, with a quad-motor setup that reportedly makes over 1,000 hp.
Yangwang’s flagship sedan is properly luxurious, with gold and gem-cut elements.
China’s BYD is gunning for supremacy in every possible automotive segment that has traditionally been the stomping ground of European and American brands. After setting the record straight in the hypercar world with the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, the Chinese behemoth is now going after Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Maybach with the new Yangwang Altior.
The Altior, which debuted this weekend in Abu Dhabi, is a massive luxury four-door sedan that goes after the Rolls-Royce Ghost with a long list of features that only the world’s richest people would see as must-haves. It also one-ups its European rivals with something that would probably be labeled as “brash” by some suit-wearing executives.
First up, the Yangwang Altior is completely silent, and not because the Chinese have come up with some revolutionary way of making a massive V-12 engine less chatty than Rolls-Royce, but because it’s powered by an electric powertrain. No fewer than four electric motors and a second-generation Blade battery provide motivation without having to muffle the sound of gasoline exploding under the hood. A fancy suspension, which automatically adjusts settings for the best ride based on information received from a front-facing camera, is also part of the equation.
Thanks to the four individual motors, one at each corner of the car, the Altior can do something that no German or British luxury car has ever been able to: turn on a dime, just like a tank. The Altior also boasts an emergency flotation function that’s meant to help the driver get out of the car if it somehow ends up in water. It’s not exactly something that comes in handy every day, but for the paranoid mogul who thinks about the latest improvements to their doomsday bunker on a daily basis, it may be the one thing missing from every other luxury barge.
Up front, the massive grille that’s reminiscent of Rolls-Royce’s metal nose features individually polished elements and 12 lighting elements that rotate and illuminate one after another as the owner approaches. No fewer than 137 gem-cut elements and a front emblem that’s reportedly 24-karat gold complete the grille.
Open the doors, and you’re greeted with quite a bit of theatre. The front doors open up to 80 degrees, while the rear coach doors can open up to 90 degrees to make ingress and egress as easy as possible. And because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, custom-made umbrellas are hidden inside the doors, just like on a Rolls-Royce.
While the exterior of the Altior is something that would look at home in Rolls-Royce’s factory parking, the interior reveals its Chinese roots immediately. A huge screen takes up the whole dashboard—a feature that’s all the rage in China, but might seem outdated in a few years. By comparison, more traditional luxury carmakers have usually refrained from plastering screens everywhere, making the interior design a little more timeless.
Apart from the huge screen, though, the Altior can hold its own against the European heavyweights. Plenty of metal switches are used throughout the cabin, and the rear passengers get to enjoy a pair of massaging zero-gravity chairs that can recline and have raising leg rests. Dozens of decorative pieces are dotted around the interior, complemented by traditional embroidery with silk threads, thick pure-wool floor mats, and natural wood trim.
BYD says the Yangwang Altior provides 13.9 inches (354 millimeters) of knee room and 47.6 in (1,209 mm) of legroom. A dedicated relaxation mode makes several pieces fall into place: the sun blinds rise, the seats recline, the ambient lighting softens, and the leg rests rise—all at the press of a button.
When entertainment is needed, a huge 21.4-inch overhead screen swivels down from the headliner, and a 39-speaker audio system handles the sound. A pair of refrigerators keeps drinks cool or warm, with the rear unit holding 1.5 gallons (5.5 liters).
Range-wise, the Altior can deliver more than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) on a full charge, according to BYD, though that’s based on the rather lenient CLTC rating. Still, recharging from 10% to 70% should take just five minutes on the megawatt-capable Flash Chargers.
The Yangwang Altior carries a pre-sale price of 2.08 million yuan, or about $311,000, with deliveries scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2027. BYD’s Yangwang brand is currently selling cars in the United Arab Emirates and China, but Europe is next, with the first stores expected to go live in the United Kingdom next year.
