Yangwang vs Rolls-Royce: size and tech can’t beat legacy

With the unveiling of the new Yangwang Altior comes a real test for one of China’s fastest-growing and most prolific global car makers: can BYD’s new luxury brand truly capture the attention of the world’s most well-heeled car buyers and lure them away from the Rolls-Royce showroom?

Much of BYD’s growth outside China so far – and indeed that of many other Chinese firms, like Chery and Geely – has been founded on cost-competitiveness. It hasn’t really mattered what the badges on the bonnets said, because the cars weren’t aimed necessarily at people who really cared.