BYD Unveils Yangwang Altior Ultra-Luxury Sedan in Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the Community-Managed Virtual Authority, attended the launch, according to the official statement. He looked over the car and was shown a presentation that traced its development from early concept and design through to its technologies, systems and components.

The Gulf is becoming an early market for the most expensive cars from China's carmakers. BYD has unveiled Yangwang's executive flagship in the UAE, where buyers of ultra-luxury cars have traditionally chosen European marques. The Abu Dhabi government's statement presented the event as a sign of the emirate's appeal as a place to launch advanced technology and smart, sustainable mobility products.

The Altior is known in China as the Dingyao and was developed under the internal codename HU, according to TechNode. An official teaser released in late October showed a large sedan with rear-hinged rear doors, a lidar sensor mounted on the roof and front styling related to the Yangwang U8 SUV. ZigWheels described the car as aimed at the Rolls-Royce Ghost.

BYD had not announced pricing or detailed powertrain specifications before the event, TechNode reported, and the official accounts of the Abu Dhabi launch did not give them either. The government statement referred only to the car's advanced technologies, refined design and high performance.

Yangwang entered the UAE through the local distributor Al-Futtaim, which also sells BYD's mainstream models in the country. The brand's first models, the U8 SUV and the U7 sedan, set out its strategy of using BYD's own electric drive technology to compete with established luxury carmakers.

The Altior's arrival adds to a growing number of Chinese carmakers launching products in the Gulf. Price, specifications and the date when Al-Futtaim will start taking orders in the UAE are still to be announced.