279,000 euros, jade inlay and antagonistic doors: BYD declares war on Rolls‑Royce

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In Europe, BYD is best known for its rather affordable electric cars. However, the Chinese group also has a luxury brand, Yangwang, which has just made headlines since its U9 Xtreme hypercar reached 503.17 km/h on a public road in Abu Dhabi. In the wake of this speed record, Yangwang unveiled the Altior on November 7, 2026, a large sedan that the BYD press release describes as “the ultimate expression of power”.

Opposing rear doors, umbrellas stored in the doors, four lounge-style seats: the car incorporates absolutely all the codes of Rolls-Royce models, for a price far from the standards of the prestigious British manufacturer. Yangwang even goes so far as to reproduce the iconic Rolls-Royce symbol which is the fine border affixed by hand to the bodywork, the “Coachline”, by a single person in the world.

The Yangwang Altior ticks all the boxes for automotive luxury. On the other hand, in terms of dimensions, the Altior is well within the norm for this type of vehicle with a length of 5.60 m, 2.03 m in width and 1.59 m in height. The wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) is 3.50 m, suggesting interior space worthy of business class.

Precisely, Yangwang announces that this length is at the service of the rear seats thanks to 1.21 m of legroom, two reclining “zero gravity” seats with massage, a 21.4 inch screen which descends from the ceiling and a 5.5 liter refrigerator.

The brand also highlights interior decoration, which aims to be the height of refinement. We thus find yellow Hetian jade around the vents as well as Suzhou silk embroidery on the trims. Naturally, the caramel/cream leather upholstery here (we're salivating) lines the entire cabin, without forgetting the thick carpets on the floor and the woodwork on the door panels. Despite all this, the trunk still holds 532 liters. Good point.

A wheelbase between the Ghost and the Phantom On paper, the comparison with Rolls-Royce holds up. The wheelbase of the Altior exceeds that of the Ghost (3,295 mm) and even that of its extended version (3,465 mm), without reaching the 3,552 mm of the Phantom, the flagship model of the British brand. Price-wise, a Ghost Series II starts around 300,000 euros in Europe, excluding options. Rolls-Royce does not yet have an electric sedan: the Ghost keeps its 6.75-liter V12, while only the Specter coupe runs on electricity.

Faced with this V12, Yangwang adds its “e⁴” platform, with one motor per wheel controlled separately. The power is not communicated, perhaps again a mimicry of Rolls-Royce, which does not lower itself to this figure believing that performance must be felt rather than quantified... This British subtlety in Yangwang disappears when we learn that the Altior can turn on itself.

Machine-translated from French