BYD’s flagship luxury marque, Yangwang, has released official teasers for its upcoming luxury sedan. It recalls Rolls-Royce offerings, with an overall silhouette strikingly similar to the Phantom sedan. The new sedan will also feature rear-hinged coach doors, a first for BYD.
The sedan was previously spied at BYD’s facilities, along with a luxury SUV that is expected to take on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. This marks the first confirmation from BYD and Yangwang that its new flagship sedan is now under development.
The new flagship could also become BYD’s first vehicle to feature solid-state batteries.
Exterior
The latest teasers provide more detail on the new sedan’s styling. Its front end continues with Yangwang’s “ding” (鼎) design theme, with a fascia similar to the U8 and U8L SUVs. Its headlamps are also visible, with a close-up shot showing multiple LED elements, along with an engraved “Yangwang” logo.
The sedan’s overall shape remains largely unchanged from the previous spy shots, though BYD has covered the rear taillights in the latest shots. Its door handles are now clearly visible, and their placement confirms the presence of rear-hinged coach doors.
Without interior images, it is still unclear whether the new sedan will feature a pillar-less chassis design, which would provide more space for entry and exit when both doors open on each side. Yangwang is expected to offer self-opening power doors, in line with other luxury NEVs in China.
The roof-mounted LiDAR unit is still present, though a vehicle at this price point is expected to have additional side-mounted LiDARs for assisted driving. As a BYD flagship product, it’s expected to feature BYD’s DiPilot 600 assisted driving system, also known as God’s Eye in China.
Possible SSB pioneer
Chinese sources claim the new Yangwang sedan will be BYD’s first vehicle equipped with solid-state batteries (SSB). CarNewsChina previously reported on the automaker’s planned rollout of SSBs, with vice executive Stella Li announcing plans to launch an SSB-equipped vehicle in 2027.
As a flagship model, the new sedan’s high price and positioning would make it well-suited to serve as a launch vehicle for BYD’s SSBs. One spy shot shows the sedan parked in front of a Flash Charging station, hinting that the new battery will also support megawatt rapid charging.
Yangwang’s other models have often served as BYD’s tech demonstrators, with the U8 SUV becoming the first model on the e4 quad-motor platform. The U9 Xtreme supercar is also poised to attempt breaking the 500 km/h barrier in November.
SSB development is rapidly heating up among Chinese battery brands and automakers. Most firms are still aiming for trial production in 2027, with limited vehicle trials planned for later.
For Yangwang’s new sedan, SSB-equipped trims may be offered at a high price with limited supply, while “normal” trims with BYD’s LFP “Blade Battery 2.0” will be sold alongside at a lower price.
This would align with BYD’s scheduled roadmap for SSB commercialisation, with the automaker’s Chief Scientist, Lian Yubo, stating that liquid lithium-ion batteries and all-solid-state systems could coexist for 15 to 20 years.
Source: Weibo – Sugar Design
