ABU DHABI: The Yangwang Altior ultra-luxury, all-electric flagship sedan had its global premiere in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates recently.
Yangwang, BYD’s flagship luxury automotive brand, says the Altior brings the depth of Chinese culture into a contemporary vision of ultra-luxury.
BYD executive vice president Stella Li said, "Altior represents our vision for the future of Chinese luxury.”
The Altior takes its name from the Latin word meaning “higher”.
Yangwang says its Chinese name, Dingyao, connects the presence and significance of the ding with the idea of radiance.
Developed over three years, Altior’s design takes inspiration from the ding, an ancient Chinese ceremonial bronze vessel.
The short front overhang and near-vertical front surface establish a distinctive architectural character. Along the body, twin character lines extend for 4.8 metres.
Measuring 5,600mm in length, 2,030mm in width and 1,590mm in height, with a 3,500mm wheelbase, the Altior combines imposing exterior proportions with generous interior space.
A 740mm distance between the front-wheel centre and the driver’s pedals contributes to its distinctive profile.
Three 21-inch wheel designs provide different expressions of its character: multi-spoke, polished disc and fully enclosed cover designs, paired with 275/45 low-noise tyres.
There is a coach-door arrangement, with front doors opening to a maximum of 80 degrees and rear doors to 90 degrees.
There are also bespoke umbrellas housed within the doors.
Inside the Altior, yellow Hetian jade brings a material with deep cultural significance into the air-vent detailing.
Hand-polished into smooth, rounded surfaces, it invites appreciation through its lustre, texture and feel.
The upholstery combines Suzhou embroidery with precision perforation.
Artisans use the traditional technique of splitting silk threads to create flowing cloud motifs.
Jewellery-inspired controls extend this attention to detail. Across 11 locations, 48 decorative pieces bring a carefully considered quality to everyday interactions.
Full-grain semi-aniline leather, pure-wool floor mats and selected natural woods complete the material palette.
There is a four-seat layout, and rear passengers can access key functions through the central console.
A single touch folds the front passenger seat to open the view for the rear executive passenger.
A pair of aviation-style zero-gravity seats supports a deeply relaxed seating position. Each features a mechanical massage system with four ball-shaped massage heads.
It comes with a 39-speaker Dynaudio Platinum Evidence sound system. Its tweeters rotate and rise when the vehicle starts.
A powered 21.4-inch overhead screen supports entertainment and screen sharing for conference calls. Front and rear refrigerators provide further convenience, with the 5.5-litre rear unit offering independently controlled storage with cooling and warming functions.
There is also a 532-litre luggage compartment.
Meanwhile, Yangwang’s e4 Platform uses four independently controlled motors to manage the direction and magnitude of torque at each wheel. The system adjusts driving force more than 100 times per second, allowing precise distribution of power as conditions change.
This capability supports vehicle stability in demanding situations, including a high-speed tyre blowout.
The Altior also incorporates emergency flotation capability, designed to provide additional support if the vehicle accidentally enters water.
Tank-turn capability offers an additional manoeuvring function.
The next-generation DiSus fully active body control system works with e4 to manage movement across six degrees of freedom.
By reading the road ahead and adjusting the suspension in real time, it helps reduce disturbances from the road surface while controlling body movement through corners.
The Altior is also the first model equipped with BYD’s independently developed 4nm Xuanji A3 assisted-driving chip.
Integration with in-house algorithms supports the God’s Eye A assisted-driving system, including parking-space-to-parking-space navigation assistance, motorway and expressway navigation assistance, urban navigation assistance and parking assistance.
The Second-Generation Blade Battery provides an all-electric range of more than 621 miles (1,000km) on the CLTC combined cycle.
Flash Charging adds further convenience to electric travel.
Altior will be offered in Executive and Bespoke editions.
The first themed Bespoke Edition, Shanhe Dingyun, takes inspiration from the imagery of mountains and rivers held within a ding.
Produced in a limited run, Shanhe Dingyun is intended for collectors.
