BYD unveils Rolls-Royce-rivaling Altior limousine that floats

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The Yangwang Altior promises Rolls-Royce-style luxury in its spacious back seats (Yangwang) Yangwang

Even in Yangwang's luxury model, big screens dominate (Yangwang) Yangwang

The Rolls-Royce inspiration even extends to having umbrellas hidden in the doors (Yangwang) Yangwang

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BYD has unveiled a luxury electric limousine designed to take customers from Rolls-Royce, complete with umbrellas in the doors, jade trim and an emergency system that lets the car float if it ends up in water. The Yangwang Altior, shown in Abu Dhabi, sits under BYD's flagship Yangwang brand and targets buyers who would otherwise consider a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The Altior is the culmination of a decade in which BYD moved up the market almost rung by rung: family cars against Volkswagen, performance models against Porsche, electric supercars against Ferrari. The Altior is 5,600mm long — shorter than a Phantom — with rear-hinged coach doors opening to 90 degrees, reclining rear seats with mechanical massage, a 21.4-inch overhead screen, refrigerators front and rear, and a Dynaudio system with 39 speakers whose tweeters rise and rotate at startup. Hand-polished Hetian jade surrounds the air vents. The design borrows from the ding, a ceremonial Chinese bronze vessel, and the name comes from the Latin for 'higher'.

The engineering is the interesting part. Four electric motors drive each wheel independently, adjusting power more than 100 times a second, with a system designed to keep the car stable if a tyre blows out at high speed. The Altior can perform a tank turn, revolving on its own axis. BYD claims a range of more than 621 miles from its latest Blade Battery, with Flash Charging onboard — though battery capacity and charging speeds remain unannounced. The flotation system is an emergency measure, not a cruising mode, though that distinction rarely survives a viral clip.

Electric drivetrains erase the mechanical advantage — twelve cylinders of silence engineering — that long justified European luxury pricing. Once the drivetrain is four motors and software, the premium is leather, jade and theatre, and the Chinese can source those as easily as anyone. While American electric trucks died with their subsidies, BYD's answer to the market's top end arrives with tariffs as Europe's remaining defence: protection priced into every European buyer's invoice.

The Altior took three years to develop. Its umbrellas tuck into the doors, exactly where Rolls-Royce puts them.