Meet the Yangwang Altior: BYD's answer to the Rolls-Royce Phantom

Yangwang, BYD's flagship luxury sub-brand, has unveiled the Altior: an all-electric, 5.6-metre luxury barge representing China's latest challenge to the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Yangwang says the Altior showcases a distinctly Chinese take on the ultra-luxury automotive world, drawing together Chinese culture with the firm's latest technology. Its design apparently takes inspiration from the 'ding', an ancient Chinese ceremonial bronze vessel.

However, there's no doubt Rolls-Royce's legal department will now be sitting upright in their leather armchairs. The Altior looks eerily similar to the Phantom, with its grand proportions, plenty of chrome and even the iconic complimentary umbrellas hidden in the doors. Around the back, there's perhaps a touch of Mercedes-Maybach, too.

Inside, the Altior is modelled on a 'private lounge', featuring fancy Hetian jade trim, Suzhou silk embroidery, and natural wood finishes. There's also no ignoring that whopping 21.4in display paired with the 39-speaker audio system and zero-gravity massaging rear seats. Somebody should let Yangwang know IMAX called and it wants its cinema back.

The gadget count is equally impressive, packing enough bells and whistles to give James Bond a run for his money. The Altior gets a tank-turn function that allows it to rotate within its own footprint, advanced driver-assistance systems, and even flotation capability for those unfortunate car-meets-water incidents.

Power comes from BYD's second-generation Blade Battery and e⁴ platform, which uses four independently controlled electric motors capable of adjusting torque more than 100 times a second to improve stability. Yangwang claims a range of more than 621 miles, though other performance figures remain under wraps for now.

As does the pricing outside China. However, based on the domestic price and current exchange rates, expect a sticker price of around £230,000+. Despite its slightly copycat looks, there's no ignoring that's enough to undercut most established ultra-luxury rivals by a considerable margin.