BYD confirms UAE premiere for new Yangwang flagship sedan

© A. Krivonosov / SPEEDME

BYD has chosen the United Arab Emirates for the world premiere of a new executive sedan from its premium Yangwang brand. The car currently carries the internal codename HU and is seen as a potential entrant into the segment occupied by the most luxurious Mercedes-Maybach models. However, the manufacturer has yet to announce its official name, unveiling date, technical specifications or price.

The decision was announced on 21 October 2026 by Yangwang sales chief Hu Xiaoqing. He said the company is preparing an overseas unveiling and will explain its choice of the UAE and disclose further details later. Confirming a premiere location does not yet mean that orders or local sales are beginning.

The UAE is already among Yangwang’s official markets. The brand is distributed by Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility, which offers the U8 Arabian Edition SUV. Its official website lists a price of 659,900 UAE dirhams. The sedan will therefore be shown in a country where the brand already serves customers and is developing a dealer network.

The first images of a camouflaged prototype emerged in September 2026. They show a large car with elongated proportions, a long wheelbase and a roof-mounted lidar sensor. Chinese automotive observers have also suggested that it may have coach doors and styling cues reminiscent of the Yangwang U8 SUV. BYD has not revealed the final design.

Preliminary estimates suggest a length of around 5.5 metres and a price above 2 million yuan. If confirmed, this would place the newcomer among the most expensive executive cars. For now, however, BYD has announced neither dimensions nor pricing, so comparisons with the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class remain tentative.

Yangwang already has experience building expensive passenger cars. Its range includes the U7 sedan with both fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains. In August, it also expanded its SUV family with the extended, four-seat U8L. The new executive sedan would mark another step into the upper end of the luxury market.

Major questions remain unanswered. Yangwang has not said whether the vehicle will be fully electric or a hybrid, nor disclosed its output, battery capacity or range. It is also unclear whether the UAE premiere will lead to international sales. Only the country of the planned unveiling is confirmed; a meaningful comparison with established luxury brands must await official specifications.